Ranking Our Top 5 Depeche Mode Albums

[@playvinylinthemilkynight]

Can't imagine hearing Violator and thinking it had only one good song. World in My Eyes, Halo, Waiting for the Night, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Blue Dress... all brilliant. Great rankings guys.

[@hubtunes9607]

I absolutely love it and Exciter

[@RobertFithen]

I lived it. lol

[@maurosasso7988]

1) Violator; 2) Sofad; 3) Music for the masses; 4) Ultra; 5) Exciter.

[@TheRealBlueSwan]

I probably have the same top 3, even though I constantly go back and forth over whether I like Violator or SOFAD more.

[@thesurfacespins]

Another stellar episode! Each of the different histories and relationships toward Depeche Mode are so complex and heartfelt! What a delight to see the sharing. more More more!!!

[@andreasalmer8815]

Awesome conversation, thanks guys! Spanning from Spirit (!) to Violator. I really aligned with Craig's start - Ultra, Speak and spell & Music for masses. I get why people like Song of faith and devotion and the Devotional Tour is my favourite (my first was World Violation and I've seen all after that). SOFAD ends up as number eight on my list. Violator not top five though guys? I didn't see that coming! Just for fun, I created a ranking of all albums by listing the songs from each album that I actually like and count them up. Here ya go: 1. Violator - World In My Eyes - Sweetest Perfection - Personal Jesus - Halo - Waiting for the Night - Enjoy The Silence - Policy of Truth - Blue Dress - Clean - Dangerous - Memphisto - Sibeling - Kaleid - Happiest Girl - Sea of Sin 2. Music for the Masses - Never Let Me Down Again - The Things You Said - Strangelove - Sacred - Little 15 - Behind the Wheel - I Want You Now - To Have and to Hold - Nothing - Pimpf - Agent Orange - Stjarna 3. Ultra - The Love Thieves - It's No Good - Uselink - Useless - Sister of Night - Freestate - The Bottom Line - Insight - Slowblow - Only When I Lose Myself - Surrender - Headstar 4. Speak And Spell - New Life - I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead - Puppets - Boys Say Go - Nodisco - Photographic - Tora! Tora! Tora! - Any Second Now - Just Can't Get Enough - Dreaming of Me - Ice Machine 5. Black Celebration - Black Celebration - Fly on the Windscreen - A Question of Lust - A Question of Time - Stripped - Here Is the House - Dressed in Black - New Dress - Shake the Disease - It's Called a Heart - But not tonight 6. Some Great Reward - Something to Do - Lie to Me - People Are People - It doesn't matter - Stories of Old - Master and Servant - If you want - Blasphemous Rumours 7. A Broken Frame - Leave in Silence - My Secret Garden - Nothing to Fear - See You - The Meaning of Love - The Sun and the Rainfall - Oberkorn 8. Songs Of Faith And Devotion - Walking In My Shoes - Mercy in You - In Your Room - Rush - One Caress - Higher Love - My Joy 9. Memento Mori - Ghosts Again - My Favourite Stranger - Caroline's Monkey - Before We Drown - People Are Good - Always You - Never Let Me Go 10. Delta Machine - Heaven - Secret To The End - Broken - Soft Touch/Raw Nerve - Alone - Soothe My Soul - All That's Mine 11. Sounds Of The Universe - Wrong - Fragile Tension - In Sympathy - Perfect - Miles Away/The Truth Is - Light - Ghost 12. Construction Time Again - Everything Counts - The Landscape Is Changing - Get the Balance Right - The Great Outdoors - Fools 13. Playing The Angel - Suffer Well - Precious - Nothing's Impossible - Lilian - The Darkest Star 14. Exciter - When The Body Speaks - Freelove - Goodnight Lovers 15. Spirit - So Much Love Thanks for a great conversation! Cheers! Andi

[@vinylrecordplayer]

Great work as usual, Guncles. The fans vs. the begrudgingly listening makes for great discussion. Cheers fellas! 😁

[@hubtunes9607]

It was a lot of fun !

[@123GedankenSindFrei]

I'm on team Craig 100% - Depeche is now one of the biggest bands, but when I was a teenager I remember being all by myself listening to their stuff. I got into music via Fade to Grey, and Depeche were really taking the synth game to a whole new level. I distinctly remember hating everything they put out at first and then those songs becoming the soundtrack of my life quite reliably soon after. I also had to take a frist break with Violator - them changing format to CD made tall the songs skippable, and so I found the album strangely uninteresting at first, I skipped though it once at the recordstore but it just didn't catch me for a comparably long time. I mostly loved them for the innovative sound stuff, the intricate keyboard lines and arrangmenets. Violator seemed to glossy and perfect but also cold in the domain - but I connected to it around 1999 finally. For me their really enjoyable albums end with Ultra - Exciter always looses me a long the way because the musical forms are too repetitive, and the later stuff stings my ear.. Spirit has a dangerous kind of negativity to it that pulls me down- it seems full of auto-destructice and negative thought patterns, something I am deciding to steer clear of. Mememto Mori is their best in a while for sure, but somehow it is "not mine". For me "Some great reward" does stand out as well because they really have that strong unique position on this album, and they put so much effort into it in the studio as well, I really have an antenna for that kind of thing.

