Why Were Depeche Mode So Big in Russia? 

The 80s was a weird time and to my frustration has a way better reputation than it desverves. Yes music was better than today but it was the first step of the downfall of music. People who never should have touched an instrument were now able to make music and have massive hits because of programmable keyboards. The instruments sounded like fisher price instruments with a lot of reverb. Compare anything from the 80s to the 70s or 60s and tell me the instruments in something like synth pop sound good. They sound horrible. I don't dislike everything 80s some people like Vangelis or Laura Brannigan could make that sound work and way warmer. Not as cold and bleak as most of the 80s music especially synth pop. Synth pop was pure cancer. Before anyone accuses me that it's my nostalgia for the 60s or 70s speaking: I'm a 90s kid a late millenial to be exact. But even I was aware that by the time I was consciously listening to music the times of the true giants and geniuses like the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix were long gone. My generation has produced very little of note. I think that has partially to do with the commodification of music. Music has turned from something that was hugely influencial in art and politics (Bob Dylan for example) into just another thing you consume. Most people forget that the grunge era was only 4 years until it suddenly was considered out of fashion and completely disappeared. I also don't see Nirvana as really good music. It was just the best handmade stuff that was around at a time we were hungry for something to let our frustrations out. The radio was dominated by Eurodance and Techno in the 90s and we didn't have real rock hero's like my father's generation. The came Nirvana. They weren't as good as bands like Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin but it was like giving a starving prisoner some bread and water. Of course he would think it was the best meal ever. We were starved. For anyone saying that it's just the old generation complaining about the new one. Do the following: Look up the top 100 billboard charts of 1966. There were more evergreens and music history changing hits in one year than the last decades combined. It's strange that offers us to express whatever we want due to all that techology yet we have so little to say. Same goes for movies. We could make the most amazing movies with all the technology we have (animatronics have advanced too) yet all we see is the regurgitation of the same old things. I think a huge factor is that Gen X and the following generations didn't have real challenges. We were well fed and secure. There was no world war nothing that truly threatened our existence. I think there is a reason why we call it the blues. A lot of art only exists because of suffering. Don't get me wrong I'm very happy not to have gone through what my grandma did in Germany during the war. But we surely have lost something.

Sorry for the long comment. But I hope you read it. Just my 2 cents concerning that decade. You really made me think.

You make really good videos man, please stick with it. The Last action hero one is great.

@@SMacCuUladh cheers!

😏

🖤

I know I’m a die hard devotee as well they have such an impact on my life and they’re just the best band ever to walk the planet

@@KuroMicra Agreed! I even got one of their album symbols tattooed. #devoteeforever

In Italy also we still have DM parties twice a year in my town

Great to hear that there’s still a fanbase

Thank you for the feedback. The Serhiy Zhadan book sounds great, I’ll look into it, cheers for the heads up!

@@ElevenYearz The 80s was a weird time and to my frustration has a way better reputation than it desverves. Yes music was better than today but it was the first step of the downfall of music. People who never should have touched an instrument were now able to make music and have massive hits because of programmable keyboards. The instruments sounded like fisher price instruments with a lot of reverb. Compare anything from the 80s to the 70s or 60s and tell me the instruments in something like synth pop sound good. They sound horrible. I don't dislike everything 80s some people like Vangelis or Laura Brannigan could make that sound work and way warmer. Not as cold and bleak as most of the 80s music especially synth pop. Synth pop was pure cancer. Before anyone accuses me that it's my nostalgia for the 60s or 70s speaking: I'm a 90s kid a late millenial to be exact. But even I was aware that by the time I was consciously listening to music the times of the true giants and geniuses like the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix were long gone. My generation has produced very little of note. I think that has partially to do with the commodification of music. Music has turned from something that was hugely influencial in art and politics (Bob Dylan for example) into just another thing you consume. Most people forget that the grunge era was only 4 years until it suddenly was considered out of fashion and completely disappeared. I also don't see Nirvana as really good music. It was just the best handmade stuff that was around at a time we were hungry for something to let our frustrations out. The radio was dominated by Eurodance and Techno in the 90s and we didn't have real rock hero's like my father's generation. The came Nirvana. They weren't as good as bands like Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin but it was like giving a starving prisoner some bread and water. Of course he would think it was the best meal ever. We were starved. For anyone saying that it's just the old generation complaining about the new one. Do the following: Look up the top 100 billboard charts of 1966. There were more evergreens and music history changing hits in one year than the last decades combined. It's strange that offers us to express whatever we want due to all that techology yet we have so little to say. Same goes for movies. We could make the most amazing movies with all the technology we have (animatronics have advanced too) yet all we see is the regurgitation of the same old things. I think a huge factor is that Gen X and the following generations didn't have real challenges. We were well fed and secure. There was no world war nothing that truly threatened our existence. I think there is a reason why we call it the blues. A lot of art only exists because of suffering. Don't get me wrong I'm very happy not to have gone through what my grandma did in Germany during the war. But we surely have lost something.

Thank you

There’s some beautiful old footage of Runcorn here on RU-vid.

Thank you for the kind comment, I can assure you that although time was lost - it was not wasted. Cheers!

@@ElevenYearz Im sorry, I was tired. More Depeche Mode videos please! 🙏✨

Yes, 2 very different era’s of DM. The look the fans emulate is very much 80s era DM, their best era imo…

We dont need post-Alan's DM, SOFAD is also not necessary.

Yes!

Glad you enjoyed. Thank you for the feedback!

Much appreciated 🙌

I'm a long time Depeche fan 🖤 Thanks for watching!

@@ElevenYearz I’ve only heard them the odd time here and there back in the 90s but your video has given me curiosity towards them (I actually really like electronic music any way so that’s good) especially the fact they are so popular in Russia as we need ways of building bridges with nations instead of burning them.

@@jamesskinnercouk 1981-1990 era Depeche is really what this video was focused on, and where I would start as a new listener. Speak & Spell all the way through to Violator is their strongest output. What’s fascinating is that the Depeche fans in this video were emulating an already decade old period of the band, as by the early to mid 90s their sound and aesthetic had changed dramatically.

Thank you 🖤

Thank you for the kind words 🖤

I agree that a lot of contemporary culture seems to romanticise the 80s. Here in the UK, the 80s wasn’t necessarily the best of times for a lot of hard working people.

@@ElevenYearz I think the 80s are so romanticized because it is the oldest thing newer generations still have culturally a connection with since it was the early stages of technological advancements while at the same time being old enough that things are seen still as distant enough to be romanticized. As I said a lot of things were way better in the 80s but only compared to today. Compared to the decades before them it pales in comparison in terms of especially musical creativity. The instruments sounded like cheap toys for the most part. Even bands like AC/DC sounded not as full as in the 70s.

@@ninfilms thank you 🖤

@@ElevenYearz I wasn't aware that Depeche Mode had a big followung in Russia. But from listening to Depeche Mode has got that cold war feel.

@ninfilms a huge following!

Cheers 🖤