Violator

I swear i have heard Personal Jesus in ads before

First half was god tier, second half was still really good but they had me in the first half ngl. Fave song: Personal Jesus Honorable Mentions: Sweetest Perfection, Halo

This shit was pretty good. Really strong first half but felt like it slowed down a lot in the second. Favourite Song: Personal Jesus Honourable Mention: Policy of Truth

goated

Great singles. Otherwise, not interesting.

Great album. Takes me back.

Because of “Enjoy The Silence”.

really really good new wave. 4.5/5 really close to a 5

Some good some eh

REACH OUT AND TOUCH FAITH

Banger after certified banger. LOVE this album!!!

Really good. 4.5

I remember jolly depeche mode. Not sure what happened, height of the start of EDM and you get EM no D unless I’m missing something.

True perfection.

Such a good 80s album. Such a good 90s album. I have roughly 800 albums left on this list and it's a shame none of them are going to be Violator by Depeche Mode.

I mean, god DAMN.

Ok

Moody tho I don’t love the main vocals

Game changer 💿 for me. First 7 tracks are all no skips. Nothing in my library sounded like this at the time, and it was also when I started listening to The Cure and Jane’s Addiction. Alternative before it meant grunge.

Not my style

Dramatic, moody. Felt a level of angst or unease in my body through the first listen, but it’s entrancing enough that I couldn’t turn it off either. The vocals are off-putting but soothing. My gut says this is a 5, but my heart says that I have to give it a 4 due to the way it made me feel lol.

This is a good album that is borderline great, but doesn’t have that feeling that would push it over the edge. It’s very very good, and I enjoyed it though.

I like Personal Jesus, but otherwise, no thank you.

Found this to pretty boring. Not bad, but not really interesting. Generally not as energetic as New Order.

Remember thinking the tracks are catchy and liked the production. Lyrics can be hit or miss- especially that blue dress song eh. I think the fact i havent really returned to it too much since i listened to it a few years ago means wasnt really stand out album for me. Still do like personal jesus and enjoy the silence (i chose to interupt that as drugs lol cause i never like songs that tell a romantic partner to be quiet), but havent felt the need to return to it much and still dont

Already familiar and know I love this one!

Personal Jesus and Enjoy the silence is okay songs, but the rest, not so much.

Uppskattar inte Depeche Mode, typen av sjungande är inte något jag söker mig till att lyssna på Personal Jesus är bra men det är allt

I’ve listen to this album many times! It’s a great album. This and U2’s Achtung Baby were a daily listening must in my Middle school years!!

Crazy this is 35 years old. Still holds up great - classic songs and easy to listen too. Two thumbs up!

A bit staggered by this (Steve McManaman voice) to be very honest with you. I knew that the two songs I knew on this - Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence - were very large bangers, but I was really pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the rest of the album. The opening bars to the opening song fill you with a bit of dread, as some quite Atari game standard synths get going, but after that it's a dark, moody, almost New Order-ish journey, and I am very much on board.

This one didn't really do it for me. This was kind of like a more drab Tears for Fears.

2 all-time classic songs on this album. I wonder if the band could be considered a one-album wonder? So good though!

I credit this album with introducing me to that gothy, synth-driven aesthetic. It has that moody pulse that somehow feels both mechanical and deeply human. There aren’t many albums that sound this distinct right from the first playthrough. You can hear its fingerprints all over later artists, especially Nine Inch Nails. Depeche Mode’s cultural reach can’t really be overstated. Violator isn’t just a snapshot of a moment in time, it’s a blueprint for what comes after. Every track feels intentional, sleek, and haunting in a way that still resonates decades later.

"I'm a 5 star man!" - Enjoy the Silence

Ccol

I should love this. One of my favoured albums discovered in the Napster period was a collection of Depeche Mode covers that spanned much of their output. That had more punch than this meandering blur — ironically the result of bringing the synthesiser into that comfy place it holds in new wave: treating the keyboard and drum machine like a guitar to swirl prettily alongside and occasionally in between the purring vocals. “Violator” is so very antiseptic — and perhaps that is why it sits well at the juncture of pop and electronica. That peak of post modern pop that speaks so heavily of the late capitalism to come. Human messiness held in check by electronic precision.

7/10

Their best.

Haunting and beautiful. An example of really, really great production.

Not great. 5/10

Increíble

Perfect. No notes just perfect.

It was fun

I’ve never liked this style of synth pop from the late 80s and early 90s. Not to mention I absolutely hate “Personal Jesus”. However this album was decent. I liked “World In My Eyes”, “Halo”, “Waiting For The Night”, and “Enjoy The Silence”. The bad was a lot worse than most albums but the good was pretty good.

Not really my cup of tea, but there were some good songs on this one. Slightly above average for me, 3/5.

Nice. Knew more from this than I thought

Couple bangers but the album is so 80s it hurts

Depeche Mid

Some good songs

DM не мій гурт, але не визнати, що тут є просто ХІТЯРИ складно.

Dark, ambient, definitely need to listen to it as a whole for full effect. Enjoyed a lot, would be better at night!

Wonderful stuff

Çok güzel bir ilk yarıya sahip olmasına karşın ikinci yarı ilk yarının oluşturduğu beklentileri karşılamıyor

Some hits. If I were driving and this came on, I’d listen. But in the end it’s Depeche Mode. Two stars.

