Violator

Why do we need more than one Depeche Mode album? It's all the same

Good vocal quality from Martin Gore, well recorded, some cool synth sounds and darkish themes. But I didn't like it in 1987 and I still don't really like it. It just doesn't have the energy I want. You can sing some dark ballads, but give it a little emotional depth, man! Catchy tunes nonetheless, and "Personal Jesus" is always good for a laugh.

Never heard much Depeche Mode aside from their hits so it was fun to check this out. Not really my cup of tea, but still enjoyable. Feels like an album to put on while driving around on a rainy day.

Dig the beats

Some incredible tracks (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence are absolute killers) but too many of the others are just not working for me.

Alright

Got some classics on there, love a bit of Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence. Some other hidden gems in there too however few songs I didn't enjoy as much, just felt like they lacked a bit compared to the rest.

Very good album, World In My Eyes is a great starting track for the album but by far enjoyed the track Policy of Truth the most. Had me listening to Depeche mode for the past 24hrs!

This was definitely new for me, yet had songs I was familiar with. Kind of dark, and 80’s-ominous. Bet the concerts were great. Fun fact: “The album explores the heavy themes of guilt, religion, sexual fetishes, nihilism, misanthropy and drugs, but songwriter Martin Gore felt these issues were a realistic depiction of life.”

I'm somewhat coming around on Depeche Mode. Still not a huge fan of the style, but I enjoyed this album a decent amount.

I thought that I knew it well, but I don’t. The sound production is too heavy and there seems to be many fillers.

Like most, I only knew Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence from the album. After the first song I was almost ready to skip the rest entirely and thought I'd hate it, but as I continued listening to it it grew on me. By the end I was even getting into it. Good album overall

Another good album.

Few good tracks. Mostly not for me though.

It sounds great from a productional perspective, but i can´t really get into it. Not all songs are appealing enough for it. So therefore I didn´t "enjoy the album" as much as liked too, still solid 3.

This was ok. I wanted more singles, less droning.

Good vibes, synth forward

Kinda an odd vibe. Not my normal jam but can see the appeal

While some bits were quite good, others were somewhat boring. 3/5: acceptable

Solid album. I like the music, but find it hard to listen to the entire album in one sitting. All the tracks are relatively slow and plodding. I enjoy the lyrics but would appreciate more variety in tempo.

Pretty good but I'm not super into 80s synthetic music

Personal Jesus all the way. I forgot about the 80’s alt sound mixed with that decade’s synth pop sound.

When this hits, it's amazing. But I feel like it doesn't hit enough for the significance it receives. It's good. But a lot of filler.

Nice album, a bit depressing at times but some good songs here.

3 songs favorited

Half geluisterd oeps, vet album ga ik dit weekend nog even goed goed luisteren.

Solid album. The song “Sibeling” was surprisingly beautiful.

Good, not great

Some absolute rammers and some plodding 80s gear.

Do all the songs sound the same? Yes they do.

i found the first half of the song engaging, then i felt it wasn't the style of music am looking for, but it has some very good songs.

My sister's favourite band back in the day. Just a little dull for me.

Some cool trippy sounds going on in this one. Singer sounds like Bo Burnham. Didn't love the front half, but started getting into the groove later in the album. I think this album had some 3.5 star material in it, but it was outweighed by repetitive, emo sounds. Would probably be a 2.5 star for me.

Personal Jesus is a banger and it gave me instant flashbacks of running over hookers with a tractor in GTA: San Andreas. This album has a crazy amount of 80s synth. Especially on Enjoy the Silence there is so much going on. There are points in this album where he sounds like Bo Burnham to me and I was expecting some ridiculous songs

Kinda sad synthy banger

There were a one or two songs that stood out and I'd listen to again. Otherwise, it's not real I style of music I like too much.

Personal Jesus is the best song on the album. Although it's not an album I'd seek out, I enjoy that it's got a strong beats and flares of other instruments that keep it from being monotonous. It makes you pay attention to the songs again and helps to differentiate them.

A cool synth pop paradise, a few known songs to make it better, Saved a few songs to a synth pop playlist.

good sounds. vocals weren't great.

