Soft Cell

They were an odd couple: Dave Ball broodingly poking his keyboards in the background while out front, Marc Almond - all black eyeliner and utter conviction - seized stardom firmly by the throat, acting out every song as if his life depended on it. 

The Lancastrian duo drew heavily on Northern Soul, recodifying it for 80s consumption most effectively on Tainted Love, a minimal masterpiece - and still a dance floor staple today. Their pension-ensuring reworking of Gloria Jones' 1964 track topped the charts in 17 countries and became the biggest selling 45 of the year.

Marc Almond had a serious motorcycle accident in 2004.