Absolute banger of an album, very easy to listen to start to finish. Personal jesus is the timeless classic but world in my eyes and enjoy the silence are great too.

4.5 08.18.2025

👍

I don’t know, this did not do much for me. Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are awesome songs but the rest was just a bit boring and bland to me.

Awesome and new to me. Cool electronica

This was awesome. I'd only listened to Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence before, and I had no idea that Depeche Mode kicked this much ass. The front half of this record, aside from Personal Jesus, was honestly not the most impressive, but the album escalated and built as it went, and I appreciate the entire album as a whole. Definitely listen to it.

I really enjoyed this one. This is electronic music with a soul. Dark and emotional, yet ambient and hypnotic, it makes you feel something deeper than just the beats.

Cool, reminds me of mama

I always liked Depeche Mode. I did like this album

I like Depeche Mode but I think you need to be in a certain mood to listen to them. Never listened to Violator before , but I knew the singles very well. I really like their unique soud, so dark but so polished, so envolving as well. 4/5

All I Ever Needed Is Here In My Arms 1001 Albums Generator 97 (08/15/2025) This is the big one. If there is one Depeche Mode album that people have heard of, it is their seventh studio album, Violator. I listened to their previous album, Music For The Masses, about two months ago, and I thought it was okay. There were some songs I loved, but I felt like the album wasn't super consistent. However, I was very excited for Violator because it is one of those albums that every music nerd loves, but I had never listened to before. It really feels like Violator is the logical conclusion of everything that Depeche Mode was building on MftM. It's still synthpop, but I found more rock sounds on here that were really cool. The three biggest hits (Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, and Policy Of Truth) are the most obvious examples. The guitar work on these songs is awesome, and they somehow manage to be both dark and gothic but still very danceable. World In My Eyes is a great, upbeat opener and is really life-affirming and positive in its lyrics. I can't believe how similar Clean is to One Of These Days by Pink Floyd. That bassline is so good. I love the Floyd song and I love this one too. Sweetest Perfection is dark and industrial, and it's awesome. I really like when Depeche Mode goes into this zone. Waiting For The Night is the only song that I don't like. These types of slow, ambient songs were my least favorite on Depeche Mode's previous album, and that is still the case on this one too. Blue Dress is also less memorable than the rest of the songs here. Besides that, this is just great synthpop. Violator is amazing. It definitely deserves the praise it gets and only has a couple of slight lulls in the tracklist. Solid 4.5/5, rounded down to 4. Favs: World In My Eyes Personal Jesus Enjoy The Silence Least Fav: Waiting For The Night

I'd only ever heard "Personal Jesus" from Depeche Mode before, so the radically different stylings on the rest of this album were suprising. I nontheless enjoyed most of it, especially the latter half. The combination of gothic orchestrals with grimy, synthy beats was a fun contrast, and it needed to be in order to make up for the lackluster lyrics and theming on the rest of the project. Overall a fun listen, even if it doesn't sound like it's trying too much new.

Hard to know whether to give this 3 or 4 but I'll go with where it will probably be with repeat listens. The singles were as good as it gets for goth synth pop. The rest was a bit mixed but I imagine would grow.

I was excited about this initially and the songs I knew already I loved, but the rest kind of fell flat for me

Some of this was incredible. Enjoy the silence is immense. But some of it felt like a gothic human league and I can't decide if that is something I want to hear. But hear it I did.

Pretty good

Only miss was Enjoy the Silence. I get what they were doing, but I didn’t like it.

An excellent album. Full of atmospheric tunes. The hits are hits, the album tracks add depth.

Depeche mode är verkligen inte min kopp te. Ett sound jag aldrig riktigt gillat. Men helt klart är.detta en tajt skiva. Trots soundet är det melodiskt och intressant. Den förtjänar iaf en fyra!

Mästerligt rakt igenom!

God I love Depeche Mode. They are the pinnacle of synth-pop and this album is one of their best. Just peerless production, moody atmosphere, yearning lyrics, and hooks for days. Let me show you the world in my eyes, indeed.

Insanely catchy

I get this was some peoples adolescence and they love this album. But I gotta be honest that would be a shitty coming of age.

The most I’ve enjoyed an album so far in this list. Couldn’t put this one down. Halo or Policy of Truth were my favorites. 10/10

Packung with absolute bangers. The classics Hit Even harder when listening to the Album instead of just on their own. Great calm music to Feel Like My dad and Like the Girl in a Movie that the Main character watches through her window in an old Movie Set in sicily at the Same time.

The instrumentals/synth were cool, but I had a hard time getting past the vocals (not my style).

Very easily a 5-star album. One of the best in the list. I forgot how good this album was.

One of those albums so stacked with singles and hits that it plays almost like a Greatest Hits album.

So perfectly threads that needle between dark & industrial (softer than Nine Inch Nails), and morose (less sad than the Cure), and pop danceability (syntheir than Joy Division.) Not sure they were ever better than this.

Cover 7 This album is tied for first with Black Celebration as my favorite DM album, with BC edging just slightly higher because Fly on the Windscreen was my first DM song. I remember being 9 years old and repeatedly stealing my sister's cassette single of that song and just listening to it to death, fascinated by it's darkness. It's been my favorite song of theirs ever since.