World in my eyes 7.5/10 - Captures what I like about 80's synth pop. It's better than a 7 not quite an 8. Sweetest Perfection 6/10 - A bit repetitive. Kind of like the violin (?) And guitar chords around the 2 min mark I guess. It's a slow build through the entire song but the payoff didn't really do a whole lot for me at the end. Personal Jesus 6/10 - It's personal Jesus. Everyone's heard it a million times. At this point you either love it or hate it or you think it's just OK. (It's just ok. Kinda boring) Halo 7/10 - It's just good. Much like world in my eyes is it Captures what I like about dark 80's synth pop. So far its the best vocal melody on the album. Waiting for the night 5/10 - if the ambience of this one doesn't pull you in then it's just going to be a boring forgettable song (ambience didn't pull me in) Enjoy the silence 7/10 - kind of a nice surprise. Didn't know that I knew this one but I've definitely heard it many times. Much like world in my eyes and Halo this is the kind of Depeche Mode I prefer. Not sure what was going on in the 90 sec. or so there. Didn't work for me. Policy of Truth 8/10 - man this one is an earworm. I like the synth melody and rhythm. Vocal melodies work well with the music. This one is solid. Best song since the opener. Blue Dress 5/10 - it's a moody balled in a genre that I'm already not very big on. Same issues with this one I had with waiting for the night. The last minute has another weird closing section thats different from the rest of the song like in Enjoy the silence. Clean 7/10 - it's an OK song. I like the driving build up of the backing melody and the atmosphere of it all but it doesn't really go anywhere. Dangerous 7/10 - another catchy song like policy of truth but unlike the previous song this one doesn't quite do it for me. Memphisto 4/10 - an instrumental that doesn't really do anything. Seems like it could be a cinematic background song maybe. Only works in context with the album I guess. Siblings 4/10 - Piano dominated instrumental that only works in context with the album. Kaleid 5/10 - a grungy synth instrumental that sounds cool. It's got a very outrun vibe to it. But like the other instrumentals it only works in context with the album. You aren't just listening to any of these as singles. Happiest Girl 7/10 - it's a decent 80's synth pop song. Doesn't really try to be anything other than that. Doesn't really need to be anything other than that. Sea of Sin 7/10 I like the backing music. The vocal melodies work well for this one and help to enhance the overall song. Feel like it COULD be one of the higher rated songs on the album but something about it, I'm not sure, just doesn't push it to that next level. Overall 6.5/10 - I didn't take the instrumentals into account when coming up with the overall rating as I didn't feel like that was fair. I'd go as far as to say 6.5 is an overall low rating for Violator as a whole. I'd probably give it a bias rating of 7/10. It's a good listen as a whole and I can see how these guys set the gold standard for dark synth rock of the 80's. I'm by no means knowledgeable on this genre but it works for me as a jumping off point for discovering more music in this style.

It was ok but based on the singles I already knew (personal Jesus and enjoy the silence) I think I expected more

Good

It’s a product of its time. This is 80’s synth incarnate, for better or for worse. Enjoy the Silence is always going to be good though.

Nice

Their big songs off this album; Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth are amazing songs. I was surprised that pretty much all the other songs I didn't enjoy at all.

Very awkward lyrics but I quite like the soundscape, a couple of standout tracks

I do struggle to get on with this style of singing, it's just a bit too electro/robotic for me. That said, it's a really good example of this kind of music - the production is really clean, there's not a bad song on it, some good beats and synth. Enjoy The Silence my favourite track on it, which is almost dance music - there's a decent amount of range here too. Not far off a 4, but we'll stick with 3.

2/9, 22%

the most 80s album ever shame it came out in 1990 personal Jesus and enjoy the silence are awesome, the rest of the album is meh 3.5

esperava um pouco mais porque o hit (sound of silence) é muito diferenciado, o resto nada de mais

Very dated production. A couple of catchy singles but feel like this probably sounded better at the time than it does now. A bit too clean in all respects, perhaps?

I didn't want to like this. I love poppy Depeche Mode, not dark Depeche Mode. I had written off Violator as being a bit of a downer. It has a bit of both. Enjoy the Silence is a great piece of electronica. Personal Jesus is still a banger. Uplifting, but also a downer as well.

pretty decent. elecronic music with vocals from 1990

Meh, it felt like it took itself very seriously. It gave me the same feeling that emo music gives me, but without the awesome instrumentals.

1st June 2023 Listened throughout the day while having another lazy sun day in the hotel. Crazy meal in the evening for Frankie and Gordon’s 50th wedding anniversary. Grungy and romantic synth pioneers. Enjoyed this. 3.5 if I could.

Mixed bag, but cool old school techno

beeps and boops. some beeps better than others but not bad.

I wasn’t a big fan when this would have been released but have learned to like Depeche Mode over time. This is another band where I’ve probably been spoiled by greatest hits compilations.

Electrónica

A nice listen all together.

Some decent tracks

Synth-pop. It was a good listen.

Not very bassy. Might be Spotify. Some good hits, some nice grooves, and some off kilter stuff

Love the instrumentals; not so sure about the vocals

Pretty solid record of 80s pop/rock filled to the brim with synthesizers, with the smash hit 'enjoy the silence'.

Pretty good not my favorite, liked a couple songs. Liked the synths

interesting, I thought that Depeche Mode had been international stars years earlier, in the mid 80s. The hit singles, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth are all great songs. The rest was kinda meh... 3 star for those good songs but it really deserves a 2.5

Not as good as I remembered

I knew a few of the songs and I like them well enough. Rest of the album was ok. I liked the last song Clean.

It was alright. Just reminds me of why Depeche Mode is my least favorite of the trinity

This album sure did have a few hits on. The songs that weren't hits were usually kind of nothing though. It was okay. Some good and some not notable. I might like one of their other albums more than this one. My favourite songs were Personal Jesus and Policy of Truth.

9.5/10

Vabbè è un classico

Had its ups had its downs

Knew a surprising amount of these songs

Not typically my style of music, but it was nice to hear electronic music composed artfully. Still falls into the "background noise" trap that most electronic music does for me, but I quite enjoyed this more than most other similar albums. Favorite track: Kaleid

Some great tracks, very atmospheric. Might be a 4-star album upon further listening.

Always liked Depeche Mode, but I wasn't familiar with any of the songs on this album. Not bad, but not great.

Didn't enjoy the start. Some tunes later on though

not mine

I enjoy some Depeche Mode, but for the most part it just doesn't appeal to me. Some good songs, but ultimately I don't really care for the album.

Mixed opinions for me. The songs I really liked, I liked. The songs I didn’t like, I didn’t care for. Stand outs were Personal Jesus, Halo, Enjoy the Silence.