[@mike_burke]

I can relate a lot to what you say. Good essay 👍

[@moogie242x]

Tim Simenon is an artist aka Bomb the Bass. He also produced Nenah Cherry’s Buffalo Stance and others

[@RobertFithen]

Bomb the Bass rock this place!

[@daniafterdark]

Love love love this episode! Great band. 🎶

[@CBCDs]

Music For the Masses is the only album of theirs I know really well. My sister used to listen to this and I'd borrow the tape. Listened to this a lot. Still like it. I like the speak and spell album too -

[@amaterasu8269]

1. Ultra 2. Songs of faith and devotion 3. Black celebration 4. Violator 5. Music for the masses 6. Some great reward 7. A broken frame 8. Construction time again 9. Exciter 10. Speak & spell 11. Playing the angel 12. Memento mori / Spirit 13. Delta machine / Sounds of the universe

[@GanzoHasashi1911]

For me: 1. Violator 2. Music for the Masses 3. Songs of Faith and Devotion 4. Playing The Angel 5. Black Celebration

[@dustin_mcfinklestein]

Another great episode. The chemistry between you guys is hilarious, especially when there's a disagreement over a choice. I like Depeche Mode but have never been a massive fan. Really should listen to some of the records I only listened to once. My favorites would include: Speak and Spell, mostly due to Vince Clarke's noticeable influence upon the sound. Playing the Angel I quite liked. John the Revelator is such a badass track. Memento Mori, which surprised Me. Their best work in a very long time. Black Celebration and Music for the Masses would be a tie. Both solid but not the best. Controversially, my favorite and the Depeche Mode record that I think is their Masterpiece, VIOLATER. I say that as someone who was born in 1986 and only listened to Depeche Mode in my early teens, many years after they became popular. I lack the context of them being this unknown, underground thing that normies only liked once it was cool to. I know that feeling, though, so I get it. Violator is the best version of the band, more synth than guitar. Dark and a bit ominous but also anthemic and catchy. Robert, with Peace and Love, World in My Eyes is such a banger and great album opener. Even the lesser tracks are better than singles from other releases. My only gripe would be the running order of the original version, but I forget what song I would have moved. I used to have a CDr of my version of the album, with the songs in a different order.

[@hubtunes9607]

Thanx Dustin !!!

[@RobertFithen]

Liking Vince Clarke's influence, Memento Mori their best work in ages, album tracks on "Violator" are better than the singles? I'm glad you like disagreements. lol

[@markhdubs5243]

Can I buy a ticket to this Pound Town you speak of? 😜🎟 Be gentle with me Robert! 😳😂 Love Depeche Mode💚 Craig did so well defending his band. 👍 5. Playing The Angel 4. Black Celebration 3. Songs Of Faith & Devotion 2. Violator 1. Music For The Masses 🎼🎶🎶

[@RobertFithen]

I'm sure I know exactly what that means, too.

[@david6294]

Agree with almost everything Craig says. Lie to Me, Blasphemous Rumours and Somebody are top 10 for me. Some Great Reward is my favourite album. Can enjoy People Are People musically as part of this album.

[@MichaelSmith-jz7xg]

Sounds of the Universe was nominated for a Grammy, so surely it deserves a spot in the Top 5…and that goes double for A Broken Frame & its stellar cover art!

[@RobertFithen]

lol. "was nominated for a Grammy, so surely it deserves", this is the kind of thing that I'm always talking about with the Grammys.

[@MichaelSmith-jz7xg]

@ No shit, right? File under: Strange But True Phenomena!

[@AsItShouldBePodcast]

Music for the Masses is easily my favorite DM LP, and Never Let Me Down Again by far my favorite song of theirs. In other words I'm not really that much of a Depeche Mode fan. Kinda saw Stabbing Westward open for KISS in 1996 on the big Ace and Peter reunion tour. I say kinda because we arrived mid-set and I can’t honestly say I paid much attention.

[@hubtunes9607]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@matsfrommusic]

I just want to point out that Robert is clearly in the closet about being a Martin Gore fanboy, not only couldn't he stop talking about him, but Black celebration holds no less than 4 songs sung by him, more than any other DM album. Enjoy! ;)

[@djvinylvertigo]

Hilarious observation!! Love it!!!!