Rigtig godt album, kan faktisk generelt indtil videre ikke rigtig lide lyden af 80'erne, men jeg synes sgu at violator har været rigtig godt. Jeg kan godt lide at det lyder lidt ligesom Joy Division med den mørke lyd som må være darkwave/gothic rocken. Det går godt sammen med lyden af synthpoppen/electropoppen. Endnu engang har jeg formået ikke at bemærke teksterne særlig meget, men som jeg kan læse mig frem til så afspejler det meget lyden af albummet også så det er mørke temaer som begær, magt og kontrol, erotik osv. Og så kan jeg super godt lide ikke radio-versionen af personal jesus :D

Very solid album with songs such as personal jesus, enjoy the silence and policy of truth. Really enjoyed this album!

For someone who was never really into Depeche Mode, I can tell that this is *possibly* their most definitive album. Anything containing "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" will do that honestly. They make dark and gloomy synth-pop sound cool and polished here. The careful songwriting goes a long way in establishing that, but a lot simply lends itself to being catchy too. I wasn't expecting this much depth here to be honest.

Never liked this as much as everyone else, like Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth though

first song is killer

Super dark, atmospheric and moody. I wonder if NIN are on this list somewhere....

I'm a sucker for 80s new wave and this album has 3 classic tracks.

Growing up it felt like “Personal Jesus” & “Enjoy the Silence” were on constant hourly rotation for MTV. Alright album I guess 2.5 stars

personal jesus and enjoy the silence

Really REALLY solid second half. Loved the music and it was a decently sized album

Huh listed as electronica. Ig so but hashtah to me you are goth. Goth electronica.

I had already listened to Enjoy the silence and it is indeed one of my favorite songs of all time, but now that I've given myself the chance to drive through the hole thing I can only say it is for real a timeless non-skip album. They really got the vibes on this one.

Joyous.

Enjoyed this as a break from the seemingly endless like of country music I’ve been getting from the list. Nice synths. Great vocals. Some cracking tracks. 4 stars.

Few albums can balance melancholy and pop in such a beautiful way. Dark synth textures with amazing and memorable hooks. The songwriting is straightforward and clever, and Gahan's voice is perfect. Best song: Enjoy The Silence / World In My Eye Worst song: Blue Dress Cover check: Minimalistic and beautiful

very awesome

Sorry let me put on some black lace gloves and eyeliner before I listen to this album for the third time today. Anyways, exquisitely produced album. Love the beautiful weave of real instruments and synths. So many songs are rock solid and the whole album aesthetic is gorgeously cohesive without sounding the exact same.

Top tier Edit Apr 15 2026: 5 --> 4. I feel I need to give it more listens to appreciate it more

many bangers

enjoy the silence

Their best. Hands down

20/1089 World in my eyes is a great moody opener i knew that i knew at least one Depeche Mode song i just couldn’t place/name it, turns out it was Personal Jesus naturally, maybe i’ve only heard the single version or covers but i really enjoy the album version Halo is a great track, especially as a follow up to Personal Jesus. The production is really doing it for me and the vocals blend in so nicely and cleanly Waiting for the Night to Fall has a very understated but persistent feel akin to Low Roar which i really appreciate I’ve also heard Enjoy The Silence before naturally but never knew the name/artist, I can understand it’s popularity, it’s a great track Policy of Truth and Clean are 2 more great tracks. I think i’ve found my third 5 star album on this list! faves: Halo, World in my Eyes, Policy of Truth least faves: Blue Dress, Sweetest Perfection 5 stars or 90/100

Mid 1 tuneless vocals, undanceable groves. doesnt even appeal in a retro synth way

Would not buy

Listened in the truck via YouTube music. Enjoy the Silence has had a resurgence over the past year due to a club remix. Gahan’s voice is great and there’s moments of brilliance but it could have been a better shorter album.

4.4 phenomenal faves: world in my eyes, policy of truth

I like this one, would be 4 1/2 if that was an option

Knew and enjoyed the hits. Was meh on the rest of it but not terrible. 6/10

Heard it before. A perfect synth album that never gets old no matter how much time has passed. Each song is just so unique. Not just compared to other albums from the era but compared to the rest of DM's discography as well 5/5

Great 80s album

Enjoy the silence is a banger the rest was pretty ok

Listened on the plane. Not bad.

Britpop Classic

goat

The singles "personal jesus" and "enjoy the silence" are excellent 35 years on. The rest of the album is just plinky plonky nonsense and actually annoying at times. Depeche mode very much a singles band.

Dark beats, depressing lyrics. Delicious.

I previously thought of Depeche mode as sounding dated. I was surprised that I found the production on this to sound pretty fresh and raw and exciting. I'd also never really clicked with their songwriting before but I really enjoyed this album. I think there was a publicity push for their singles collection when I was younger - I thought those singles were okay at the time. In the context of the album I think they sound brilliant. I can see that they (maybe indirectly) influenced bands like Muse, which I really don't think I would have linked before.

Enjoyed this. Contains a genuine all time classic in Enjoy the silence and the rest are quite nice. I still prefer early more poppy Depeche Mode but they are a quality outfit. 4 for enjoy the silence alone!

