The band Depeche Mode, founded in 1980, has been an integral part of synth rock for a long time. The band from England is internationally known and has sold over 100 million records. Today we are taking a look at 5 songs by Depeche Mode that you should definitely add to your playlist!
In case you've ever wondered what the band name actually means: It comes from a French fashion magazine called "Dépêche Mode". In English that means "fast fashion". To singer Dave Gahan, this had a good ring to it and was thus declared the name of the band.
The first studio album was released in 1981 soon after the band was formed and was called Speak & Spell. And their most recent album actually hasn't been around for a long time at all. Memento Mori was released in March 2023 and continues to provide fans with new musical input by the cult band. But now let's get to the top 5, which you'll surely want to listen to right away.
1. Personal Jesus (1990)
Let's start with the first single of the most significant album in the band's history: Violator. It was only with the previous album Music For The Masses that Depeche Mode had achieved their breakthrough in the USA. Now, of course, they wanted to hold on to this success, so the expectations for the album were extremely high. Especially after the first single "Personal Jesus". Overall, the sound of the band in the 90s is described as renewed, more modern and also more technical. The producer Mark "Flood" Ellis, who has also worked with the big names such as Nine Inch Nails and U2, also had an influence. And the DJ François Kevorkian is partly responsible for the sound of the band as well. "Personal Jesus" has been covered numerous times to date, for example by Johnny Cash and shock rocker Marilyn Manson.
2. Enjoy The Silence (1990)
It is the most famous song of the band, without a doubt. It's taken from the Violator album as well, and it followed the success of "Personal Jesus". With a hard beat throughout, it is perfect for dancing. The song's lyrics praise the magic of silence and simply stays in everyone's head. The track even landed at number 8 of the American Billboard Magazine's Hot 100!
3. People Are People (1984)
With "People Are People" from the album Some Great Reward, Depeche Mode delivered a wonderful pop hit to dance to, but unfortunately it has not been played live for a long time. The meaningful song lyrics, written by Martin Gore, address all the people in the world. In the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, the track was included in the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".
4. Never Let Me Down Again (1987)
"Never Let Me Down Again" from their album Music For The Masses is another one of the synth group's biggest hits. Depeche Mode's sound engineer David Bascombe came into play for the characteristic drum sound. He also worked with the British synthpop band Tears for Fears, where he used a similar sound. The music video for the song was directed by Anton Corbijn, a Dutch film director who also took on many of their other videos. He is also known for collaborating with bands like Joy Division and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Recently, the track gained popularity again because of the series about the video game "The Last Of Us", where the song can be heard in the first episode.
5. Strangelove (1987)
Musically, this song from the tracklist of Music For The Masses sounds similar to its thematic predecessor "Master And Servant", another popular track by Depeche Mode. Originally, a speedy tempo was intended for "Strangelove." However, the band then slowed it down to match the rest of the album.
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