Just ok.

so fette Sounds und interessante produktionen aber ich kann mit dem gesang einfach nix anfangen das scheißt für mich komplett rein

Depeche mode ist für mich irgendwie ziemlich weit weg, auch wenn die sehr revolutionär waren. Trotzdem muss man credit geben für gute Songs

A band I adore for their elite list of synth-pop singles moving into their “serious” period to mixed results. I should like this record a lot more, but it actually marks the point where I check out of Depeche Mode’s discography. Besides the singles, which are again top notch, the deep cuts are very samey both sonically and melodically. The production definitely ties another feather to the band’s bow, but it just didn’t resonate with me at all. It’s simultaneously dense and sparse and to my ear just falls a bit flat and, dare I say, dated. Obviously their earlier stuff is incredibly dated in this regard but it’s still ultimately fun. Here, the brooding introspection just never lets up and it seaps into every element of this record. It’s a pretty dark listen but not all that engaging across the full album. Nevertheless, I’m glad it’s on this list. Albeit with a bit of confusion I’ll admit.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Had not heard much of Depeche Mode but liked their moody/synth sound. Some of the songs go on too long, especially "Enjoy the Silence" which could have been cut in half. Highlights were: World In My Eyes Personal Jesus

The usage of the harsh 80s synth percussion was used in several songs, which I didn't care for but the rest of it was much better than i was expecting. Dark and very polished. This album as a whole was very good.

It's hard for me to remember to cultural context of this record as I was too young There are a few truly great tracks here (Enjoy The Silence, Policy Of Truth). It's def bold and experimental, and they mostly pull it off.

Oscuro, con sonidos que actualmente te llevan a otra década pero que en mí caso, siendo mí papá fan, lo tengo bastante incorporado y me gusta escuchar

overall ok with a couple good songs. very listenable though!!

Quite a lot of hits I recognized and somewhat enjoyed, but I think this album went on for about a half hour too long.

Some bangers, some must-skip-songs

Not my favorite Depeche Mode

It’s the holidays so I had time to listen to the songs 2+times. The hits Pers Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth are quite good. As for the rest, the darker songs like Halo were harder to listen to the second time through. The three hits are good so, for a second, I considered rounding up - but only for a second.

By 1990 I had lost interest in this type of music. I was introduced to “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence” when I heard remixes a decade letter and by the time I heard the originals, they sounded like they needed a little more punch. That said, “Enjoy the Silence” is a great song, and “World in My Eyes” and “Policy of Truth”. Dave Gahan’s voice isn’t that strong (normal for a synth pop band I guess) but it really brings down the slower tarcks. I like the Pink Floyd-ish bits in “Clean”. Between a 2 and 3 for me.

Too slow

Enjoy the Silence their best song ever, for the rest of album their darkness does not grip me as e.g. Cure/Sisters Of Mercy does. Seems fake to me. Like their early poppy work etter.

This album is pretty good. Some songs are better than others, but overall the songs are good. I honestly don't have many opinions about this album. Favorite song: Halo Worst song: Blue Dress

I don't know if I've run out of ways to describe my daily album a mere 70 days into this project, or if I just don't have much to say about Violator at all. Some songs like Sweetest Perfection, Halo, Enjoy the Silence (of course) and Policy of Truth were moody, atmospheric, and enjoyable enough to put you in a trance, but the other tracks were meh.

Im just not sure how i felt about this one. I started out not liking it but it grew on me. Im not sure if i would say it is one of the 1001 albums you MUST hear before you die... definitely some good songs. just not really my thing i guess.

Not a big new-wave fan; however, I was fond of some of the earlier tracks on the album. The combination of electronic sounds and traditional orchestration gave it a distinct feel. I might come back to this after I become more seasoned with the new-wave genre, however right now, I'm not terribly fond of it. Sort of underwhelming. Favorite Track: Memphisto.

Hooky but trite and overrated. “Enjoy the Silence” and “Policy of Truth” are not bad, but there's a silliness factor that one struggles to look past – just hard to take them seriously, despite (or because of) their becoming unaccountably huge. "Personal Jesus" is as annoying as an earworm can be.

I was expecting this to sound really dated and was very surprised that it didn't. However, I was never a fan, and this listen didn't change that.

Meh

World in My Eyes is very good and Enjoy the Silence is a masterpiece, but I gotta say that I didn't really care about that album outside of that. I respect them and all, but I don't really enjoy listening to them that much. Maybe the older albums will be more in line with my taste.

Not a big fan of Depeche Mode, but I got to admit that all the big hits are there!

Rollercoaster album - it means up an down. Like the overall genre and where they try to go, but not as good as average fan pretend

This album contains very strong moments and others rather average, even that I do not like at all. I think I'd be the kind of person to appreciate a Depeche Mode "Greatest Hits" compilation, but not an album.

I truly don’t get why people like deseche mode. Not the worst thing I’ve heard and It had a cool spooky atmosphere , but I don’t really see the appeal 5/10

Got bored during a lot of the songs. 5/10

Very, very good album. Dark, but in all the right places. Loved it

It was good! I don’t think Depeche Mode is as much my thing, but still a solid album.

Ik veer toch op bij de hitjes en dommel een beetje in bij de rest...

Eerste draaibeurt vond ik het wat tegenvallen, maar omdat ik er toch vertouwen in had dat er meer te halen was heb ik 'm nog een keer geluisterd. En inderdaad, tweede keer was al stukken beter!

Fijne, compacte plaat.

So I will assume if Violator made this list, which I enjoy, (mainly for Personal Jesus and World in My Eyes), but surely that means Black Celebration is on this list as well?