A lot of this - outside of the monsters singles - is new to me. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Really good

This is nearly perfect. 5.

Depeche Mode's masterpiece. The vibe is infectious, the production is top tier and the result is immense.

Ready to listen to. Quite enjoyed some of this.

Det hjælper med genkendelsen, men det er et helstøbt album.

This album has some atmosphere. I knew the whole thing was moody but this is a teenage break up moody, and the whole albums feels it. I typically don't go for 80's synth pop but this album as some really great songs on it. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It works really well together but there are several songs that stand out that will make a playlist for me.

Lots of jams!

Some good, some bad, some great. Overall I really enjoyed this

Now, this is a phenomenal album, brilliant. A band at their peak. It is just I personally believe that this is their second best album.

Pretty solid album, not usually my sort of genre but I enjoyed the listen. Of course there's a couple songs on there I recognised which are absolute bangers. There wasn't really anything to dislike here.

solid album!

Brings back memories of yellow headphones on my Sony Walkman, a neon-flashed one piece ski suit and 207 Salomon’s. I’m sorry, but this music hasn’t aged well.

Not a bad album. There are some nice numbers on it. The hits are definitely hits and the rest are okay too.

Just a masterpiece of pre-grunge alternative electronic music,dark and dirty as all hell, mean and moody as fuck. There's a underlying menace in this that you can't quite put your finger on, and it turned out to be Dave Gahan's heroin addiction. Zero skips on this album, but "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy The Silence", and "Policy Of Truth" are top tier bangers. Just can't get enough...

It's reeeeal good. After listening to only some great reward for years, hearing another album by them lived up to the hype!

Crazy album. I had to give this one a five on merit of the production value alone - I think I'd describe this as a "perfect" album just in terms of sound and consistency - but it also crafts a vibe that I think other albums have been struggling to emulate for decades.

Sleek, sexy dark synthpop goodness. Music both to appreciate listening to at home, and to bump what your momma gave you to in the club!!

I don’t think there was a bad track on here. Personal Jesus is kind of incredible. Also, after getting two Kraftwerk albums on this list, it’s hard not seeing the influence.

Kraftwerk walked so Depeche Mode could fly. Much respect to the German dudes for their experimentation, but it's successors like THIS album that really make their electronic sound shine. DISGUSTING synth instrumentation with Gahan's iconic voice -- this is the blueprint for the 80s-90s synthwave aesthetic that's still inspiring artists today. Standouts: Personal Jesus • Halo • Enjoy The Silence • Policy Of Truth (!!)

Obvious 5. This is what every album in the 80s that touched a synth was trying to be. Tight, doesn't overstay its welcome, the track listing makes sense and they flow well into each other. Any album that can make me feel sorrowful and reflective and then have me shaking my ass is a win for me.

classic, great,

This was a good album. I enjoy Depeche Mode. Most of the songs I know are on a different album. The only songs I knew from this album were Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence.

it was really good and the production slapped

Opel Mokka, Umgebung HDH, Deutschland. Ganz okay.

Horrible album. 1.5/5

Mycket höga toppar, men låga dalar

Hittar inte riktigt in i deras vibe så blir mest sömnigt utöver ett par höjdpunkter. Kanske känner annorlunda om jag ger dem fler chanser i framtiden.

Svänger inte alltid men annars toppen!

it good

good, i like it

Kept zoning out while listening to this but in a lovely way. There's something really smokey and sleek about this album. The lore behind Personal Jesus is great too

Although some excellent albums came before this one, this felt like a massive peak in their career. Half of the album I would consider to be timeless, especially Enjoy the Silence which is one of the best songs ever. Enjoyable listen throughout, overall excellent 1. ENJOY THE SILENCE 2. POLICY OF TRUTH 3. PERSONAL JESUS 4. WORLD IN MY EYES 5. HALO 6. CLEAN 7. SWEETEST PERFECTION 8. WAITING FOR THE NIGHT 9. BLUE DRESS

He violate my depeche till I mode

Good listen!

Забавно, что этот альбом попался мне в день, когда я планировал (и пошел) на выставку Антона Корбейна в Стокгольмском музее фотографии. Для меня удивителен феномен этой группы на пост-совке. Есть ощущение, что в той же Британии группа не имеет такого культового статуса. Могу ошибаться. Альбом окэй. Главные хиты - великие песни. Лучшая песня - Enjoy The Silence.

It just drones on 5.5/10

the album objectively is good. i’ve known a song from the album already. but it’s not the type of music that appeals to me, though the music it self is great.

Dark and brooding with a groove. Great listen.

Really enjoyed this album.

This isn’t quite one of those “wait is this a greatest hits collection?” albums like Thriller or She’s So Unusual or the Cars and Boston’s self-titled debuts but it’s close. Not every song is as immediately accessible as the hits, but none are filler and they all seem to belong on the album. The album flows well and makes for an enjoyable listening experience. I think that what makes Violator so strong is that Depeche Mode had transitioned to a full-on pop group at this point (or possibly back to a full-on pop group? Wikipedia says they started as a teeny bop boy band, which I didn’t know but which doesn’t surprise me all that much). At this time they were a pop group that wore black leather and sang about being sad or whatever, but they were an unabashed pop group nonetheless. With Violator, Depeche Mode was making pop music with a synthy gothy filter over it, but first and foremost they were making pop music. And they kill it on this album. When an album is in the same general area as goth rock and I don’t despise it, you know it has to be good. This is an album that deserves inclusion on this list and that is completely worth hearing. Spike up your hair, put on some black eyeliner and a puffy shirt, dance around in a really sad way and have yourself a great time.

