Tough choice. I'm a huge fan overall, but mostly their golden age (84-90). So many great albums overall, but "Black Celebration" was a turning point for them. And their masterpiece IMO. While I enjoyed "Songs of Faith and Devotion", it was tough to watch Dave Gahan so strung out on drugs. And it was a project/tour that ended the band with it's creative force (Alan Wilder). "Ultra" was an unexpected surprise. It shouldn't have worked but did beautifully. Tim Simenon was the perfect choice to produce that album. "Exciter" felt half baked production-wise and only had about three good songs. "Playing the Angel" saw them rebound. And it was their best effort since "Violator". The rest of their albums went from just o.k. to "meh".

Music For The Masses

Next group:
Violator
Black Celebration
Playing The Angel
Some Great Reward

I voted for Black Celebration. So many good ones though.

Well 101 has a special place in my heart since I was there but for studio, went with Music for the Masses.

I was at the Rose Bowl as well (15 yo punk kid) but mine would have to be the cliche' Violator.

Black Celebration all the way for me. (Violator would be second)

So many good ones

Construction Time Again is pretty good too and maybe #1 or #2 for me.

Exciter is the worst and the one you put on if you need some sleep.

I think that was the first album they did after Gahan got clean?

Construction Tim Again is amazing. It was like my first favorite album when I was 9. But I voted Some Great Reward.

Black Celebration
Fly on the Windscreen
A Question of Lust

That is a triple threat of 3 great songs back to back to back to open a album on Black Celebration.

The first time I heard Fly on the Windscreen was on Miami Vice in the Willie Nelson episode "El Viejo"

I picked Violator, but it was a tough decision between that, MftM and SoFaD. Those three and Speak and Spell are the ones I end up listening to the most, but I still think Black Celebration, Some Great Reward, and Construction Time Again are better than Speak and Spell.

Music for the Masses is pretty good.


Never Let Me Down Again, Nothing, and Strangelove, are on that album

I voted for Black Celebration, but given how little love it's received in this poll I now wish I'd gone with Some Great Reward, my second choice.

I like Violator but did not want to pick it since it would be the equivalent of saying Enter Sandman is your favorite Metallica song.

A gem I discovered while listening to Some Great Reward again

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...u+want+depeche

Yeah, that's a fantastic run of three songs to open an album. First time I heard them I was hooked!


Agreed, but just like Metallica's Black Album and "Enter Sandman" introduced many new fans to the band, so did Violator, including me. It came out during my full on metalhead phase when I was around 20, previously I never gave the band a second thought, but I then saw the video for "Enjoy the Silence" on MTV and went out and bought the CD the next day (some of my friends gave me shit for that, while others congratulated me for expanding my tastes with a great band )

I wish Alan Wilder would come back and do a album with them

Outside of Ultra most of their stuff since 1995 has been unremarkable.

They had some good songs on some of their albums but not any great albu,s.

I disagree. I thought "Playing the Angel" was right up there with their very best. But you're right about the other albums. And I too wish they would work with Wilder again. He is largely/mostly responsible for their best work. And the band never fully recovered after he left.

This is exactly how I've felt for over 15 years. Please watch the whole thing, but specifically from the 30 minute mark forward. It's so spot on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApG-...uDZqp2eaPQem24

I went with Violator, but they have too many great albums for me to pick just one. I even thought Spirit was great, and liked a lot of Sounds of the Universe. Incredibly consistent band IMO.

Yeah, they have an amazing catalog. While I liked "Spirit" quite a bit when it first came it, that honeymoon ended fast. I'm guessing because I'm a super fan and was just excited to hear something new. But after listening to it for a few weeks, I thought the album was so subpar for them. I also hated "Where's the Revolution". Still do. It's just a terrible song on so many levels. And "Scum"? Really!?? Ugh. "Sounds of the Universe" was infinitely better. As was "Delta Machine". But nothing beats Depeche Mode's albums and sound from "Some Great Reward" through "Violator". Talk about one truly great album after another.

I don't like it when they go heavy on the instruments.

I prefer the synth sound.

Agree. They only do the heavy instruments live. Specifically those awful drums. Their albums are still 90% electronic/synth. I can't stand them live anymore. I'll take their studio work over that any day now.

Bump. Thoughts?

https://www.loudersound.com/features...o10mC_OTSwhKSw

My ranking:

14) Spirit
13) Exciter
12) Sounds of the Universe
11) Speak and Spell
10) A Broken Frame
9) Delta Machine
8) Construction Time Again
7) Playing the Angel
6) Songs of Faith and Devotion
5) Ultra
4) Some Great Reward
3) Music for the Masses
2) Violator
1) Black Celebration

For me, it's so close between Black Celebration and Violator, that if we're going with the US version of BC (with "But Not Tonight" on it), that would be my #1 pick, but if it's the UK version without that song, BC would be #2, with Violator at #1.

Violator is good but that is like saying Enter Sandman is the best Metallica song.