As much as I love quintessential 80s music I did find this a bit grating at times, particularly to begin with and then I grew into it more. The ones I liked I already knew I liked... so perhaps that says something

I did enjoy this quite a look, got some bangers

Some bangers on this piece

surprised me, just never really listened to techno music before though

I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. I'll give it another listen for sure but nothing really stuck out.

bu albumu kaydederken kullandiklari uyusturucu miktarini merak ediyorum cok

I’m not sure what to rate this because I didn’t enjoy at all and wanted to give it a 2 the first listen, but on the second listen I liked it more. I don’t think I liked it enough to give it a 4 though, because there were some songs I didn’t care for.

The production and synth work is amazing on this record. Great mixes and some really great sounds. I wasn't a huge fan of the drum sounds however, also not a huge fan of the lead singers voice. The influence of this record is hard to ignore, just based on some of the NIN and Marilyn Manson records that come after this. I'll probably listen again for production inspiration but I didn't really find myself enjoying these tracks too much.

Highlight? Personal Jesus. Overall, this is good, but not great.

i don't think this is quite my thing but there were some interesting aspects here

not bad honestly, it's got some good songs but also some boring and repetitive ones. personal jesus is my personal favorite, and yes, it's because of gta: san andreas. 6.5/10

Interesting new sounds but not something I’d go back to

this shit sucks

I used to hate this stuff. Now I appreciate it some but it kind of brings me down.

Only song I knew was Personal Jesus Lush goth electro synth, sounding ahead and of its time all at once. A bridge between the 80s and 90s

The overall aesthetic is not for me, but I can appreciate a lot of the sound design. Some of the outros are a bit too long. Second half is way stronger than the first half. Favs: Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Blue Dress

Haven’t listened to them much before but I was surprised by how many songs I already knew on this album. It gets a little same-y at times but there are a few gems.

Was a bit poppy and generally underwhelming tbh, but I did like a few tracks and will maybe give it another try at some point. Policy of Truth my favourite track.

The talking heads just not as good

Nae bad

Decent album, a couple of songs I've heard before

Parte un po’ così, poi si riprende Si sente che è un album degli anni ‘90 Alcune canzoni un po’ soporifere

I'm not super familiar with Depeche Mode, but this music feels a bit dated. The 80's synths, the goth / emo kid aesthetic. The instrumentation and arrangements are beautiful. Not really sure if I'm feeling the lyrics though. Still, fun to listen to. Might have to give it another shot. Stand out tracks: Personal Jesus, Halo, Policy of Truth

While an album I cannot deny as influential with its sound and design, and some of the songs are indeed classics to stand the test of time, but the album as a whole is obviously meant to be listened to as an album, never on it's own. Many songs lead directly into the next dong, which is fine for those with lyrics, but the instrumental songs that are three in a row feel strange, like they're supposed to be an intermission, but it comes at the end, just making it feel like a movie soundtrack. Iconic, but not that fun of a listen.

The sounds on this album are really pretty amazing. The breadth and depth of the synths, the vocal tones, even the synthetic drums, it's well produced for sure. I was never taken by the band's material, and on this album, while I found myself enjoying the ride more than I thought I might, I do not connect with the songs or the emotional pitch of Depeche Mode, which is why I've never really paid them much attention. Glad I listened, I appreciate the craft, but not an album or a band I'll dig deeper into.

This is another band I didn't care for when they were active. I've come to appreciate them more than like them, though they certainly have great songs that get stuck in my head for days. I admire how sneakily avant-garde they are, taking catchy melodies and dance beats and throwing all sorts of crazy sounds and discordant chords under it. Anyway, this was the first time I listened to an entire album by them, and I dug it. My one complaint was some of the songs tended to overstay their welcome, but I dug the darkness of this album. "Personal Jesus" is still just OK in my book, but the rest of it was all in all pretty great. I'm gonna give it a 3 even though I can see this one growing on me. But at the end of the day, there's something about their sound and their lead singer that will never fully connect with me. But I'm glad I heard it and Sweetest Perfection as a great new find for me.

Good as I recalled

I remember really liking "Personal Jesus" when it was getting a good amount of airplay, and hearing another track or two from this record, but I'm had not heard most of the rest of the album. Although it's more in the electronica/synth-pop style that I am not always drawn to, I like it. They have such a strong sense of melody, their vocal performances are compelling, and the rhythms and harmonies are very well-constructed. At first listen, one might miss how layered and dark (not in a negative sense, but in a rich sense) these songs are.

Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, and Policy if Truth, classic tracks off of Violator. Early 90s electronic music.

Never been able to get into this. Obviously very influential but don't think it has aged well at all. Compared to the yesterdays listen of Trans-Europa Express by Kraftwerk, this album is lacking any direction and just feels like they got way too excited on the synths but had no real interesting ideas. Kraftwerk meanwhile created an exciting world with a lot of purpose that has aged excellently and came out 12 years earlier. In reality I probably enjoyed this a 2 but I'll give it a 3 out of respect for it's influence and for Personal Jesus which is head and shoulders above anything else on here.

Seemed dated in 1990:and more so now. Too much production and bombast.

Pretty good

I never knew the name of "Enjoy the Silence," or knew to connect it to Depeche Mode. This is probably a line I keep repeating about 80's synth-pop and new wave. But I continue to learn that there are some songs from that era that I really enjoy, and many others that don't work the same for me. The first four minutes of "Enjoy the Silence" are terrific. Then they nearly blow it by stopping the song to ask me to "enjoy the silence" and then not actually deliver silence. It should have just flowed into "Policy of Truth," which is the album's second best song. "Personal Jesus" was a hit, but it's just ok. Beyond those three tracks, the rest is all downhill. "Sweetest Perfection" is groan-worthy, and "Blue Dress" ruins the momentum of "Enjoy the Silence" and "Policy of Truth" before the last three tracks eventually wander off into tangentially related electronica.