Thought this one was decent but I wasn't super into it. There were parts where I was boppin about (mainly to the synth lines) but also parts that didn't really hold my attention.

the first album where i could think “hey! i know that song!” a bit samey with the beats at times but some are fun did not know personal jesus was not a johnny cash original i can see why the hits were the hits an interesting and weird experience - didn’t hate it but don’t need to do that again

What a long strange journey from tinny synthpop to the darker recesses...this was an important step towards worldwide success for Depeche Mode, and it's a fine album.

3/5 Favourite Song: Blue Dress Least Favourite Song: Personal Jesus

2 of the most popular song were the only ones I liked.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Enjoy The Silence I guess I liked this more than "Music For The Masses". The synths were better sounding. That's probably about it. This is my second Depeche Mode album on the list. I am going to be pretty pissed off when these guys got (at least) two albums on the List and some bands I actually like only got one. (I don't know which bands those might be though; Not peeking at the list). Anyways. I would give this a 2.5, but I can't, so rounding down it is.

Pretty good. Maybe their best album?

Sounds like a big inspiration for NIN. Electronic music and very dramatic. Def a sound of its own. Personal Jesus and Policy Of Truth were standouts on first listen. Memphisto is a pretty intense instrumental. Definitely a solid record that sounds like nothing else.

While listening one of my headphone ears were being a little quieter than the other that made me mad Its good

Very creative and unique electronic style, it sounds great!

Two is the new three moving forward with rating

Brilliant. No notes really, it’s a sleek, black arrow to the heart.

Maybe the most "Rock" album of Depeche Mode, definitely one of their best, even though I prefer the 80s period with Music for the Masses and Black Celebration.

A lot of unconventional sounds throughout, but they were interesting!

World In My Eyes is pretty good. Sweetest Perfection is fairly dull. Personal Jesus is fun. Halo is okay. Waiting for the Night - I like the ambient intro and key changes. Enjoy the Silence is a classic for a REASON. Policy of Truth - alright. Blue Dress - I like the way it runs into Clean. Both songs are okay.

Some catchy tunes but no longer my style.

There are more interesting things going on here for me than in a lot of music of this era. 'Personal Jesus' is a standout that I think I've heard before, but wasn't familiar with much else. This leaned more into the new wave approach that I enjoy - a little, just a little less dark, even if the title is 'Violator'.

Like it would listen again

This is so very good and so very impressive but it can be so very long as well. I don't know that I am complaining about song length here though. In the same way I love listening to Josh Homme play a C chord for a minute and a half straight, the repeating instrumentals on this album are hypnotic and engaging if you're in the right headspace. I was formatting a presentation on livestream data for my boss while listening to this and there was a little like hacker in the mainframe vibe going. The hits are incredible, the rest is great, Memphisto is my standout non-hit. Sounds like Hollow Bastion/the organization 13 themes in Kingdom Hearts II. I'm sitting underneath a 5 and I think it really is right there, it's close but something within me is saying nah.

Idk I didn't have the same listening experience as you all. Besides the nostalgia around Personal Jesus being a GTA radio classic, I thought this album was fine. There were definitely songs and instances that I thought were pretty good, but nothing super awesome stuck out. I'm giving a 3 just for the GTA mems. 3

I think it was how much Richard Blade played Depeche Mode singles that made me not want to listen to this record, but once again Mr. Blade is right, Depeche Mode kinda rules. I saved about half of these songs and would listen to this record straight through again with no complaints... Now can I have some pet shop boys please! Solid 4/5

Fun listen. The fact that this album has Personal Jesus almost makes it a 4, but a 3 is more fair.

Never listened to the whole thing. (40 known/85 new)

Classic Depeche Mode album for sure, and as the kids say, its a vibe. I don't know if deserves all the praise it gets, but its a solid record. Blue Dress is the only song that is glaringly bad.

Æradefinerende. Funky. Flere store hits. Litt maskinelt.

No notes. Violator totally rules!

Watered down NIN…. 😬 Crazy this really aint my thing, gotta love Personal Jesus tho

This is one of the best records that has ever been put on tape. The hype surrounding its release is notorious, but well-deserved. This album made Depeche Mode into legends, for better or worse. I think better in the long term, even if the aftermath of this record had long-lasting negative effects. It perfectly encapsulates the cultural shift that happened from the 80s into the 90s. There is a moodiness and weight to the music of this era, from pop to alternative and beyond. The whole album is perfect, but my standouts are “Personal Jesus”, “Waiting For The Night”, “Enjoy The Silence”, and “Policy of Truth.

New Wave has had its day, but that day is gone. Deep voiced electronic nonsense.

Really don’t see what the fuss is about depeche mode- I always had a feeling I should stay away and I was right.