[@txhimlauj]

This is a band that I have opinions about. First off, Robert is a jerk in an enjoyable way. I would have a hard time trying to put Depeche Mode albums in an order. Catching up with… is the first thing I ever bought on CD, before I even had a CD player. I have the same story as Craig concerning Violator, I hated that Personal Jesus was everywhere. I still love the album, though. My favorite would be SOFAD, I love every song on it, I love singing along with Condemnation. Some Great Reward and Black Celebration are kind of like a pair that I would hate to break up. I kind of lump the first 3 albums together, as well as most of the albums after SOFAD. Music for the Masses is the first album I had of theirs, and I listened to it over and over again. I really like the little instrumental breaks between some of the songs. The worst album is Spirit. I listened to it once on the drive home from Craig’s wedding, and maybe once more since then, and I never have to listen to it again. I really love the new album, Memento Mori. It’s got some fun songs to sing along with. Thanx for the fun trip down memory lane!

[@qkhuve]

Condemnation truly is a great sing-along-track! :D

[@djvinylvertigo]

I am obsessed with DM. Even have the huge box set that has everything. And Violator is perfection. Policy Of Truth is amazing. Fithen digs too deep. 😂😂

[@matsfrommusic]

Delta machine is highly underrated. Three of the four extra tracks on the Deluxe edition is among the best songs on the album IMO. Always is just a fantastic track.

[@ondralada4142]

My guess to average most people's favourite albums : 1. Violator (1990) 2. Music for the Masses (1987) 3. Black Celebration (1986) 4. Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993) 5. Ultra (1997) 6. Playing the Angel (2005) 7. Some Great Reward (1984) 8. Memento Mori (2023) 9. Sounds of the Universe (2009) 10. Exciter (2001) 11. Delta Machine (2013) 12. Speak And Spell (1981) 13. Construction Time Again (1983) 14. A Broken Frame (1982) 15. Spirit (2017)

[@djvinylvertigo]

I loved Spirit!! Delta Machine, for me, was an absolute bore. Ultra is one of my go to albums, period. And I love 101. Great live record.

[@djvinylvertigo]

Caught that, Mike!! I can't do Violent Femmes, either!!😂😂 But, Music For The Masses is one of my favorite DM records. Martin Gore isn't a bad singer. He isn't the best singer in the band, but the song he sings, it fits. He has that pleading and sadness in his voice, while Dave Gahan is darker and harsh, which is great.

[@cocojaneriat6826]

Thank you Mike for Exciter 😍

[@tomasandrew9354]

My DM top five: 5. Toss up between Songs of Faith and Devotion, Spirit and Sounds of the Universe. 4. A Broken Frame 3. Violator 2. Music for the Masses 1. Ultra

[@hetian5795]

[@flamingroove]

I had never heard any Depeche Mode before watching this episode. I just listened to some of your #1's. Don't think I'll ever listen to them again, I did enjoy your video a lot.

[@RobertFithen]

The best Depeche Mode is still only a four-star album.

[@yavlennyy]

Playing the Angel SOFAD Ultra Violator Memento Mori For a reason I dont really into 80s at all. I love these albums too, but just not into it. Especially cuz of drums lol

[@djvinylvertigo]

You have admit that if you don't like certain songs like Strange Love, you definitely weren't impressive on the dancefloor. People who couldn't really dance would not like certain songs.

[@hubtunes9607]

Me!

[@djvinylvertigo]

@@hubtunes9607 LOL!!!

[@finylvinyl66]

Robert your homophobia is showing. Martin Gore writes maybe 90% of DM's song and doesn't deserve your ridicule.

[@RobertFithen]

I am laughing about his delicate and frail delivery and lyrics which I believe definitely deserve ridicule. How is that homophobic considering that Martin Gore identifies as heterosexual, is married to a woman, and has two children with her? It would seem that you think a grown man sounding so fragile and delicate automatically is synonymous with gay. I think you should check your stereotyping prejudice and perhaps stop casting unwarranted attacks on others. Who has the homophobia... someone laughing at a straight man/ pop star singing in a fragile cadence or someone equating that style with homosexuality?

[@DxModel219]

My Top 5 Album: 1. Anything with Alan Wilder 2. Anything with Alan Wilder 3. Anything with Alan Wilder 4. Anything with Alan Wilder 5. Anything with Alan Wilder

[@123GedankenSindFrei]

+ Ultra :) haha

[@david6294]

Exciter is a rubbish album because it doesn't sound Depeche Mode. Exciter and Sounds of the Universe are by far the bottom two.