Today this album sounds primitive. It’s difficult to keep in mind the technology of the time when evaluating this. The music on several tracks holds up fairly well: Personal Jesus - I hear some future Marilyn Manson in there. Waiting For The Night - I can hear the opening to this as the driving layer in a Radiohead song. Enjoy The Silence - I can shimmy my shoulders to this. Clean - I dig the bass part. I can hear why these guys influenced so many bands. In a historical context, this album is likely a 4 or 5. For my listening pleasure, it’s a 3.

Good record, waiting for the night in perticular is a great tune.

Well produced with interesting synth sounds.

Millones de veces (ok, una estrella) más digerible que el Music For The Masses. Aunque no pierden el sello sexoso y darkillo, no se compara con la calentura puberta que hay en el otro disco. Además, este disco contiene dos sencillos que tooooodo mundo conoce y han sido tocados hasta el cansancio, pero que reconozco como muy buenas rolas. Creo que Depeche es una banda de un nicho muy específico y que ese público los ama, pero estoy seguro que no soy de ese grupo, así que sin ese cariño yo solo me quedo con las rolas que estan quemadas pero probadas.

A bit repetitive. There’s only so much of the Depeche Mode “sound” I can take in one sitting, but this album has some classics like Enjoy the Silence and Personal Jesus.

Depeche mode is always a banger. Personal Jesus and halo are the top tracks

Mye bra, litt daukjøtt

Bit too 80s for what was coming out at the same time, seems like it wasn't keeping up with the impending rave styles

A really good album, UT I'm not a huge fan either Depeche Mode nor of 80s electronic music in general. But this is a good one. 3.5 🌟

3 for nostalgia

Depeche Mode. Ikkje feil, ikkje favoritt. Men enda bra. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cool

DM always seemed about making dance music that wanted to be taken seriously. It’s not a formula that has ever added up for me, save for the very occasional breakthrough exception (e.g. “People Are People”) that proves the rule. “Enjoy the Silence” and “Policy of Truth” are best songs. I’ve always found the unforgettable bounce and hook of “Personal Jesus” more annoying than anything, the lyrics just silly (and likely intentionally provocative). This might be as good a record as this genre can produce, and it’s interesting to me how big and popular DM got, but that just proves another rule: broad popular taste can’t be trusted. Thought I’d like this more after all these years, but, sadly, no.

Personal Jesus is a banger. Legitimate slaps. For me personally it brings back memories of being ~14 year old, playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, driving around the desert in a convertible, and blaring this song through the car speakers. Enjoy the Silence is also a genuine certified slapper. The ending is very weird. The rest of the album isn't as strong for me and doesn't offer anything in the same level of quality as Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence. Either way, the few tracks that stand out on this album warrant a 3/5 at the least as they are staples in this electronic genre.

OK. Much better than Music for the Masses.

All in a minor key

Not bad, kind of representative of the genre at the time.

Personal Jesus is great. The rest doesn't come close. All electronic riffs and beats, trying to write another Personal Jesus, but unfortunately, they only managed it once.

Personal Jesus & Enjoy the Silence are bangers, but the rest didn't do much for me at all 2.5

I dont love or hate any of the songs I just wasn’t interested the whole album so a bit meh for me

Not fan of Depeche Mode but if you have to listen to one of their albums this is the one. Has a lot of their hits.

Depeche Mode was an MTV staple back in its heyday, and since I was basically raised on MTV, the band figures prominently in my memory, especially the singles, "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy the Silence", and "Policy of Truth". I'm not actually a big fan of synthpop as a genre, but this album is just brilliant. It's not "dark synthpop", but the atmosphere evoked by the music--and even more by the vocals--is dark, not in the macabre sense but in the sense of it being urban and night.

Had a few songs I recognized. Not bad. Not my favorite genre but they do it well.

Thought this was a pretty good album. Very 80s synth electronic feel to it but also had some good rock elements. Some of the songs I’ve heard before. This album is pretty complete as it’s not too long unless you add the bonus tracks. Would listen again. 6.9/10

The 90s trying to shed the last of the 80s.

Policy of truth, personal jesus. Industrial pop, some is kinda techno

Good album. Classic.

first listen great sound, ultimately a little sleepy

lots to listen to on this with interest.

Let me start off by saying: I do not like Depeche Mode. A comedian once said the lead singer is getting to the point where his skin was almost transluscent. Dude, go outside once in a while. So I was probably prejudiced to this album. The electronic percussion was particularly grating. Having said that... Personal Jesus is just a damn good song. It is undeniable. I have listened to that one song over and over again. It just runs over you like a freight train. The rest is decent, but that one song almost redeems the album for me. Almost.

I liked this album, but I was a *bit* underwhelmed by the end of it. Don't get me wrong: I found quite a bit very enjoyable, but I don't think I enjoyed it AS much as 'Music for the Masses' when all is said and done. While the production was cleaner and the album had a couple of songs I had heard in the past ('Enjoy the Silence' is fantastic, but I am not a fan of 'Personal Jesus'), it just felt lacking in something that I can't quite put my finger on. I personally feel like there were more highs and a greater amount of variety in MftM which kept me interested throughout the entire listen. That album felt like peak 1980's synth pop; maybe this record just didn't grab me as much because it was now the 1990's which has a very different sound for the decade? I'm not entirely sure. While I don't have a ton to say, I did have a good time listening to this one. I wouldn't necessarily come back to it at the moment, but it could be a grower with time. 3/5.

