Tonight are the Brit Awards, the UK’s only slightly more credible equivalent to the Grammys. One nifty thing about this year’s Brits is that the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award will be given to the very deserving Pet Shop Boys. Many remember the Boys from sublime ’80s hits like “West End Girls”, “What Have I Done To Deserve This” (with Dusty Springfield), and “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money)”. Who can forget Neil Tennant’s wry, half-spoken, half-rapped verses? Their unique touch in making music full of both cynical humor and understated emotion?

The Brit Awards love MasterCard.

Far from being flashes in the pan, the Pet Shop Boys have endured beyond their early commercial peak, outlasting all of the other synthpop duos pouring out of England in the ’80s. For one thing, they were far subtler and more clever than their peers, and their biggest hits have dated far less than similar fare from the era. Additionally, Pet Shop Boys have always been canny album artists, a rarity for dance acts spawned in the ’80s. They have continued to produce great albums, both contemporary and timeless, in the years since they stopped being a massive singles act.

Beyond an immaculate pop catalog, there are a few other reasons to admire the Pet Shop Boys. “Disco” was a ghetto designation in the ’80s and beyond. Long before arguments began to spring up about the cultural politics of “rockism,” they made the bold stand as international pop stars of embracing the “Disco” tag and disowning the “Rock” designation. As far as bold stands go, it is probably important to note that Tennant was one of the first pop stars of his magnitude to come out in the ’90s, paving the way for superstars like Elton John and their old friend Springfield. These are all reasons I admire the Pet Shop Boys. Mostly, though, it’s the music.