Junk Culture

Junk Culture
Studio album by
Released30 April 1984 (1984-04-30)
Recorded1983–1984
Studio
Various
Genre
Length43:05
LabelVirgin
Producer
  • Brian Tench
  • OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology
Dazzle Ships
(1983)
Junk Culture
(1984)
Crush
(1985)
Singles from Junk Culture
  1. "Locomotion"
    Released: 2 April 1984
  2. "Talking Loud and Clear"
    Released: 4 June 1984
  3. "Tesla Girls"
    Released: 28 August 1984
  4. "Never Turn Away"
    Released: 29 October 1984

Junk Culture is the fifth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 30 April 1984 by Virgin Records. After the commercial disappointment of the experimental Dazzle Ships (1983), OMD and Virgin intended for the group to shift towards a more accessible sound on its follow-up release. The band retained much of their early experimental approach but embraced a wider range of influences than previously, drawing inspiration from pop, dance, Latin and black music. Frontman Andy McCluskey characterised Junk Culture as "the catchiest, poppiest album [OMD] ever made".

Despite alienating some listeners, the record met with a generally positive critical and commercial response. It became OMD's fourth consecutive Top 10 album in the UK, and has been named as one of the best releases of 1984. Junk Culture spawned four singles, including the UK Top 20 entries "Locomotion" and "Talking Loud and Clear", and the club hit "Tesla Girls". The album was remastered and re-released in 2015, with a bonus disc of B-sides and extended mixes.