Enjoy the silence was good. The rest of the album wasn't bad, and I can see how people like it. I didn't mind it but also wasn't particularly drawn by this album, I found it a bit boring. I guess it's not really my style.

There were a few good hits to hear but overall not my favorite style of music.

Kolejne Depeche na liscie, ale tym razem bardziej kojarze album, ktory jest siodmym w ich studyjnej dyskografii, wydany w 1990, wiec troche minelo od muzyki dla mass i czuc wyrazna zmiane w stylistyce bandy, nadal popowo, bardziej rokowo i mocno elektronicznie, slychac takze influencje z muzyki muzyki klasycznej, jak kompozycja na traku clean, cos jak pimpf na poprzednim piku od nich, najbardziej jednak zaskoczyly mnie wokale pana Gore, tym razem o wiele bardziej pasujace do tonu krazka, ktory melodycznie celuje w spokojne uptempo, a lirycznie opowiada o hedonistyczym stylu bycia zycia, od dobrych dziewczym, po ladne narkotyki, wiec pasuje do podejscia bandy do nagran w tamtym okresie, work hard and party hard, a jednoczesnie lubic to co sie robi i sprzedac jako komercyjny sukces jest sztuka, ktora sie tutaj udala, hajlajtami jak dla mnie beda traki ktore gdzies juz mialem osluchane, wiec personal jesus czy enjoy the silence, ale na plejce ich nie bylo jeszcze, bo jednak dosc elektroniczne traki jak na moja liste

"Enjoy the silence" deserves its own place on this list. One of those songs that are so recognizable that is tough to forget. Maybe it's overused and that is the reason it is a classic, but listening to it in the context of the album makes much sense. It's an extremely nice song. The rest of the album? Well, it's nice. Sounds fresh even after more than 30 years and this is a nice thing, but it could be better if it had fewer songs. After all songs, it starts to sound repetitive.

Fun stuff but I find with Depeche Mode it really depends on how I am feeling that day and today I wasn't really feeling it. Loved the production on it. 3.5/5

I mean, Personal Jesus deserves 5 stars itself and Enjoy the Silence is one of the greatest songs ever recorded but, the rest of the record is a bit boring.

Die Singles sind geil, der Rest geht so bis ok. DM fand ich ja damals gar nicht so gut, weiß sie erst mit zeitlichem Abstand mehr zu schätzen.

Very smooth baby yea, moderate 3

A few great songs on here but Depeche Mode never really did anything for me. This album is the same. Mostly forgettable with a few gems thrown in for good measure.

Exactly what I expect from Depeche Mode tbh. Only a 3.5 for me though.

It's good pop. I'd heard the hits, hadn't heard the filler tracks; really awkwardly written lyrics but they get the point across. I want to listen a bit more, I think. It didn't do much for me.

The instrumental wizardry on this project would make the 80s club movement proud. However, my ears weren’t entirely satisfied. It seems Depeche spent so long fine tuning violator for electronic ears that it lost touch with its pop potential in such a way that makes it not quite worth revisiting.

Initial thoughts: this album is what seeing neon colors at midnight sounds like Fav from album: enjoy the silence or personal jesus 3

Moody funk

Tikje overschat. Twee geniale nummers, de rest is mediocre.

Beter als verwacht, was opzich wel chill

Vibey Edge Lorde vibes To electronic for me 7/10

much darker and weirder and deeper than I remembered it being - some great sounds and hooks and songs, but it fades towards the end

Rather boring, other than the 2 hit songs. It was only when Songs of Faith and Devotion came out that I started genuinely gravitating towards Depeche Mode.

It's good, there's no doubt about that, it's just not my jam

I remember when this album by was new and when "Personal Jesus" was causing a fuss. (And the American entertainment television reporter, did she still think Depeche Mode were "America's favourite rock 'n' roll band?") This is exactly the kind of goth rock the world needed to ease the way from the 80s into the 90s. Time to say goodbye to the rough and into the smooth disguised as the rough. There's also the irony of Dave Gahan singing about being "clean" but maybe he meant it in a spiritual rather than chemical way.

Personal Jesus was the best song in the album

Varmasti ko. orkesterin ainoa levy jonka jaksaa kuunnella mielenkiinnolla alusta loppuun asti. Ei silti mikään mestariteos ja voisin kuolla kuulematta tätä(kin) levyä.

Came into this without having listened to much Depeche Mode before. I'm generally not into 80s synth music. I think the only Depeche Mode connection I have is the Johnny Cash cover of Personal Jesus for this record. In general I enjoyed listening to this. I liked the first half better than the second half. Enjoy the Silence in particular was tough to get through for me for some reason. But the first few songs were pretty good. Probably not something I'll revisit too much if ever but interesting and enjoyable generally.

Weak start, but strong finish. Two major hits. Surprised I enjoyed it so much?

No soy fan de Depeche Mode, los he escuchado a menudo, reconozco su valía pero nunca compré sus discos ni fui a un concierto suyo. Este disco creo que es su mayor éxito comercial: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the silence y Policy of Truth. Se merece estar en esta lista.

Two good songs, the rest of the album not for me.

