Why Depeche Mode ruled in the Post Punk era | POP FIX | Professor of Rock 

Professor, you are a genius, a poet, and your passion for music is unbridled. You need to induct them into the R&R Hall of Fame when the time comes. DM would be honored.

Gahan’s deep baritone voice is second to none.

I got choked up when you got to the part about being offered that tape to borrow, and then several more times throughout the video. Depeche Mode is undoubtedly one of the top 5 influences on my own musical journey, and I can't begin to describe how profound their impact was, and remains to this day. I was very blessed to have been exposed to them from the very earliest days, and as I grew into and eventually out of my teens, they were my constant companion and mentor from afar. I lived for the day each new album would hit the shelves and then I'd wear them out. Studiously dissecting each song and hanging on every word. I got to see them so many times, on so many tours... but nothing, and I mean NOTHING will ever compare to being one of those incredibly fortunate fans in attendance that June 18th, 1988 in Pasadena California. That day, that weekend spent with dear friends is a memory with no equal. Everything about it was amazing. It marked a very obvious watershed moment in both my life as a musician and as a human being. Words can't express how profound it was or how grateful I am. Thank you so much for this video. It's exactly what I needed today and it affected me on so many poignant levels. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm pretty new to your channel but I hit subscribe on the first video of yours I saw and have greatly enjoyed each one since. You are indeed, the Professor.

Ever since I was exposed to Enjoy the Silence on my moms scratched up Violator CD back in 2003 it left an indelible mark on my spirit and conscious. Ever since then this band has spoke to me that no other type of music has before. Being able to see them live will forever be one of my greatest memories. This video just further cements that this band is something truly unique and special.

I was 13 when "Black Celebration" fell into my lap at a garage sale, almost literally. I had already gone from a sheltered kid who LITERALLY only listened to classical and oldies, to consuming every early punk album I could find only a little over a year before, but this broke my "I'm NEVER going to be mainstream" bs in half. Slowly, I opened up to other artists. By the time I got "Violator" from Columbia House Records And Tapes, I realized that I couldn't give an f about cliques or clubs or anything. Music was all I had and all I am. I can thank DM for liberating me from that bs.

I love your viewpoint! I will argue till the cow's come home with you on the top 5. Number 5 is "Just can't get enough" 4 is "Personal Jesus", 3 is "Strangelove" 2 is "Stripped" and number one is easy - "Everything Counts" the live version from 101. I have seen Depeche Mode 9 times in concert. 3 times they finished with Everything Counts and couldn't have picked a better song to end with. I moved from Utah to Louisianna in 1985 and they were already my favorite band. When I went to my new school in Denham Springs no one had ever heard of Depeche Mode. I was shocked, but I was able to introduce a lot of people to this great band. Still love your show and I will continue to watch them all.

I remember being introduced to Depeche Mode in the small town where I grew up by my much more worldly best friend who just returned from living in England. The music & lyrics touched my core and blew my mind. Fly On The Windscreen, Just Can’t Get Enough and Somebody still occupy spots on my playlist to this day. Thank you for your genius, Professor.

