In 1980 the original line-up of The Human League split up. 

Phillip Oakey took the name.  Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh took the talent and picked up their friend Glenn Gregory for vocals. 

Both bands succombed to bad ideas, it just took Heaven 17 longer. 

Th Human League hit the skids on their second full-length with the Oakey's new line-up.  "Hysteria" lost the cohesive production values of the all-electronic "Dare" album and the catchiness of songs such as "Mirror Man" and "Keep Feeling Fascination," which included guitars and drums.  They also covered a James Brown song, which was a dumb idea because Phil Oakey doesn't have the chops for soul singing!

Heaven 17, on the other hand, produced three excellent albums between 1981 and 1984: "Penthouse and Pavement," "The Luxury Gap," and "How Men Are."  Their song structures are more sophisticated and diverse, and their sound more fluid.  Glenn Gregory isn't the best singer in the world, but he could carry a tune and had a smoother timbre than Oakey.  The critics did rank on "How Men Are," which used Fairlight computer and over 20 session musicians.  I just don't think it's an album pop music critics could understand--and they can't understand much.

Heaven 17 went to hell with their fourth album, "Pleasure One" from 1986.  They wanted to be a "band" band; they also threw a lot of the electronic sound overboard.  "How Men Are" was a commecial flop, so they didn't get the same kind of budget for "Pleasure One."  That album is unlistenable schlock.  Really, I could never sit through the whole thing. 

Both Human League and Heaven 17 returned to their basic electronic roots in the 1990s with a fair amount of commercial and critical success, but both remain "eighties" groups.

Human League. Heaven 17 songs have no form.

I like both groups almost the same, but I give Heaven 17 a little more praise based solely on the fact that they went almost unknown in North America.  'The Luxury Gap' was a masterpiece.  'Let Me Go' reached #41 in the UK chart, becoming the least successful single pulled from the album, but interestingly enough, it was their only North American hit (US #74 / CAN #41). 

Heaven 17 appear on the 1984 charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas' by Band-Aid

I think I lied.  This is hard and I don't really compare them.
I love Heaven 17.  I need to hear them right now.
I voted for Human League cuz I've been listening to them lately.


I lvoe heaven 17.

I voted Heaven 17.

Heaven 17

Heaven 17 by a nose but I like Human League too.  :)