DJ Culture

"Dj Culturemix"
"Dj Culturemix"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
B-side	"Music for Boys (Part 3)"; "Overture to Performance";
Released	1991
Recorded	1991
Genre	Synth-pop; house;
Length	5:51
Label	Parlophone
Songwriters	Neil Tennant; Chris Lowe;
Producer	Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology

"DJ Culture"
"DJ Culture"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Discography: The Complete Singles Collection
B-side	"Music for Boys"
Released	14 October 1991
Genre	Synth-pop; house;
Length	4:13
Label	Parlophone
Songwriters	Neil Tennant; Chris Lowe;
Producers	Pet Shop Boys; Brothers in Rhythm;
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
Music video
	"DJ Culture" on YouTube

"DJ Culture" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their first greatest hits album, Discography: The Complete Singles Collection (1991). It was released on 14 October 1991 by Parlophone as the album's lead single, peaking at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. Another version of the song, remixed by the Grid and entitled "Dj culturemix", was also released as a single and reached number 40 on the UK Singles Chart. The B-side was "Music for Boys".

According to the singer Neil Tennant, the song concerned the insincerity of how President George H. W. Bush's speeches at the time of the First Gulf War utilised Winston Churchill's wartime rhetoric, in a manner similar to how artists sample music from other artists.^[2] The music video alternately features Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe as a pair of doctors, a pair of soldiers in desert combat dress, a judge presiding over Oscar Wilde (the line "And I my lord, may I say nothing?" is a close paraphrase of Wilde's comment after being sentenced to hard labour for homosexual practices) and a football referee and fan.

The French sample in the song is taken from the 1950 Jean Cocteau film Orphée: in it coded and poetic messages are sent over the radio.

Critical reception

Upon its release, Paul Mathur, writing for Melody Maker, felt "DJ Culture" "recall[s] PSB's earliest work" as "Tennant intones rigorously over the usual unabashed keyboard surge, like an indoor version of 'West End Girls'."^[3] Simon Dudfield of NME felt it was "sub-standard Pet Shop Boys" with "no surprises". He stated, "Please could they deliver another chorus? There needs to be some proof of pop elegance if Tennant's irony and aloofness is going to sound anything other than smarmy, sickly and sad. A plastic veneer smothers the disco beat, the strings from their last single remain and the 'Suburbia'-style shock of keyboards that sets up the tawdry chorus suggests ideas are running dry."^[4]

Track listings

UK 7-inch: Parlophone / R 6301

"DJ Culture"
"Music for Boys"

UK 12-inch: Parlophone / 12R 6301

"DJ Culture" (extended mix)
"Music for Boys"
"Music for Boys" (Part 2/Ambient mix)

UK CDs: Parlophone / CDR 6301

"DJ Culture"
"Music for Boys"
"DJ Culture" (extended mix)

UK 12-inch / 12RX 6301 and CDs: Parlophone ("Dj Culturemix")

"Dj Culturemix" – 5:51
"Music for Boys" (Part 3) – 5:37
"Overture to Performance" – 6:15

Note: Track 2 is a remix by Altern-8. Track 3 is an orchestra medley featuring "It's a Sin", "Being Boring", "Opportunities", "So Hard ", "Jealousy", "Suburbia", "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?", "What Have I Done To Deserve This?", and "West End Girls".

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "DJ Culture"
Chart (1991)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[5]	130
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)^[6]	25
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[7]	6
Germany (GfK)^[8]	19
Ireland (IRMA)^[9]	7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[10]	17
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[11]	21
UK Singles (OCC)^[12]	13
UK Dance (Music Week)^[13]	49
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)^[14] with "Music for Boys"	13

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "DJ Culture"
Chart (1991)	Position
Sweden (Topplistan)^[15]	90

Release history

Release dates and formats for "DJ Culture"
Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref(s).
United Kingdom	14 October 1991	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette	Parlophone	^[16]^[17]
United Kingdom	11 November 1991	12-inch vinyl CD cassette ("Dj Culturemix")	Parlophone	^[18]
Australia	18 November 1991	12-inch vinyl CD cassette	Parlophone EMI	^[19]
Japan	20 November 1991	Mini-CD	EMI	^[20]

References

^ ^a ^b Robbins, Ira. "Pet Shop Boys". Trouser Press. Retrieved 31 March 2015. "plus the new "DJ Culture" (boring, housey)"
^ "The Anecdotal Antidote". Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
^ Mathur, Paul (19 October 1991). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 33.
^ Dudfield, Simon (19 October 1991). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 25.
^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry (submitted to charts.mail@aria.com.au), received 15 July 2015". Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015 – via Imgur.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 45. 9 November 1991. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 233. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
^ "Pet Shop Boys – DJ Culture" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – DJ Culture". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
^ "Pet Shop Boys – DJ Culture". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
^ "Pet Shop Boys – DJ Culture". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
^ "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 23 November 1991. p. 22. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
^ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
^ "Årstopplistan 1991, Singlar" (in Swedish). Grammotex. Archived from the original on 25 February 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
^ "DJ Culture". petshopboys.co.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 12 October 1991. p. 25.
^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 9 November 1991. p. 21.
^ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 18/11/91: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 95. 17 November 1991. p. 21.
^ "ペット・ショップ・ボーイズ | DJカルチャー" [Pet Shop Boys | DJ Culture] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 20 September 2025.

