Reviews (page 3 of 13)
Dark synth rock
10/10 Depeche Mode is based as fuck
Amazing. Despite the usual complaints about only british pop music being on this list, I actually agree with this one - Everyone should hear this album (especially catholic high school girls!). 5/5
Þessi er ein af mínum kjarnaplötum. Ég kann hvert einasta hljóð utanað og fæ ekki nóg. Hef ekki fengið nóg í 35 ár! Stórkostlegt electro-pop verk!
Excellent album. Literally listened like 100x Seen them 10x Has a great instrumental, Agent Orange. Never let me down Strangelove Sacred Little 15 Behind the wheel Nothing
🖤 Perfect Album
It is not the kind of music you would expect for an album like that, but at every time is great.
Easily Depeche Mode's second best album.
When this came out, it made realise what I'd been missing One of the best lobe bands
Beautiful music. Very well done.
synthy
A classic, building on the promise shown in "Black Celebration". Backed up by a legendary tour and live album.
De-Peach.
never let me down never let me down never let me down never let me down
baita som, eletronico oitentista, muito agradável
likeit
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Amazing
Banger
This is an awesome album!
One of my fave albums of all time
Strangelove clássica. Little 15 é linda. I Want You Now, tem respirações interessantes. Sons interessantes em Agent Orange. Bass de Never Let Down Again é top!!
A real classic.
This was my first real introduction to DM. I love this album.
Dead good.
This album is great! Not my favorite Depeche Mode album, but definitely solid throughout
Me ha gustado bastante. Mejor que Violator.
Mass Depeche
WWO, DM is my favorite band! And this album is awesome!
Favorite tracks: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, Nothing, Agent Orange, Pleasure… Little Treasure, Route 66,
gute Synthmusik
10/10 классика
Una maravilla
This brings me back to high school
det er så godt for sin tid!!
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Never let me down again, The things you said, Strangelove, Sacred, Behind the wheel
Knew a couple of tracks - lots of good stuff on this. 1st one to make 3 listens by day 2.
No és perfecte, perquè cap al final de la segona cara comença a baixar el nivell, però els temes que sí ho són, que es són molts, eleven el nivell del disc per sobre del 90% de la producció musical de la década. A 'Violator' es van refinar definitivament com a compositors, però aquí els agafa en el seu millor moment d'inspiració, culminant una ratxa de sis discos en trajectòria ascendent (començant ja el primer d'ells des de molt a dalt!)
Хороший потом Великой группы!
better than I thought - probably a 4.5 but I'm rounding up for the surprise. Very cool early electronic.industrial stuff!
An eternal classic
Bombastische muziek als deze kan ik wel smaken. Het volume ging duidelijk omhoog hoe verder ik kwam in het album, en dan moest 'Pimpf' nog komen: Wat een knaller die compleet in contrast staat met de rest van het album!
Brilliant
Unreal album, brings me back to my youth.
Solid DM album
Hhh
Me ha gustado bastante. Mejor que Violator.
ufff que viaje
2/16 "Relocate to Fresno bumpin' Depeche Mode in the enzo..." Standout Tracks: Strangelove, Behind the Wheel, Pimpf, Agent Orange, Pleasure Little Treasure, Route 66, Stjarna
Such a classic sound. Even though I didn’t really know these songs, I knew who was playing. Pretty enjoyable, but nothing that stuck with me after it was gone. 7/10 Quite Likeable
I have a feeling I’m about to get very very into Depeche Mode.
Great out the gate, but I started to zone out a bit on the b side.
me encanta la música de los 80, inmediatamente la paso bien. este se pone re oscuro, 4/5.
Fun, catchy, and atmospheric. I will listen to the rest of their discography.
How in the hell did they make this album in the 80s? I am very impressed. I wish I had found this album sooner.
Have this on original vinyl from the late 80s.
Weirdly reminds me of Bo Burnham's Inside... very 80s. A little spooky at times.
Depeche Mode are consistently strong and one of the greatest electronic acts of all time. Combining great songwriting with their signature broody sound, this record delivers the goods with killer tracks like the single "Never Let Me Down Again." While this falls a bit short of their opus "Violator", it's still a great record and part of a string of great albums.
not as good a violator but still worth a listen
Depeche Mode actually always has great music.