Spectacular review of DM! So glad I watched this. I've only gotten to know your videos in the past few months. I've liked many episodes that highlight interesting backstories in standard rock from the 60s to the 2000s, but to this point had no idea (and wouldn't have suspected) you felt this way about Depeche Mode - my fave band thru the 80s and early 90s, and still 2nd fave band to this day. You hit on lots of key points, ideas and feelings that many DM fans obviously relate to, per the comments. They were the band that opened my eyes and ears as well. I too first encountered them via People Are People, but I was a little older (14, at church dances in '84/'85). Fortunately, my fascination took off from there well ahead of Behind the Wheel. In time, I too became less enamored by People Are People, and therein lies how and why my mind opened up. When I soon came across their back catalogue, and the rest of that album, it infuriated me that we generally never heard that stuff in the US, nor with future songs, until they hit it big with the 101 tour. I too listened to Casey Kasem every Sunday in the early to mid 80s and liked a lot of radio-friendly New Wave at the time (Duran Duran, Howard Jones, Naked Eyes, etc), despite growing up in a country & western and classic rock house. What really focused it for me was feeling frustrated when I'd discover a great song/band that was already 3, 5, 10 years old. I started asking repeatedly, "why weren't we hearing more DM?" (or New Order, The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, etc). This drove the heart of my music taste ever since - forever searching for reasonably well-liked or known great bands who were largely unknown to the general public. What our generation called "underground music" or what became known as Indie music. I've seen various ranking lists that show most DM fans vote their best album to be one of the four from Some Great Reward (1984) to Violator (1990), and is a fairly balanced percentage among those four. Original, hardcore fans usually go with Black Celebration, those who caught on in the mid or late 80s generally go with Music for the Masses, and the newer fans typically go with Violator. Some Great Reward was my first fave, and each new album after would briefly be my new fave up thru Violator. However, as DM started to wane a little in quality for SoF&D and after Wilder left, I started to hear minor flaws in Violator that preceded this - despite how seemingly flawless it is and arguably when they peaked. I began to notice where they cut corners compared to prior albums, imo. So I made my way backwards, rediscovering the beauties on MftM, Black Celebration, and ultimately decided SGR is their best album, imo, with Black Celebration as a close 2nd. SGR was the first of their greats and transcended time much better than their first 3 albums, which gives it an extra nod for me. But as you said, all their albums are tightly packed, with few weak songs, if any. Not to mention an unmatchable catalogue of comparable B-side singles and remixes. With all that said, People are People is a great track for a reason, and the 12" mix is even better, but I find it's one of the weaker tracks on SGR. And that's what I meant by being infuriated at what we weren't hearing. Nearly every song on SGR is as good as or better than People Are People. Similarly, I felt Personal Jesus was the weakest track on Violator, but the music industry and radio shoved it down our throats. To the point that moderate DM fans may not have ever sat in the dark with quality headphones on, experiencing the mesmerizing arrangements of Halo, Blue Dress and Clean, or sinking into the dark depths of Waiting for the Night. Absolute ear candy, with the kind of lyrics you described that cut to the bone. "And when I squinted, the world seemed rose-tinted, and angels appeared to descend. To my surprise, with half-closed eyes, things looked even better than when they were opened." Sung as if Gahan was having that experience in that moment. I can't do a 5'er for the 80s. Gotta do a 10 and even that's tough. Any one of the latter half could be #5 for me depending on my mood and I've left off definitive classics like Strangelove or Just Can't Get Enough, which might still barely make my top 15: 1 - Lie to Me 2 - Stripped 3 - Never Let Me Down 4 - Fly on the Windscreen 5 - Photographic 6 - Somebody 7 - Everything Counts 8 - Puppets 9 - Nothing 10 - The Sun & the Rainfall Btw, their film Strange is also notably great for the 80s. Some their best individual music videos, in the MftM era like Strangelove, arranged as almost a story. Creative and well-made, and finally just released on DVD/Bluray. I'm not a fan of their follow-up, Strange Too, based on Violator hits, which sort of highlights (to me) that they got a little too big and started to phone it in, so to speak.

I love your story of how you discovered DM! I had similar experiences of being a nerdy outcast 7th grader when I heard Everything Counts at a school disco in 1984, and I just knew that this was the band for me. I had to know everything about them and had to collect all their albums. They became the soundtrack and comfort of the most difficult time in my life, and I still carry them close to my heart. My top 5 would be Black celebration, Never let me down again, Blasphemous rumors, Enjoy the silence and of course Everything counts. Thank you for a great video!

Once again you say exactly what I was thinking and feeling with I hear these songs.... Keep up the great work. Cheers.

Professor - Your sincerity towards rock music is an inspiration. This channel is an antidote to chaos!

