Why this album mattered

Actually is the second studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 7 September 1987 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI Manhattan in North America. The album features two number one singles, "It's a Sin" and "Heart", and a duet with Dusty Springfield, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" Actually is the Pet Shop Boys' top-selling album in the UK, certified triple platinum with over one million sales; worldwide it has sold over four million copies. Background and recording For their second album, Pet Shop Boys still had material from their early songwriting days, including "It's a Sin" (1982), "Rent" (1984), and "One More Chance" which they had recorded with Bobby Orlando and released as an unsuccessful single outside the UK in 1984.