Pet Shop Boys on love in the time of the credit crunch

Ever since the mid-1980s, the Pet Shop Boys have seen the world as a London dance floor. They're nearly as celebrated for their smart, chilly dance pop ("West End Girls," "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)") and their arch cover versions ("Always on my Mind," "Where the Streets Have No Name"). The duo, Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, met in 1981, and a lot has changed in 28 years. But their 10th album, Yes, new this spring, is typically complex and passionate, blending delightful experimentation with masterful pop.

Tennant spoke with WalletPop about how the Pet Shop Boys' work has documented social history, how to make a living with music videos no longer appearing on MTV, and musicians' latest professional challenges.