Great video! I enjoyed hearing your story! My first experience with DM was with New Life. It was new and intersting! And then again with Just Can't Get Enough (which is still a club standard in some SF Clubs!!) and they had me!! I also remember the first time hearing People Are People and I knew I had to hear more DM! Everything Counts, Pipeline and Told You So were so relevant, and remain so, even today! Even New Dress is just as relevant today, as it was when it was released! Not to mention the album Some Great Reward where almost every track was a song that I felt compelled to learn by heart! Music for the Masses was just warming up for their next album Violator, which will be counted for the 90s since it came out in 1990. DM is truly a great band, and even today (at least as of 2017) are still making relevant music with emotional and musical depth that remains at the cutting edge of music!! Top 5: Just Can't Get Enough, People are People, Strangelove, Everything Counts, and finally Master and Servant/Blasphemous Rumors/Somebody (Tied)

The way you describe music for some reason just makes me feel so much happier, you’re so passionate about this stuff I can’t help but feel your enthusiasm.

The "almost predictable" 5'er (just singles) Honorable mention: A Question of Time (Black Celebration, 1986) 5. Strangelove (Music for The Masses, 1987) 4. Shake The Disease (Catching Up / The singles 81-85, 1985) 3. Master and Servant (Some Great Reward, 1984) 2. Stripped (Black Celebration, 1986) 1. Never Let Me Down Again (Music For The Masses, 1987) The "unpredictable" 5'er (not singles) Honorable mention: Nothing to Fear (instrumental. A Broken Frame, 1982) and Ice Machine / Puppets / Photographic (Speak And Spell, 1981) (sorry, i couldn't decide on just one) 5. Fools (B-Side Love, in itself, 1983) 4. Fly On The Windscreen (Black Celebration, 1986) 3. The Thing You Said (Music for The Masses, 1987) 2. Stories Of Old (Some Great Reward, 1984) 1. The Sun and The Rainfall (A Broken Frame, 1982) I was a little afraid to write because English isn't my first language, but my love for DM is ridiculous and make me do this kind of things. Thank You Professor for this and all the content on your Channel!

Hey, professor, great video! You were able to take me back on time when I discovered and hooked on DM (the soundtrack of my life). The first song I remember vividly was the 101 version of Never let me down... I got amazed, then (as you did) looked voraciously for every record they had recorded... It is so hard to create a 5'er but I'll give it a try: 5.- Insight (I actually want this to be listened and danced when my time comes to leave this world...) 4.- Higher love, simply one of my favorites ever, what a great arrangement Wilder and Flood did. 3.- World in my eyes, such a sexy and powerful song 2.- Walking in my shoes... the ultimate redemption anthem and 1.- Home, it really connects me so personally as a survivor who also has been kissed by death, every word Martin sings is also a tear of mine being sung.

This was AWESOME!!! Grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and I had 1 friend who enjoyed Depeche Mode the way I did. I bought Some Great Reward after seeing People Are People on Mtv! I also was a diehard Casey Kasem fan! Bought Black Celebration after that and then the entire back catalog with Columbia House Record and Tape Club. I have loved this band ever since! Words are hard to express as it has definitely been a STRANGE LOVE! I personally felt VINDICATED when they secured their INDUCTION into the ROCK HALL! Well deserved. Thank you for this!

Thanks for the video highlighting my favorite band ever. I was fortunate to be in middle and high school in the 80's when their music came on the scene in the U.S. I've seen two of their world tour concerts live and they were phenomenal. So glad they are being inducted to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame this year as they deserve it. My top 5, which is really hard to do would be: 1. Never Let Me Down Again 2. Halo 3. In Your Room 4. The Things You Said 5. Strangelove

Wow man ! You expressed exactly what I felt when I was 14 and why I am still listening to and playing music ! Cheers !!!!

I love the passion with which you did this video and the passion you put into introducing Depeche Mode to a whole new audience. I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s so I know of the band's 90s and 00s work but will definitely dig into their 80s music. Thank you for doing this one.

I was 10 years old the first time I heard DM… it was music to my soul! Just like you professor… I was mesmerized and have ever since enjoyed playing their music over and over and over again. Will never get sick of hearing them

You’re awesome man! I love your descriptive story telling and passion you bring. So very cool.