Ich versuch mal n neues System: - Personal Jesus, 5 - Enjoy the Silence, 5 - der Rest so im Schnitt 3 macht 2x5 und 7x3 = 31 Gesamtwertung im Schnitt 3,44 Sterne = 3 kaufmännisch gerundet Überzeugte mich nicht wirklich und zeigt das Klassiker oftmals den Eindruck von einem Album verfälschen können

sehr cooles Album. Sweetest Perfection überraschend mein Lieblingslied aus dem Album. Personal Jesus und Enjoy the Silence auch top.

Zeit es zuzugeben: Ich bin kein Fan von Depeche Mode. Enjoy the Silence ist ne Ausnahme natürlich.

World in My Eyes - 5/5 Sweetest Perfection - 4/5 Personal Jesus - 5/5 Halo - 4/5 Waiting for the Night - 3/5 Enjoy the Silence - 5/5 Policy of Truth - 5/5 Blue Dress - 4/5 Clean - 4/5 Average score: 4.3/5 (rounding up)

I knew all the singles but hadn't heard the full album. It was fab, albeit not the right vibe for a sunny summer day lol. 4.5

It's probably been 20 years since I listened to this album and I hosestly can't say why. Sometimes we just move on and forget, I guess. As someone who is always seeking out new music, this project is making me realize that sometime the old can be new, when listened from a different time and space. As I listened, I had distinct memory of when I first heard this album after it was released and being completely blown away. It still had enough of the electronica to be distinctively Depeche Mode, but more dissonent and complex, in a good way. This was especially after smoking up, which was my state when listening to any new music at the time. Listening to it today, I'm stuck by how well the album holds up. It really is an amazing piece of work that is solid from start to finish that perfectly bridges the sounds of the 80s and 90s. Don't get me started on the production value, such depth, especially for the time it was released. It is an album that screams for a great set of headphones or HiFi system. This makes it a great album to get for new subwoofer day, which is due to be delivered any minute. I'll give it another listen once I get everything dialed in and calibrated. When the album popped up, I thought to myself that it would be fun nostalgia. I wasn't expecting a 5* that will now be in regulare rotation, especially for the much more rare occasions when I just want to smoke up and travel into a sonically dissonant landscape.

This might be my lack a synthpop listening, but this sounds like a mix of so many excellent things that all somehow work so well together. Masterpiece.

Let's get this out of the way - Enjoy the Silence is incredible, and one of my favourite songs ever. The rest of this record doesn't quite live up to the heights of that track for me, but that's not to say that it's in anyway bad. Favourite tracks: World In My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Halo, Waiting for the Night, Enjoy the Silence.

it's kind of like watching a harmless hognose snake flatten to mimic a cobra.

Solid. I like it now better than I did when it came out.

Great album

Going in I knew Deprche Modes singles. I really enjoyed this album not an album I would of ever listened to without the challenge

Úllllltimo día de junio con éste disco emblemático de Depeche Mode. Lo oscuro e introspectivo como lugar no sólo de ensoñación sino de baile y de intimidad siempre fue el espacio privilegiado de ésta banda y éste álbum es un ejemplo más. Sin más para agregar de éste discazo, me despido hasta mañana.

One of my very favorite albums, love it cover to cover.

Great stuff. DM > Cure

Nice

I think if this album came out today people would be pretty behind it. Having only ever heard the hits before, I quite enjoyed it. An album to be listened to with good headphones, as the dynamics and sound mixing is really excellent.

5/5

All time, great songs, danceable beats, time capsule. I’d listen to this annually, and share

A classic. Some tracks miss, but bangers for the most part.

Vintage Depeche!

Great album from start to finish

A nostalgic kick ass early ‘90s Depexhe Mode

# 511 : Violator So many 5 star reviews I don't understand, but it Sounded very 80's to me. Slow and dreamy in my opinion, nothing stood out and I found it rather meh. Listened : 26/06/2025

Not all that great of an album. The music feels meh, with no real omph or anything to stand out. I had to keep myself from switching to just about anything else as I was getting quite bored.

Dark and moody and definitely 80s but also timeless. Enjoyable but need to be in the right mood.

I was surprised to discover that having the same song play 15 times on an album can be pretty good. I suppose it's a spectrum though. When Mumford and Sons do it, it's bad. When Depeche Mode do it, it's...fine(ish)(?)

If "on to something" was an album. Felt like half of the songs gave me a hint of some extremely popular song that came like a decade or more later.

While "Music for the Masses" is my favorite of Depeche Mode's albums, "Violator" is their absolute peak. They are in TOP FORM. No skips (unlike MftM). Favorite songs (in no particular order): Halo (ok, that's my favorite), Personal Jesus, Clean, Policy of Truth.

Dull, monotone. Not for me

Muy ochentero Muchos temazos 10/10

Moooooy bueno, esta personal Jesús, movidito, dark, recomendaría

Started off worse, then got way better.

Amazing album. Depeche Mode's best record.

Lots of feels in this album. Sure, there’s the big boppers—I somehow forget a lot that “Personal Jesus” is there—but this album is atmospheric for me. “World in my eyes” starts things off well then “Sweetest Perfection.” “Enjoy the Silence” and “Policy of Truth” are pop perfection back-to-back with “Blue Dress” being a great palate cleanser.

