Erasure discography

Pop! The First 20 Hits

Compilation album · 16th November 1992 (Germany), 16th November 1992 (UK), 24th November 1992 (USA), 4th May 2009 (Remastered Edition)

Label: Mute
Tracks: 21
Facts checked: 2026-07-18

The image is an ErasureFan editorial illustration, not official release artwork.

Editorial illustration created for ErasureFan.com; not official release artwork.

The editorial read

Why Pop! The First 20 Hits matters

Pop! The First 20 Hits is a compilation with an argument. From “Who Needs Love Like That” through the Abba-esque cover of “Take a Chance on Me,” it follows Erasure’s singles in sequence and lets acceleration become the story.

The use of seven-inch edits matters. This is the public form of the catalog: introductions tightened, mixes chosen for singles, twenty decisions about how a song should first meet the world. The closing “Who Needs Love Like That (Hamburg Mix)” folds the endpoint back onto the beginning without pretending nothing changed.

For a new listener who wants singles before albums, this remains the best compact choice. It stops before “Always,” which is a limitation only if completeness is the goal. As a portrait of the first ascent—from uncertain debut singles to a duo in total command—it is unusually well bounded.

First release: 16th November 1992 (Germany), 16th November 1992 (UK), 24th November 1992 (USA), 4th May 2009 (Remastered Edition)
Release type: Compilation album
Label: Mute
Catalog number: Mute INT 879.800

Track list (21 tracks)

Reference edition: Pop! The First 20 Hits · GB · 1992 · CD. Track order can differ by territory and reissue.

Who Needs Love Like That (Single Edit) [3:03]
Heavenly Action (Single Edit) [3:20]
Oh L’Amour (Single Edit) [3:04]
Sometimes [3:37]
It Doesn’t Have To Be (Single Edit) [3:41]
Victim Of Love (Single Mix) [3:38]
The Circus (Single Mix) [4:06]
Ship Of Fools [4:01]
Chains Of Love (Single Mix) [3:40]
A Little Respect [3:31]
Stop! (Fade Ending) [2:55]
Drama! [4:04]
You Surround Me [3:57]
Blue Savannah (Single Mix) [4:18]
Star (Single Mix) [3:37]
Chorus [4:29]
Love To Hate You [3:56]
Am I Right? [4:16]
Breath Of Life (Single Mix) [3:54]
Take A Chance On Me [3:44]
Who Needs Love Like That (Hamburg Mix) [3:03]

Formats, editions, charts, and credits

Formats

VINYL (UK – MUTEL2 | Germany – INT 197.800 | Brazil – Mute/WEA 670.8275/01542), DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (iMUTEL2), CD (UK – CDMUTEL2 | Germany – INT 879.800 | USA – Sire 45153-2 | Japan – Toshiba/EMI TOCP-50558-9 | Brazil – Mute/WEA 767.8275/401542), CASSETTE (UK – CMUTEL2 | Germany – INT 479.800 | USA – Sire 45153-4), MINI DISC (UK – MDMUTEL2 | Germany – INT 579.800), DIGITAL COMPACT CASSETTE (UK – DCCMUTEL2), CD (2009 REMASTER) (UK – CDXMUTEL2)

Chart positions

1 (UK) | 12 (Germany) | 112 (USA)

Edition notes

The album was re-released in Japan with a second CD as ‘Pop! – The First 20 Hits Plus’, containing the singles from the ‘I Say I Say I Say’, ‘Erasure’ and ‘Cowboy’ albums (except ‘Rock Me Gently’) plus the b-side ‘First Contact’. All of the tracks on ‘Pop! – The First 20 Hits’ are the edits/mixes featured on the 7″ singles (or, for the latter singles, on the CD singles). The 2009 release was re-mastered by Simon Heyworth at Super Audio Mastering, Devon.

Selected credits

Written by Clarke/Bell.
Published by Musical Moments Ltd/Minotaur Music Ltd/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd.
‘Who Needs Love Like That’ written by Clarke and published by Musical Moments Ltd/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd.
‘Take A Chance On Me’ written by Andersson/Ulvaeus and published by Bocu Music Ltd.
‘Take A Chance On Me’ rap written by MC Kinky.
‘First Contact’ written by Clarke/Bell/Harding/Curnow/Jones and published by Musical Moments Ltd/Minotaur Music Ltd/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd/BMG Music.
‘Who Needs Love Like That’, ‘Heavenly Action’ and ‘Oh L’Amour’ produced by Flood. Assisted on ‘Who Needs Love Like That’ and ‘Heavenly Action’ by A. Clay. Recorded at Trident,…

Sources

Corrections are welcome through the contact form.