I love Depeche Mode. Everything about them is great. I myself was a hardcore punk/ rock guy until one day i heard Enjoy the Silence and i was immediately hooked. I had the same reaction... I asked people around me...Who the hell is that!? From then on i was addicted. Thanks for sharing your experience. You have great taste in music. Some of my favorites are Enjoy the Silence. Home. Useless. Suffer well. People are people. So many more❤ I'm a new subscriber🙏

LOVE this descriptive analysis of DM!

1st time I ever heard or seen DP was when this girl who was 2 or 3 classes ahead of me in high school showed me and later let me have her cassette tape of Black Celebration (I still have it😀❤️😀❤️) these were the songs I heard from them; later she mentioned The Smith and The Cure; no clue who they were either at the time (I had no idea they were British bands too) I like some of their music too later on!! Too many songs I like/love from DP of the mid 80s early 90s only…I can thank her for introducing me bands like these and the likes of them a couple years later😀❤️😀❤️

I am aware of the struggle to procure the music you so desperately desire. I was like you, only it was hip hop and rap that struck me. Those gems didn’t exist in 1987 at my local music store unless they were charting. I developed my new wave appreciation later and still love The Cures remix album Mixed Up.

1980’s Never Let Me Down Stripped Everything Counts Shake the Disease Little 15

DM is my favorite band of all time and I first heard them on a mix tape made by a guy friend who lived in NY. I was 13 years old and that song was, I Want You Now. Still love it! Enjoyed your video. My top five songs are: Precious, New Dress, The Sun and the Rainfall, Halo, & It's No Good.

Bro, YOU ROCK!!!! Keep doin what your doin, you have a gift!!!!

All of this rings so true for me in the early 80's with alot of my music choices especially since the girls had not caught on to new wave or anything alternative. I also remember showing up to school with an ear ring. Lost my best friend until he realized the Metal guys he looked up to wore them.

Brilliant analysis. Been a fan since 1984.

I heard an interview with MG once where he was asked what album someone should listen to who has never heard DM and wants to know why they are all about. He replied Violator. This is hard for me, but would disagree. I think the 101 recording best lays down the best embodiment of DM. I love the work after, but I have listened to that maybe hundreds of times in my life and it has meant so many different things through different phases of my life. Good to hear someone else who has felt similarly.

First time I heard DM was when I was in HS. First song that was introduced to me was Just Can't Get Enough. I was hooked from then on. Been one of my favorite band ever since......

The first Depeche Mode song I ever heard was I Just Can't Get Enough & that was it, I fell i'm love with them. They are part of the soundtrack of My life❤ Stripped from The 101 is perfection to me. Without a Doubt, My fav DM song. Halo, Policy of Truth, Never Let Me Down Again & Walking In My Shows complete My top 5.

Love the list, very hard to argue with the songs you selected but I would add Shake the Disease to the mix. With a band like DM it's so hard to only pick 5 even for a decade! How do you not consider Somebody, Love in Itself, But Not Tonight, etc. Amazing band that continues to evolve and continues to blow me away every time I get to see them live, thank you for sharing!

The story of your discovery of the Mode....so good...

I think the one Depeche Mode song that gave me that incredible feeling was " And Then". I think the way how it was put together, with the many out there, this song was different. I was also blessed to have cross paths with many different music melodies back then, and listening to some in the present and trying to remember some new ones.

I remember their first tv appearance on our now defunct uk chart show Top of the Pops in 1981 and it was quite amusing at the time as they looked like schoolboys who had been given the day off to do the show especially Dave Gahan yet what stood out most was this deep baritone voice coming out of this kid who looked like his voice shouldn't have broke let alone have a tone similar to an old buddhist chanting monk.

Growing up, Violator was on constant play in the background when I was doing my homework. Wanted "Somebody" to be our wedding song. I never told my now wife as she had a song slotted for years. A few years later, I played her "Somebody" and she wished I would have fought for it to be our song.

Just can’t get enough was the first Depeche Mode song I ever heard...I thought it was howard Jones!

