Kissing to Be Clever is the debut album by the English band Culture Club, released on 8 October 1982 in the United Kingdom.

[2] It includes Culture Club's international breakthrough hit single, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", which reached number one in the band's native UK and the top 10 of many charts around the world.

The 2003 release of the album has the restoration of the original colour cover which had been replaced by a black-and-white picture of lead singer Boy George on previous versions.

AllMusic's Lindsay Planer noted that it "was embraced by not only post-disco dance music enthusiasts, but also new wave listeners and pop fans as well."

He concluded by saying: "From the light and buoyant Philly soul-inspired string arrangement to the effervescent and singalongable chorus, the melody foreshadowed a similar vibe that would carry over to their sophomore long-player, Colour by Numbers.

Hillier found the songs "well crafted and the musicianship is excellent throughout" and pointed out Boy George's voice as "the band's strongest asset."