World in My Eyes...good tone setter Sweetest Perfection...not the most accessible pop song but I like how dirty it feels Personal Jesus...yes. everything about this. yes. Halo...interesting sounds but nothing special Waiting for the Night...see above Enjoy the Silence...this is the shit Policy of Truth...dark and dirty. fuck ya Blue Dress...Weird. I think I would like it with a few more listens Clean...forgettable

It’s fine. A couple great tracks. Not my thing. Sounds like goth sex.

Surprised again. Expected to hate it, it was fine

bastante guapo honestamente, nada q m vuele

Always an enjoyable listen.

What an awesome album will definitely listen to it again!

not my cup of tea, but an obvious display of practiced and thought out creativity in full form, 3 songs that still get radio play to this day, its a beast of a record for 1990. starting track is great, Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are not songs i prefer, (even though they carry most of the energy of the album) but Policy of Truth is a solid single. the album is def about the build up more than the end point. lots of tension from start to end. its packed with content for sure. i like Blue Dress, Clean, and most of the end of the album. on a technical level, this is far and away a huge step forward for the new wave/80's dark/goth electronic driven genre, as well as pop music as a whole. there is so much going on that it becomes more symphonic than it appears on the surface. 4/5 and only cuz i don't personally care for this band, but if i did, this is a near perfect album.

Classic

Some decent production in parts, but really nothing else good to say about this.

More synth pop…a little bit on the darker side while still being poppy and accessible. Wel arranged with some good atmospherics, but overall pretty straightforward and didn’t really inspire much feeling for me. Not unpleasant, but not memorable.

Enjoyable album. More up my street.

Pretty good album, but for me personally I prefer a more fleshed out production

Saw a Tiktoker call this kind of music “sad noises.” I agree, but as a compliment.

cant lie... most of the songs sound the same

This is a really strong record from Depeche Mode. This was the first time listening to the album as a whole and I really enjoyed it.

This Deoeche Mode album was solid!

Holder seg greit. Noen gode sanger.

personal jesus

Surprisingly not bad. First track was a great way to start the album. It then went a bit up and down but on the whole much better than I expected. Im tempted out of sheer devilment to give it a 4. Yeah think i will. 4

Enjoy the Silence is just superb and would get 5 stars by itself. Overall, a solid album and the only Depeche Mode album I ever enjoyed. A high 3.

The album that propelled D.M. to megastardom. I've always thought they are a very good singles band, but their albums are always littered with too many fillers. Although I've owned all of their 1980's and early 90's back catalogue, I never listened all the way through their albums more than a couple of times except for MFTM. I do believe this is probably the 3rd time I've played this all the way through, and I still stick with my assertion. That said, it is a dark and moody, with some incredible highs. But I shall return to the singles compilations in future.

Very nice album. The vocals are very soulful and songwriting is high quality.

A fantastic album that really showcases Depeche Mode at their best. "Personal Jesus" is a true classic that never gets old, and the overall vibe of the album is just captivating.

jahas. olin jo karvasta pettymystä syöttämässä tähän boksiin mutta jumas lautas toinen puolisko tästä albumista on kerrassaan loistava! TEMPAA mukaansa ja ei päästä irti kunnes viimeinen biisi on vihdoin ohi.. absoluuttista vaibailua ja jokseenkin myös chillailua! pikku copypastse tähän: Violator on brittilegendojen pitkän uran kiistaton kohokohta. Alternative-musiikki teki varmaa nousua 1990-luvun alussa, kun Depeche Modekin löysi kovimman hittivaihteensa. Hämyisät industrial-kokeilut, syntikkapop ja rehevä dance-rock jatkuivat, mutta kokonaisuus voimistui jylhien sovitusten ja isompaan rooliin nousseen kitaran myötä. en paremmin voisi sanoa. neljä on täsmällisyyttä waiting for the night

Idk. So 80s.

Never been a fan of Depeche mode.

Classic. Just fantastic album

Vibes

A couple of huge hits but not my thing overall.

Not really my cup of tea.

Tem a minha música preferida, enjoy the silence.

Well-polished electropop that works as background music, well, almost elevator music I thought for a while. However, the first notes of "Policy of Truth" stood out and made me listen a little more interested.

Turns out ... I only kinda like Depeche Mode. When other people cover them. Out of respect for their many musical contributions, 3 stars

Love this album. I wore it out in my 30’s.

I enjoyed this album a lot. Cool vibes, kind of dark sounding but still easy to enjoy. It felt a little dated, but in the sense that it embodied the genre/era in a time-capsule-ish way. Some really good songs on here, with nothing I considered bad. I think it was just an interesting album and it kept your attention the whole way through. I liked the musical compositions and the vocal additions. I thought they worked well together. I also thought it all sounded good as a whole, and it didn't become bland even though it stayed in the same style. Not sure it reaches the level of great, but it was really good. Overall: 3.75/5

Great album, loved every song, but my favorite was enjoy the silence

Enjoy the electronic elements of it but just turned off by the voice. A little dramatic and dull and just takes away from the other elements that I value in the production and backing. Enjoyed ‘Enjoy the Silence’ but generally not too enjoyable as a whole package for me, although loved most of the backing

Good album 👌

Two stars. Kinda like the Cat Stevens of 80s/90s synth pop. It’s such a sleepy album to me.

