In the UK, they had ten Top 40 hits, including "Bedsitter" (#4), "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" (#3), "Torch" (#2), and "What!" (#3), and also had four Top 20 albums between 1981 and 1984.
The duo split in 1984, but reformed in the early 2000s to tour and released a new album in 2002. Their songs have been covered by various artists including Nine Inch Nails, David Gray, Nouvelle Vague, Marilyn Manson and A-ha.Soft Cell's track "Memorabilia" recognized the band as pioneers of techno style. The duo have sold 10 millions records worldwide.
Released in 1981, Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" was a No. 1 hit in 17 countries, including the United Kingdom, as well as a No. 8 single in the United States during 1982, and went on to set a then-Guinness World Record for the longest consecutive stay on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart (43 weeks).
The song's popularity developed slowly, needing 19 weeks to enter the U.S. Top 40. The A-side of the 12 inch single of "Tainted Love" actually featured a two-song medley, with "Tainted Love" blending into the Motown classic "Where Did Our Love Go" (originally recorded by The Supremes).
According to Marc Almond's book Tainted Life, Soft Cell had exited the "Tainted Love" recording sessions with only modest expectations that the track might break into the UK Top 50. Furthermore, Almond wrote that his only significant contribution to the song's instrumentation (besides the vocals) was the suggestion that the song begin with a characteristic "bink bink" sound which would repeat periodically throughout. Almond also wrote that he dedicated this song to his sometime partner Christian Andrews.
A video was recorded specially for Soft Cell's video album 'Non Stop Exotic Video' and features band members Marc Almond and David Ball in togas on Mount Olympus.
Soft Cell's version of "Tainted Love" ranked #2 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders and #5 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.
"Tainted Love" was composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. The Soft Cell track featured a slower tempo than Jones' version, and was in the key of G rather than the original C to match Almond's lower voice. Synthesizers and rhythm machines replaced the original's guitars, bass, drums and horns. Soft Cell's version was recorded in a day and a half with singer Marc Almond's first vocal take being used on the record.
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