Wonderland is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 1 May 1986 by Sire Records in the United States and on 2 June 1986 by Mute Records in the United Kingdom and Germany. Not an immediate success, the three singles released from it failed to crack the top 40 in the UK. "Who Needs Love Like That" would eventually make the UK top 10 in 1992, and "Oh l'amour" reached the UK top 20 in 2003, both in remixed form promoting their Pop! The First 20 Hits and Hits! compilations respectively. However, the album fared better in both Germany and Sweden, where it charted within the top 20.
Erasure's initial exposure in the US came via dance clubs, as two singles reached the top 10 on Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
At the time of its release, Wonderland was considered a failure, especially when comparing it to Clarke's prior successes with Depeche Mode and Yazoo. Andy Bell has stated that Alison Moyet was an influence of his vocals and he used to practice to Yazoo songs.
Critical reception
In a contemporary review for Billboards "Dance Trax" column, Brian Chin wrote that "Erasure's Wonderland (Sire) may just be the nicest thing ever produced by Mute Records. 'Reunion' and 'Oh l'amour' are pop-disco that would be hi-NRG if harder; other highlights on this enjoyable album are the shuffler 'Say What' and 'Love Is a Loser,' as arch and ambiguous as any Boy George song." John Wilde of Sounds was negative, calling it "dizzy, dreary plink-plop, pitter-patter Caslo calculator pop piffle" and a "gormless parody of all that damp, muddled dough-pop that parodied the semi-decent Yazoo all that time ago". He felt the tracks "lack any true, unassumed drama or splendour" as Erasure "pack these trite, vapid creaks of melody with a Mills & Boon breadth of vision".
| 89
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!scope="row"|Belgium Albums (Joepie)
| 14
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|-
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! scope="row"| UK Independent Albums (MRIB)
| 4
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!scope="row"|US Cash Box Top Albums 101 to 200
| 163
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{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
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! scope="col"| Chart (1990)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
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! scope="row"| Argentine Albums (CAPIF)
| 9
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!scope="row"|Brazilian Albums
| 7
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Release history
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release history for Wonderland
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! scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Label
! scope="col"| Catalog
|-
! scope="row"| United States
| 1 May 1986
| Sire
| 25354
|-
! scope="row"| United Kingdom
| 2 June 1986
| Mute
| STUMM25
|}