In 1989, I worked for my high school's slide show presentation club. Yeah, it was cheesy but there was this really cute girl in the club I was trying to get friendly with. She turned out to be a crazy religious fanatic and now has seven kids and lives on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. But that's beside the point. At the end of the year, the club put on a presentation, featuring slides of all the students and activities of the school, set to music of the day. At midnight, 12 hours before we were set to display the presentation to the world, we sat at an impasse. What was to be our final song? On one side, a bunch of us wanted Depeche Mode's "Somebody." The rest of the club wanted Skid Row's "I Remember You." The teacher made the final decision. He chose Skid Row. His reasoning? He said when we look back 10 years from now...no one will know who Depeche Mode is. But Skid Row will still be around. Well, it's 15 years later and though Sebastian Bach's biggest audience is from his guest appearances on Gilmore Girls...Skid Row is a thing of the past. DM on the other hand, is considered one of the best artists of the 80s, if not one of the best alternative acts of all time. So much for the intelligence of high school teachers.
This week saw the release of a 1-disc career-spanding disc from DM. Though filled with some its most famous radio singles...the CD is glaringly missing some of their most classic tracks. No "Somebody"...the most played track from the 80s. No "Policy of Truth" the 4th more downloaded song from itunes and the highest billboard track for the band. No "Blasphemous Rumors." And they picked "See You" over "Dreaming of Me?" I guess there is no accounting for taste.
So here are the 11 Best Depeche Mode tracks:
1. Enjoy The Silence (Violator)
2. But Not Tonight (Black Celebration)
3. Photogrpahic (Speak and Spell)
4. Somebody (Some Great Reward)
5. Never Let Me Down (Music For The Masses)
6. It's No Good (Ultra)
7. Sea of Sin (Violator B-Side) MP3
8. Set Me Free (Master and Servant B-Side)
9. People Are People (Some Great Reward)
10. Policy of Truth (Violator)
11. Just Can't Get Enough (Speak and Spell)
i totally agree!
ReplyDeleteSkid who??? It was obvious even back then that Depeche Mode would leave a mark in music history
ReplyDeleteWhat about Master and Servant???
ReplyDeleteWoaow! I was listening to but not tonight and thought "this has to be one of the best depeche mode songs", looked for "best depeche mode songs" and found your site... And i have to say that I agree with the list (but walking on my shoes) and I am AMAZED that you included But Not Tonight and Sea of Sin, two great songs that somehow went under the radar.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! Thanx!
What about "Stripped"? "Everything Counts"? "Personal Jesus"? "Home"?
ReplyDeleteDude?!?
ReplyDeleteWhat about "Behind the wheel", an classic from the first to the last note (the album version, not the inferior single mix). And what about "Shake the disease"? A mini-symphony with intertwined melodic lines. And Everything counts, 101 live version?
There is no accounting for taste...
Good try , but thats a trick question, or statement. whatever. It should be the 25 best Depeche Mode songs. Impossible, 11..
ReplyDeletein total agreement with ur list....Depeshe Mode puts u in the mood...........
ReplyDeleteTry walking in my shoes is the one 4 me.!
Stripped and everything counts are amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteHow can you claim to have a best of Depeche Mode list and not have 'Strangelove?' You have no idea what you're talking about!
ReplyDelete