Very classic Depeche Mode. A very modern and polished sound, the quality of the production is excellent. I know many of the songs very well, and a few I know I've heard before but seemed new to me. Overall, I definitely enjoyed revisiting this one. 3/5

The sweetest perfection To some listeners The slightest correction Not really my bag But some nice stuff going on

Prefer the earlier albums when they weren’t so po-faced and pretentious

Electronic ain't really my bag, so doesn't really do it for me. Don't feel very well qualified to critique it. Personal Jesus is one cut I'm familiar with and I can get into.

Li will need to listen to this again. Only personal Jesus and clean caught my ear.

It’s Depeche Mode. I took some time while listening to look into where and what this album meant in the grand scheme of things for the band and it states that is a “more stripped down” sound/production for the band but I do t hear it. It is solid, entertaining, rhythmic yet frightful at times yet at the end of the day it is what I expected it to be.

Well, it's definitely a Depeche Mode album. Nice 80s vibe there. Very listenable. Personal Jesus noteworthy track.

I have a British mate who lists DM as his fav band of all time. I completely appreciate the high production standard of this album, but it's not for me. I just can't plug into it. Even fan favourite 'Personal Jesus' doesn't do a lot for me. Can hear where Trent Reznor got a lot of his inspiration from though.

Decent album. Personal Jesus is the obvious standout, though there is a similar vibe to several of the songs.

Often, based on the band name I have avoided listening to them because I have a preconceived idea what the music will sound like. Depeche Mode, a perfect example! They sound just as I imagined, end of review...actually, I understand why they are popular. The music is infectious and quite dance-able and I don't hate the music, but I will probably avoid it in the future.

Aside from the 2 lead singles it’s all a big droning and monotonous. Nearly tempted to push it to a 4 on the strength of Enjoy the Silence.

Cool vibe but fairly dull for a sizeable chunk of it.

In what is one of their most impactful works, Depeche Mode helps innovate a darker side of Electronic Music. The lyrics are haunting while the melodies push the genre into new areas, but the length of several tracks and grooves leave something to be desired though.

I understand why people enjoy Depeche Mode, and I am one of those people. Not my favorite album though

I liked the hit songs that I recognized, the rest didn’t really do too much for me

Cool synth sounds and an iconic voice. I didn't realize this record didn't release in the 80s. Definitely, some tracks that are part of my musical consciousness, but I doubt I would get super into the rest of the catalog.

I enjoyed this album. My favorite songs were mostly ones I already knew, but I enjoyed a few others as well. I added Blue Dress to my current playlist.

Some great songs, along with some duds that make the album a lot less enjoyable.

Very retro vibe with video like synths and instrumentation. Vocals deeper and songs slow.

A decent, clean, and consistent piece of synth pop, although a bit too breathy and gothic for my taste. When Depeche Mode uses more creative instrumentals, a slightly funkier sound such as on Personal Jesus and a stronger disco sound such as on Enjoy the Silence, they are excellent. The rest of the record sounds mostly the same, with lyrics that are unengaging to me personally and sometimes repetitive. A 3/5 is a good score.

I've never heard this album as a whole before, but I've heard a few of the tracks many times. This album was so big when it came out, it was hard to avoid. Violator is a darker version of Depeche Mode than their earliest work. Their debut album "Speak & Spell" almost has a pop music sound compared to the somber and sometimes creepy tones of "Violator". The opening track, "World in My Eyes", is dark musically and lyrically. This song gives me the creeps. There are some tracks that I would listen to again (4 stars). "Enjoy the Silence" is my favorite track on the album. "Personal Jesus", and "Policy of Truth" round out a trio of tracks that I would repeat. On a side note, Johnny Cash's cover of "Personal Jesus" is worth checking out. His cover carries a portion of the same somber mood as this album. Even if I didn't find "World in My Eyes" so creepy (2 stars), this album would get the same score from me overall (3 stars, but solidly in the 3s).

V enjoyable actually. Particularly liked Kaleid.

Ok. Very 80’s.

Not much to say other than great album and great band. Much more my kind of thing than a few of the previous albums. Enjoy the Silence and Personal Jesus the obvious standouts but even the album tracks make me want to dance around the kitchen annoying the shit out of Kajsa.

If the members of Kraftwerk went through a goth phase they would make this album. Very unique sound.

Its unique enough, but across the album it all sounds pretty much the same.

It has a cool sound, I like the production style. The tracks were often a little hit and miss for me though

3/5 naaah, a couple of memorable songs, but nothing much

This teetered on a 2* for me but I think there was just about enough enjoyable on there plus personal jesus and enjoy the silence I really like to make it worth a listen. 3*

A bit too samey on the whole to be more than a 3. At least 4 quality tracks though.

I quite liked this. 2 or 3 good songs, mainly the singles. The rest of the album is good.

Fine, but a bit boring. Hardly a jamboree of joy. I used to always turn over when they came up on the music channels in the early 00s.

Not usually my bag, but not bad for something different.

enjoyed but a bit too dark for relistening

Depeche Mode sind eine Singles-Band, das wird immer klarer. Und Martin Gore steht aus schwülstigen SM-Kram, der mir persönlich nix ist - no kink shaming! - und dem er gern zwischen den Singles den Sountrack aufs Band dudelt. Diesmal für meinen Begriff sogar etwas gekonnter/progressiver als bei MFTM, aber trotzdem. Puh. Aber auch hier natürlich wieder super Hits drauf, und so steht am Ende eine 3,4.