Depeche Mode truly underated still making great music, they so many great songs my favourites are, 1. In Your Room 2.Home 3.Enjoy the Silence 4. Barrel of a Gun 5.Prescious. They still influence many modern bands like The White Lies the Hurts, my favourite album Songs of Faith and Devotion, truly hidden gem of a band👍

Man, getting flashbacks to my teens in the 80's. Remember buying Masses (on cassette, later CD) and being blown away. Then Violator was released, oh my oh my... "101" is the greatest music movie ever made, can't see it ever being surpassed.

1- Enjoy the silence 2- Stripped (live) 3- Strangelove 4- Never let me down again 5- Everything Counts

I could just listen to you talking about depeche mode all day man ❤

Listening to you talk about how DM affected you right from the start brought back SO many memories of how how I felt about them when I discovered them as a kid in eighth grade. I grew up in an area with a lot “gang bangers” and kids that all wanted to act like they were NWA, so to say I stuck out like a sore thumb is an understatement. I just never understood and could not connect with that macho gang mentality, but I did however connect so strongly with the music and lyrics of DM. For once I finally had music that spoke to my soul. Btw I am so stoked to have discovered your channel. Subscribing NOW!:)

You said everything I feel about this band but you did it with more passion

Thought I was passionate about the 80s, but you sure take the cake. Depeche Mode was my go to band in the 80s and anthem of the decade. Remember writing the words of ‘Somebody’ in an oversized birthday card to my then girlfriend. Great top 5, although would throw in ‘Shake the disease’ in there. Keep up the passion

Your experience of encountering Depeche Mode is so similar to my own, albeit it happened some years earlier and in Sweden instead of Idaho. There is something universal in what you describe. This is a band that really had a profound impact on the young and insecure, helping them grow and find their own voice and means of expression. Beautiful!

i'm passionate about DM , ever since i was a child, in the 80's and never stopped listening to them....never cease to amaze me, their lyrics are so real and poetic at the same time,their music so fitting and tantalizing, the voices of both martin and dave so different and unique, their live shows unforgetable...thank you for your video, can relate to the way you talk about the band so much. I cant pick a top 5, but those you picked are up there for me,specially question of lust, everything counts and stripped. I would maybe add shake the disease and black celebration....and but not tonight....oops that is top 6 already ehehehe amazing band, amazing music, lucky us:)

I couldn’t agree more. I love Depeche Mode. My 80’s 5’er would be 5) Fly on the Windscreen 4) To Have and to Hold 3) Everything Counts 2) Never Let Me Down Again 1) Shake the Disease

Sorry, I know this is old but I’m a huge Depeche Mode fan. Someone who was in a band at the time introduced me to Depeche Mode in the ‘80’s. I bought all there albums. When I meet my now husband he got hooked on Depeche Mode too after hearing my collection. I even got a friend of mine into Depeche Mode after she listen to one of my albums. I love the line “ I don’t want to start any blasphemous rumors but I think that Gods got a sick sense of humor and when I die I expect to find him laughing “. Actually a really dark song but so good.

Adam, had no idea you were from Blackfoot area, my wife's maternal family is from there. Love the video, I fell in love with Depeche Mode my freshman year in Provo, 88-89. You can guess what was in the 5 disc CD changer for 4 months straight. Keep the great videos coming.

I was attending the art school in addition to "normal school". At that time I was a fan of the Beatles, LZ, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd. Our painting teacher put on some music from time to time. Most of the stuff he played had no effect on me until I've heard something beautiful with "together" and "forever" in the lyrics. It was "Here is the House". I was interested and started searching for other songs by the band but, unfortunately, I stumbled upon "Master and Servant". I disliked it so much that it took me 3-4 years until I got back to the Depeche Mode. It was when 'Violator' came out. After that, the band was accompanying me through all the joys and tears of my life. I remember listening heavily to Ultra when having graduation exams at the university. I remember my world being torn apart and then reconstructed again when Delta Machine came out. My favorites from the '80s would be: 5. Love in Itself 4. Never Let Me Down Again 3. Here is the House 2. Behind the Wheel 1. Shake the Disease

Dude! Just discovered u! Your channel is awesome! Mode was my first ever concert 86 black celebtation tour madison square garden...