Not really a fan of this type of music.

Perfectly acceptable dark wave.

Repetitive sound

Pretty good album. Couple of popular hits

Great choice, one few can dispute. This release brought their sound to it's pinnacle and ushered in a new vibe for synth pop that had a darker side and a deeper beat. This album was all over the radio and dance clubs in 1990-91. Huge hits with "World In My Eyes" (60 M listens), "Personal Jesus" (covered by everyone, 90M listens), "Enjoy The Silence" (112M listens) & my favorite on the disc, "Policy Of Truth" (142M listens). Flush with big songs and radio favorites you still hear today, this one earns its spot on the T1001. Even the glue tracks have tons of listens, so this one has stood the test of time. Solid choice. 4+ stars

A deep dark synthetic world of distorted reflections bouncing off shimmering glossy black surfaces. A band I wish I liked more than I actually do. Love the cold metallic vibe and funkless disco rhythms but get a bit bored, the tempos are all too similar and even though there's slow build up and intensification, there's not enough tension in the composition. Favorites: policy of truth, enjoy the silence, world in your eyes

An album that is neither good nor bad, a bit boring. Within the same musical genre I prefer Kraftwerk.

Listenable.

Een heerlijk darkwave album, dat eigenlijk alleen tegen zich heeft dat het voor een album uit 1990, voor mijn gevoel dan, net iets teveel de 80s synthproduction aanhoudt, die me bij sommige nummers soms lichtelijk gaat tegenstaan. Desalniettemin vind ik alle 9 nummers memorabel genoeg dat ik het album zo weer in zijn geheel kan luisteren, voor mij een van de belangrijkste factoren als ik een album een rating zou geven. Enjoy the Silence blijft ook wel echt een alltimer.

3.5

I enjoyed the hits, the lesser material did not speak to me

There are some standout tracks on this album which holds through the test of time. It is dark and synthy and beautiful all at once. The lulls bring it down to a 5/10 for me, but a very respectable album all around

World in my eyes - misschien iets te clean, wel atmosferisch Sweetest perfection - een heel goed songfestivalnummer. Niet helemaal bij Personal jesus - banger Halo - meh Waiting for the night - stellaris achtergrondmuziek met vocals, ben ik wel bij Enjoy the silence - banger Policy of truth - ok Blue dress - Krijg hier enorme bo burnham vibes van. Niet slecht though. Clean - vet

Banger na banger, synths doen het goed voor mij

De productie van dit album is zo teringvet, al het geluid klopt. Er staan een of 2 saaiere nummers op, maar echt een topalbum

I feel successfully violated.

Lekkere cohesive vibe en sound, maar niet iets wat ik zelf echt vaak bewust op zou zetten

Ik enjoyde de silence toen het album voorbij was. Niet mijn ding

Childhood radio vibes

I don't understand why it took me so long to listen to this. So good, wow. Excellent production, great voice, the hit songs don't stand out so much as everything is of high quality. Again, bit of a dip towards the end, but it does end gorgeously. Amazing album.

Überascht wie Depeche Mode ned viel falsch mache chan mit ihrere Musig. Für vieli moods guet geignet, au für e schwirige mäntig. dadefür 4 überaschigseier mit lässige spielzüüg dinne

Grüezi mitenand, bin biz im Zügle und Fiirtig mode gsi. Darum nöd so mega dezuecho. Deppen Mode hani scho immer mal biz welle drischnuppere. und ez halt doch nur dürftig drihgschnupperet. S hed mi doch biz weniger abgholt als erwarted, aber vlt au stress oder dem spezifische Album verschuldet. Aber das jetzt au nöd schlecht oder nervig isch, gids doch na 3 Johnny Depps

sunntigsputz chuchi und bad mit depeche mode ganz okay gsi, natürlich ein banger vorprogrammiert gsi aber de rest het nöd so em mood entsproche bruche meh energy wenni am schrubbe bin drum leider nume zwei code of conduct violations vo de numba one violators

fiiiinally some depeche mode! au da hani während minere chindheit grosse ihfluss vo mim papi döffe gnüsse – und isch daher eini vo de wichtigste bands für mich <3 enjoy the silence eis vo de beste lieder wo jemals gschriebe worde isch & au suscht heds paar hochkarätigi bangervertretige uf dem album es holt mi jetzt nöd jede einzelni track 5/5 ab, aber mis buchgfühl prognostiziert trotzdem es mittelklars 5 de möchemer das doch so!

Never heard this before. The two singles are great. Half the album tracks are okay and half are good. I know two of them from somewhere - one I don’t know how, the other is from the Goldfrapp remix which is awesome.

Knew the hits from before but the rest was enjoyable as well. Very stylised. Enjoyed.

Great album and inspired so many different artists and genres. Amazing

This is an okay album. There are just too many songs that are a bit 'nothing happens'. However, 'Enjoy the silence' is a truly beautiful pop song. They should have changed the order of the songs, the first two are slow and boring. That's also part of the deal of making an album...

Of DP’s best. Really great new wave synth rock album. Classic, fire cover also

Great album, but I do prefer their earlier stuff

Surprised Personal Jesus has so many less plays than Enjoy the Silience and Policy of Truth on Spotify. By far my favorite song on the album.

Depeche at their best