Prior to this record, the band had lost two key members—Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, who went on to form Heaven 17. Philip Oakey then made a choice that many considered suicidal: he replaced them with two young women from Sheffield—dancers and backing vocalists. This shift altered the group's sonic direction, moving them away from an avant-garde electronic style toward a more commercial synth-pop sound—one that would eventually prove to be both influential and definitive for the genre. Ultimately, the departure of those two members paved the way for this new, pop-oriented direction, which brought the group great success—a departure from their first two releases.
They brought on a new producer, Martin Rushent, who played a decisive role in shaping the band's sound; he blended the avant-garde aesthetic of their earlier albums, "Travelogue" and "Reproduction," with the cold, robotic style of Giorgio Moroder. Additionally, the two new members, Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, added a sense of glamour and elegance to the group. However, the transition was not without its hardships; the loss of Ware and Marsh was a severe blow, and the band found themselves in need of more experienced musicians.
This led to the arrival of Ian Burden, a keyboardist with significantly more experience than Oakey or Wright. Bringing in a new producer was the next logical step, though the band had to relocate their recording sessions—they had been sharing studio space with Heaven 17, an arrangement that proved to be far from pleasant. After resolving logistical issues and other matters, the band delivered "The Sound of the Crowd"—a track widely considered their definitive moment.
The production here were more sophisticated, with much more robust synthesizer work; for the first time, the deep, baritone quality of Oakey's voice—complemented by the vocals of Sulley and Catherall—was brought to the forefront, establishing what would become the group’s signature sound. Although this was the first single intended for release, the record label pushed for a different choice, leading to the now-iconic "Love Action (I Believe in Love)." It reached No. 3 in the UK, signaling that the band had truly hit its stride.
Following the success of that track, the label requested the release of "Open Your Heart." It reached No. 6, confirming the band’s growing popularity in the UK. The decision was then made to release the album, titled "Dare"—a name which, according to the lead singer, was inspired by an item in the April 1979 issue of "Vogue" magazine. While the album earned critical acclaim, it faced condemnation from the Musicians' Union, whose members viewed the use of new technology as a threat to their traditional, outdated monopoly.
Meanwhile, the label continued to push for another single, selecting "Don't You Want Me"—a song about jealousy and romance. Oakey, however, was not a fan of the track; he considered it the weakest on the record, which is why it was relegated to the very end of the B-side. Little did they know that the song would become the band’s greatest success, reaching No. 1 in the UK in 1981 and serving as an inspiration for many other tracks within the genre in the years to come. However, for its release on the newly established medium of MTV, it was decided to produce a better video, helmed by Steve Barron. This new clip premiered on the innovative channel, helping the album replicate its success in the United Kingdom by reaching No. 3 on the Top 200 and hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, the song's success helped save the Virgin label from bankruptcy; it was a hit not only on both sides of the Atlantic but also in Australia, Japan, France, and Germany.
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