My top 5 5. Blasphemous Rumours 4. Strangelove 3. Shake the Disease 2. But Not Tonight 1. Behind The Wheel

What a great story ... thank you for sharing

I'm 52. Depeche Mode is truly the soundtrack to my life.

Depeche Mode is great and still relevant because they understand and respect the power of music in our lives. I’m so tired of some people always comparing their new albums and songs against their older albums and songs. Depeche Mode are still a powerful force in music because they refuse to rest on past laurels and cash in doing greatest hits tours. I love Depeche Mode’s full catalogue of music and that includes their newest album. I don’t need “Violator 2”. I always say my favorite DM album is whatever their current album is at any particular time when they first come out simply because they don’t take music or their fans for granted. Other legacy bands and artists have sold out long ago but not Depeche Mode. Can’t wait to see them on their current tour. We already have our tickets.

I still miss Alan Wilder in Depeche Mode. When Alan left, Depeche Mode was never the same again. When fans talk about their favorite DM songs, it’s mostly songs when Alan was still in the band. Top 5 (in no particular order) Strange Love Policy of Truth Shake the Disease But Not Tonight Never Let Me Down Again

For my experience, ‘but not tonight’ would have bumped question of lust. The beautiful music mixed with dark /raw emotions. They are passionate. But not tonight is an uplifting treat.

Life-time devotee here. I agree and understand your 5'er man. Mine is not that far from yours actually :) Great video !

My favorite band as well. I love your top 5! I especially love that you separated Violator from it. It wouldn't be fair otherwise!

I agree with your commentary but there’s one I think you missed, Master & Servant has to be on any DM list. Great stuff!

My Top 5 DM songs: 1. Somebody - when you're 12, gay but not out, this hurts. Lyrics both mundane and deep. 2. People Are People - you can think about social problems and dance at the same time. 3. Strangelove - lyrics sounded suspiciously double entendre; also danceable 4. Everything Counts - deeply New Wave, social commentary; danceable 5. Enjoy the Silence - just hits all the right 80's-90's spots

My favorite DM song of all, is "Lie to me", the lyrics, oh man, excelent.

My top five Depeche Mode songs are: WALKING IN MY SHOES, STRANGELOVE, PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE, MASTER AND SERVANT and POLICY OF TRUTH.

My first song from Depeche Mode was also People are People too, but never really got into them. Then one day, like you, someone let be barrow a tape with New Order, Depeche Mode and others. I turned that in and he gave me Black Celebration. I listened to the first two songs over and over (Black Celebration & Fly on the Windscreen) then it dawned on me if these two songs are this good what is the rest of the tape like. It was awesome. I ran out and got all the old albums. And Then Music for the Masses come out, awesome!

I loved absolutely everything before Violator and cannot bring myself to listen to anything after. If ever there was a before and after moment for a band, this was it. Listening to the albums after Music for the Masses and Black Celebrations is like trying to listen to the Yoko tracks in Double Fantasy.

as a kid i looked forward to Casey's top 40 countdown every week. i was always pissed if the song i loved the most wasn't #1, or didn't even make it into the top 10. speaking of Casey Kasem, you sound very similar to him.

Here is the House. Higher Love. Photographic (from Live In Hamburg). Get the Balance Right (first 12" I ever heard). Enjoy the Silence. Listing only 5 is basically impossible. It would have been easier to list the top 5 that I don't like.

Damn I did not want to cry today . Well. This band have been a staple in my life for 35 years. A top 5 would be impossible . But if we have to do just the 80s. Here goes... 5. Two Minute Warning. 4. Lie To Me . You know what? I can't do it . There are too many .

