'80s New Wave Icon, 70, Stuns Crowd With a Classic Hit and Proves 'He Still Sounds Great'
Is it 2026 or 1986? At the start of The Human League's Generations Tour - which featured their fellow icon, Soft Cell and Alison Moyet - it was as if not a year had passed since the new wave pioneers first arrived on the scene at the start of the 1980s.
In fan footage taken at the June 2 kickoff show, which took place at SDSU's Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, Human League's Phillip Oakley transported fans back into the decades with a stirring performance of "Human." The 70-year-old icon sounded forever young, as if it was just yesterday that "Human," the lead single from 1986's Crash, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and gave the Human League their second No. 1 hit in the U.S.
@socaltojapan "Human" by The Human League is one of my favorite songs by them. They put on a fantastic show at SDSU. Everyone was so into all the acts. #SoCalToJapan#TheHumanLeague
♬ original sound - Louis Cañedo
"He still sounds great!!!" remarked one fan online. "He sounds and looks amazing," added another. Many fans joined in by commenting, "Phenomenal song! Still sounds great too, "He sounds and looks amazing,' and "70 Lovely years young, y'all."
The Human League announced the Generations Tour in January. It marks the group's first major U.S. tour in 15 years. "Everything like that gets harder and harder as the years go by, it seems," Oakley told Forbes, citing that it's harder to finance a grand trek across the United States, even for icons like the Human League.
Oakley - along with longtime backing and lead singer Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley - promised to "play as many of the songs that people will recognize as possible," as well as a few tracks that will appeal to longtime fans. For Oakley, the tour is also a chance for him to reconnect with the U.S. "I love being in America myself," he added. "I miss it if I don't go there. It's really strange because I'm the most boring English guy, but somehow America suits me. So, I just love being there."
Those attending the Generations Tour will get a chance to witness Soft Cell. The "Tainted Love" hitmakers just announced that they will release their final album, Danceteria, on Sept. 25. It marks the last album to feature founding member Dave Ball, who died in October 2025, shortly after the album was completed.
"Danceteria is a love letter to New York in the early '80s. The time we spent in New York - where we recorded our first three albums - shaped us both as artists and people," said vocalist Marc Almond. "To celebrate this period is a fitting farewell to Dave Ball and the final Soft Cell studio album."
Related: Legendary '80s Pop-Synth Duo Announces Final Album Following Founding Member's Death
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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 7:15 AM.