Musician Vince Clarke has cited the album as one of his primary influences, with "Electricity" being the track that moved him to pursue a career in electronic music. Rock group ZZ Top, with whom OMD shared a studio on a 1980 edition of BBC2 show "The Old Grey Whistle Test" while promoting "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark", became fans upon hearing the material and would play the record over their PA system prior to concerts. ZZ Top's fondness of the album also led to the band borrowing McCluskey's distinctive on-stage routine – dubbed by the BBC's Stuart Maconie the "Trainee Teacher Dance".