My 5ers (80s) for DM 5) told you so 4) Stripped 3) master & servant 2) somebody 1) NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN Thank you for being such a DM fan as I am 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼❤️❤️❤️

1. And Then, 2. But Not Tonight, 3. Little 15, 4. Black Celebration, 5. New Life

Ur a cool guy, we have similar tastes, being an 80s kid. Ur emotions really shine threw in ur vids. Good stuff. Vialator is wicked

Great video I’m 22 basically just found Depeche Mode this year. Where around Idaho did you grow up? I’m in the Palouse myself

I actually agree with the Fiver with only one exception: I would swap "Behind the Wheel" with "Shake the Disease". Otherwise I am totally aligned with your list. Such a great band.

Well said!

Strange love change my life and 1987 was the first song i heard about Depeche mode

Absolutely fucking nailed Stripped. That's one of the tracks that just make you want to fight or fuck or do both at the same time. It is a religious experience.

enjoy the silence first time found the group on hols in the med when a tennager a french lady who with us gave the tape and the album been a favorite every since

Depeche Mode are great! Lyrically, a little corny sometimes, but atmospherically brilliant and they had a completely unique, captivating sound. Been a fan since the 80's.

I love your vids, but for people less familiar with the stuff you're talking about it'd be great to hear a little snippet of the songs.

OK, since you ended this with your top 5 DM 80s tunes, I will do the same: 5. Any Second Now 4. It Doesn't Matter 3. Shake the Disease 2. But Not Tonight 1. Black Celebration

Depeche is the most influential band to come out of the 80’s period!!!

Top 5 80s Mode Two Minute Warning It Doesn't Matter But Not Tonight Nothing Master and Servant First Depeche Mode concert: Black Celebration Most recent: Global Spirit Tour. Took my 17 and 14 year old daughters!

You are so god damn awesome. Seriously!

Up until my second year in college 1980-1981, my musical taste was of course heavily influenced by pop radio. Growing up in rural southwestern Louisiana in the 60’s & 70’s, the only music other than pop radio that we were exposed to was Country Western & Zydeco which I never liked! Also, some of the Disco that was being played on the radio in the later 70’s began to catch my attention! Looking back on my childhood which is sometimes unpleasant due the fact that I always felt different from everyone else until I realized that I was gay, the only bands that I can remember liking as a child were The Mamas & The Papas, The 5th Dimension, 10 CC, & The Beatles. I’m sure there were probably one hit wonders that I just can’t remember now. Anyway, my first year in college I car pooled with friends (girls from high school) & lived at home. I never really found my true niche in music until I lived on campus starting in my second year. I finally had the freedom to explore & after much thought, I decided to go to my first gay bar. I was alone, afraid, & yet excited so I made the plunge! I entered a world of disco, dancing, drag queens, and gay men that I had never knew existed! The loud pulsing music, the lights & disco ball of course drew me in further! I was ready for a drink, ready to meet men like myself, & I wanted to dance and forget about the world outside of those doors that I was so afraid of entering only a few moments earlier! Even though it was all strange & new for me, I felt at home finally! Unfortunately, I was only able to enjoy this oasis for a short time because a couple of months later, it burned down! I don’t remember whether it was arson or not, but I was devastated! This was the only gay dance club worth going to at the time & it was gone! There were a couple of other small gay bars that were not really dance clubs so the music was a mishmash of disco, pop, country, & zydeco usually played on a jukebox. It drew an older crowd and there is nothing wrong with that but the atmosphere was very different & the music was very disappointing to me! I was never very comfortable so I didn’t go very often to these smaller bars. But, I had made some gay friends in college and we suffered through this until a few months later, a new gay dance club opened. As we made it to the packed dance floor, I noticed that the deejay looked very familiar! I made my way to the deejay booth and sure enough, I knew him from high school! I knew that he was gay because he had come out in high school so when he saw me, he invited me in. We were both so happy to see each other & I was so intrigued by how he was mixing the music & wanted to learn all about it! So, I started hanging out regularly in the deejay booth & watched & asked lots of questions. Eventually he let me try mixing a few times now & then to help me learn. I began buying a few disco albums & 12” singles with the limited funds that I had. I got to be pretty good at mixing so I became like his assistant. After a while, my friend had some issues with the club manager & so he left the club. I was next in line so I was offered the job! This began my run as a club deejay at a few different clubs in the area as they opened & closed (most would last only for a few years because gay dance clubs didn’t seem to have very long life spans here) until about 1988. So, finally I will get to Depeche Mode!! My deejay friend would order new dance music from a store in Houston which had access to imported 12” singles. Disco was fading out on the radio and the second British Invasion was beginning here in the US. A couple of the first imported singles that we got were “Don’t you want me” by Human League & “Just can’t get enough” by DM. We still had to play the disco classics but began mixing in some of the new stuff from Europe. As we both continued deejaying although no longer at the same clubs, we stayed in touch & kept each other abreast of what we were playing. He eventually moved to Houston & we lost touch. However, this was my introduction to Depeche Mode which I continued to play in clubs along with other groups such as Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran, Thompson Twins, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, etc. I was able to see both DM (Music for the masses tour) & Thompson Twins in concert! Both were amazing! These bands have had a long lasting influence on me! In 2017, I was able to see DM for their Spirit tour! Once again they were f...ing amazing!! Recently, I had planned on going to San Francisco to see Pet Shop Boys & New Order for their Unity tour, but unfortunately Covid 19 has put this bucket list item on hold and it may never be back on this list again! So, sorry for the long story, but your video inspired me! Thank you!

