Soft Cell, best known for their smash 1981 cover of Gloria Jones’ “Tainted Love,” formed in England in the late ’70s. Founded by Marc Almond and Dave Ball, the duo released four U.K. Top 20 albums between 1981 and 1984. Soft Cell reunited in the 2000s, releasing the album Cruelty Without Beauty in 2002 and later returning with the 2022 studio album Happiness Not Included.
Soft Cell quickly gained fame after releasing the iconic hit “Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go” in 1981, which became a chart-topper in multiple countries. Their debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, produced several top hits, including “Bedsitter” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.” Despite disbanding, Marc Almond and Dave Ball reunited in 2001 and continued to create music together, culminating in the release of their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, in 2022.