Some huge songs. Great vocals

They def got a certain vibe in this record. You can certainly hear its influence in many songs over the years. I feel like i need to be in a bar to listen to it.... is that weird.

A very iconic album - definitely didn't realize I had heard some of these songs before. Not my preferred style, but I see it s appeal

some really good songs on this one but it felt a bit long.

A little long but had some great songs I didn’t realize were their hits

Little slow for my tastes. Last half of the album was better than the first.

Dnf

Overall album is ok, it's Depeche Mode so it ain't bad. Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth are definitively the best songs here, standing out from the rest which are just ok.

Bändejä joita en ole ikinä ihan osannut. Liian synkkää menoa omaan makuuni. Ennakkoasenteista huolimatta tämä oli ihan mukavaa kuunneltavaa. Hyvin vahvat kasarisoundit bassoissa ja syntikoissa vaikkei ihan kasarilevy olekaan. Hittibiisien lisäksi myös pari muuta ihan toimivaa rallia löytyi.

Solid middle of the road album- Personal Jesus is obviously great, but I really dig the earlier Depeche Mode stuff where it was a little lighter! "Policy of Truth" and "Enjoy the Silence" are good tracks, I def have listened to this album frequently before, prob from my Dad!

Half listened, good but not my thing overall.

Pretty good electronica album, includes the hit personal Jesus.

Not bad, not great

Two recognizable songs and some of the rest have very good tunes, but the lyrics are hard to swallow if you are not connected to the BDSM scene and sound like they came off the mouth of a creep.

singles are good, the rest is way too edgy

Some great but some weird stuff as well

Key songs: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Blue Dress, Memphisto

Never been a huge DM fan - it's a bit too 80s for me.

Maso

I can't put my finger on what changed, but this is the album where they lost me. I'd been quite a fan throughout the 80s, but this one just didn't click. Listening now, it sounds like a washed-out version of their earlier stuff. It passed me by then and it passed me by just now. A Broken Frame, Construction Time Again, and Some Great Reward remain my go-to Depeche records.

Now I like a lot of down and not very cheerful music, but for some reason I find Depeche Mode utterly dispiriting. With the possible exception of "Enjoy the Silence" they seem bereft of melody and so joyless, without the draw of wallowing in that. Violator seems to exemplify this.

very mid

It wasn't personally my taste in music, but I did enjoy a few of the tracks. I think the best one was Enjoy the Silence; the beat was really good. I added 4/9 of the tracks to my Liked Songs. But I was glad to listen to this genre of music and new music for a bit. The separate rating I'd give is 6/10.

I like Personal Jesus like everyone else but it didn’t elevate the rest of the album for me. I guess I just don’t like this band outside of that song.

Enjoy the Silence was decent, but on the whole I'm not seeing myself getting too much into Depeche Mode with a couple of their albums under my belt now. I can appreciate the flow of it but it just doesn't really hit for me.

Know some songs but i don't like them

I get why people like this, but it's not for me. Not my era but also not old enough to be classic. The best parts are where I can see the influence in artists I like a lot.

I enjoy enjoy the silence but I enjoy the silence after more.

Some good tracks but have never been to my taste!

first one

Not really my kind of music. I can see why some would like it though. Just not for me.

Overglazed album in the reviews, holy smokes it is mid

Not my type of music

Quizás otro día

Sounds like Duran Duran in a K-Hole. In a bad way.

mid

Buh

Electronic taken too seriously is a joke. I am not wasting any more time on this crap. Halo and Enjoy the Silence are just good enough to raise the album out of the crap pile. Still, 2 "is the best I could do with this shite" stars.

なんか退屈だった。1、2曲良いと思う曲もあった。

Just a very boring album I didn’t really enjoy the listen

내취향아님..

Easy to listen to but fairly monotone, quiet and boring.

I miss real instruments :'( The synths sound so shitty and outdated. Some of the orchestral touches are quite nice, as are some chord progressions. "Enjoy the Silence" is great. But in the end it all feels too artificial, cold, dead. This isn't for me. 2/5 - weak

Coherent, but not interesting. Enjoy the Silence is just good! Disappointing that the rest of the album isn't on that same level of captivation.

Good music, but do not love the instrumental. Feels super overdosed for casual listening

Personally Jesus is a banger but I can’t get into his voice on anything else.

Not my style

Personal jesus är så klart en i grunden bra låt. Men efter Cashs version bleknar originalet. Enjoy the silence håller däremot rätt igenom. Skivans klart bästa spår. I övrigt en hel del rätt lama låtar. Med t ex sweetest perfection och Halo kan man tro att det snarare är Eurovisionsfinalen man fått på. Tycker inte heller Gahans röst håller särskilt bra. Det blir en tvåa. Varken mer eller mindre.

Bit boring. A couple tunes stand out but the rest is dull. Break the silence is an absolute TUNE

didn’t do anything for me

gibt mir irgendwie nichts. also is nicht schlecht aber halt irgendwie.. ohne depth

2/5

i gave this a couple of listens but electronic music is difficult for me to connect with

Nada del otro mundo hasta ahora

Was not happy to pull this one--on a Friday no less. Credit where due, it is definitely among the more palatable of its ilk. Couple tunes even saved to the random-mix-mega-playlist (TM). But this whole branch of... synth-y, drone-y, new wave-y, electro-pop (?) of the 80s & 90s... I'm out. Maybe someday. But that day ain't TOday, two stars

Not all albums with a popular song deserve to be on this list. 2/5

Jesus this is boring. I thought so when it was new and I still think so now. I've never understood the appeal.