I listened to DM albums on autorepeat while shovelling my driveway (snow), walking to and from school, on the bus, riding my bike, walking and jogging in parks, went to a club which played them every time I went (the Zinc in Hull Quebec, ref. my playlist of it here: ru-vid.com/group/PLX1xALqOr7hJguIt2ejTig0nIoOPCurSh ), wondered why the H doesn't the radio play them all the time, bought all their albums and almost all their EPs because those usually had even better versions of the songs. They said things no one else seemed willing to say in public about life, about death, about hypocrisy, about love between people.

I’ve seen them 4 times live.

Shake the Disease Blasphemous Rumors Just Can't Get Enough Dreaming of Me The Sun and the Rainfall People forget about Speak & Spell and A Broken Frame. They're really good. I saw them a few times in the 80s (including the iconic Rose Bowl show) and then again when they toured LA in ~2015(?). They haven't lost anything. The great thing about the recent show was the age range. Plenty of folks my age (who came of age with DM) but lots of 20- and 30-somethings.

I remember when the reviewers in different music magazines wrote about DM in Sweden for a long time that they were ok but it should be rock bands that played otherwise it could be. I have been a big fan since the beginning I saw them at many concerts in early 80's they only get better but sometimes they have had dips but who has not that. But they have taken revenge and are one of the absolute greatest bands in the world today. We have different favorites of their songs this make me nostalgic, I can't get enought, enjoy the silence, fly on the windscreen, walk in my shoes plus many more

I was glad to hear you had Behind the Wheel/Route 66 as high as #2. I had a friend at the time that was convinced this song was pure trash. Not wanting to make waves I stayed silent, but when I was alone or driving, that song was always getting played.

My fav Depeche Mode Era was da 90s

Depeche Mode deserve a Peace Nobel prize i can find any song that insites violence...Nobel prize now 💪💖🔥

Wow, you are a superfan...I liked them a lot too, but the only album I had was their greatest hits I got as a stocking stuffer...Had to throw away the paper insert with the five naked guys laying on eachother though...A little disturbing to me at 13 or 14 years old...

My number one is "world in my eyes"

Depeche Mode is until today one of my 4 favorite bands from all time; The Cure, Depeche Mode, New Order and Metallica. Still I’m a 80’s boy, God Bless the 80’s !!

Depeche Mode is not just a band but a religious experience

Living in Los Angeles in the 80's one could see how U2 became big enough to headline stadiums but Depeche Mode & The Cure did it as well and it was due to their sincerity as bands. They did it their way ! 2 passionate bands. Deserving of their status which still holds in 2020.

Thank you for highlighting Depeche Mode!!! My all time favorite band!

Violator was and is a masterpiece, but for me, 101 was a true epic.