[robbins-1] Robbins, Ira. "Pet Shop Boys". Trouser Press. Retrieved 31 March 2015. "plus the new "DJ Culture" (boring, housey)"

[2] "The Anecdotal Antidote". Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2008.

[3] Mathur, Paul (19 October 1991). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 33.

[4] Dudfield, Simon (19 October 1991). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 25.

[5] "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry (submitted to charts.mail@aria.com.au), received 15 July 2015". Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015 – via Imgur.

[6] "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 45. 9 November 1991. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.

[7] Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 233. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.

[sc_Germany_Pet_Shop_Boys-8] "Pet Shop Boys – DJ Culture" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 23 October 2020.

[sc_Ireland2_-9] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – DJ Culture". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 October 2020.

[sc_Sweden_Pet_Shop_Boys-10] "Pet Shop Boys – DJ Culture". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 October 2020.

[sc_Switzerland_Pet_Shop_Boys-11] "Pet Shop Boys – DJ Culture". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 October 2020.

[sc_UKsinglesbyname_Pet_Shop_Boys-12] "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 October 2020.

[13] "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 23 November 1991. p. 22. Retrieved 17 September 2025.

[sc_Billboarddancesales_Pet_Shop_Boys-14] "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2020.

[15] "Årstopplistan 1991, Singlar" (in Swedish). Grammotex. Archived from the original on 25 February 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2025.

[16] "DJ Culture". petshopboys.co.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2022.

[17] "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 12 October 1991. p. 25.

[18] "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 9 November 1991. p. 21.

[19] "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 18/11/91: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 95. 17 November 1991. p. 21.

[20] "ペット・ショップ・ボーイズ | DJカルチャー" [Pet Shop Boys | DJ Culture] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 20 September 2025.

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v t e Pet Shop Boys
Chris Lowe Neil Tennant
Studio albums	Please Actually Introspective Behaviour Very Bilingual Nightlife Release Fundamental Yes Elysium Electric Super Hotspot Nonetheless
Compilation albums	Discography: The Complete Singles Collection Alternative Essential PopArt: The Hits Story: 25 Years of Hits Party Ultimate Format Smash: The Singles 1985–2020
Remix albums	Disco Disco 2 Disco 3 Disco 4
Live albums	Concrete Pandemonium Inner Sanctum Discovery: Live in Rio 1994
Extended plays	Christmas Agenda Lost
Singles	"West End Girls" "One More Chance" "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" "Love Comes Quickly" "Suburbia" "Paninaro" "It's a Sin" "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" "Rent" "Heart" "Always on My Mind" "Domino Dancing" "Left to My Own Devices" "It's Alright" "So Hard" "Being Boring" "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" / "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" "Jealousy" "DJ Culture" "Was It Worth It?" "Can You Forgive Her?" "Go West" "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" "Liberation" "Absolutely Fabulous" "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" "Paninaro '95" "Before" "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" / "To Step Aside" "Single-Bilingual" "A Red Letter Day" "Somewhere" "I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More" "New York City Boy" "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk" "Home and Dry" "I Get Along" "London" "Miracles" "Flamboyant" "I'm with Stupid" "Minimal" "Numb" "Integral" "Love Etc." "Did You See Me Coming?" "Beautiful People" "Love Life" "Together" "Winner" "Leaving" "Memory of the Future" "Axis" "Vocal" "Love Is a Bourgeois Construct" "Thursday" "The Pop Kids" "Say It to Me" "Dreamland" "Dancing Star"
Featured singles	"Hallo Spaceboy" "Break 4 Love" "She's Madonna"
Other songs	"King's Cross" "The Loving Kind" "The Night I Fell in Love" "I'm Not Scared" "In Private" "Nothing Has Been Proved" "So Sorry, I Said" "Don't Drop Bombs" "Losing My Mind"
Video albums	Cubism
Soundtracks and scores	The Crying Game Closer to Heaven Battleship Potemkin The Most Incredible Thing
Film, stage and television	It Couldn't Happen Here Closer to Heaven Pet Shop Boys: A Life in Pop
Tours and concerts	Fundamental Tour Pandemonium Tour Electric Tour Super Tour Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live
Related articles	CyberWorld Discography Songs x2 Reputation Results Electronic Back to Mine: Pet Shop Boys West End Girls

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