Esperaba más. Pero es bueno
Depeche Mode's one other album on the list is Music For The Masses, which was the band continuing to escape their earlier pop (but not too synth pop like Human League) roots and turning into something more bolder and moodier. Sort of like getting into leather and slowly entering the BDSM rabbit hole. I don't think my second listening for this Music For The Masses has changed my ranking of it. It's a little more gothic than I remember and has mostly some good enough synth and production work for the album to age fairly well. Martin Gore's vocals work incredibly well with the mood they were trying to pull. It's a solid album but just has either a little too much filler or kind of meh songs for about 20% of it. Depeche Mode is a great band, they've got other good albums (mostly in the early to mid 90s) that could've also been on the list compared to some other bands and their selection, but this list needs more goth music and this will have to suffice.
Very stereotypical 80s pop album but I liked it. There were some great ones in here like Never Let Me Down Again and Sacred
love depeche mode and this was nice to listen to but i didn't particularly like any of the songs
Not the album that would top it for me with Depeche Mode but lots of songs I enjoyed hearing for the first time. 4/5
Album 224. Music for the Masses (https://open.spotify.com/album/5Yyx661Ksxl2pmRUuGLzw3?si=of7UzCY2TrC79uJVyWgJog) — Depeche Mode (1987) It's not Violator, but still solid af. 4/5 Liked: — Never Let Me Down Again — Strangelove — Behind The Wheel — I Want You Now — Nothing — Pimpf — Agent Orange — Never Let Me Down Again - Aggro Mix
Really excellent album. Had me boucing around the living room
Not my favorite album by them, but this was good pleasant listening. 7/10
Tolles Album, hat mir sehr gefallen
super stimme, gute melodien. little 15 und nothing stehen hervor.
Though this album contains some of my favourite songs ("Little 15", "Never Let Me Down Again", "Behind The Wheel"), many of the other songs are very lacluster which don't add anything special to the album ("I Want You Now", "To Have And To Hold", "Nothing"). This makes the first half of the album really good, but the second half forgettable and unassuming. What I enjoyed most was the beat and the instruments used, the distorted guitar and bass coupled with the clean crisp piano. I also enjoyed the lyrics which had a wide range of themes and though many linked to sex, could be interpreted in different ways. They also sucessfully used the singing as another element of the beat.
Not very happy songs. Good album
This is exactly what I want from my extremely 1980s synth bands and what I thought Violator would bring. Couple of moments on side two that were a touch too weird for me but overall a Good Album.
One of my biggest takeaways from doing this has been how much I dig 80s music that I previously thought was corny. Not every song here is great but I definitely see the appeal. A bit dark and dreary in spots. Favorites were Strangelove and Behind The Wheel.
Depeche Modea oon koittanu useesti kuunnella ja tykännyt kyllä. Ei vaan oo koskaan tarttunu listalle vaikka kovasti pidänkin. Oikein hyvä levy, ilmeisesti jokin suunnan määrittänyt levy DM:n uralla. Kuulosti ihan siltä miltä pitikin.
This was a great album. It may have felt a bit stale by the end, but it's a good unique sound compared to what I've listened to recently.
Der er altså straight bangers her. De lyder bare så sygt, jeg tror når jeg er igennem albummet vil jeg have besluttet om der er for mange sange der ikke rammer helt så hårdt som strangelove, never let me down again osv. 3 sange inde er vi på en 5'er, vi må se om kadencen holder. Efter behind the wheel synes jeg kvaliteten daler lidt. Vi er på en flot 4, men vi kan ikke komme helt derop.
Overraskende godt Det er vist ved at være tid til, at jeg runder op frem for ned 3.8
4/5. some good ass synth-pop/goth music, which sits in the middle of what I’d consider to be a trilogy of classics (Black Celebration, This album, Violator.) the production has a very atmospheric quality to it, I can easily get lost in many of these songs like the opener “Never Let me Down Again” or “To Have and Hold.” Only knock I have against it is that the lyrics are sometimes very clunky, but the musics good enough for me to forgive that.
Review - great album. Depeche Mode are so much better than I'd realised. First got into this album after hearing Never Let Me Down Again in The Last Of Us, delved into the whole album and it's great. Creepy, eerie, and horny in equal measure - classic Depeche Mode Score - 8/10 Need to listen? YES
It’s not all great, but it’s consistently pretty good and some of the lesser-known songs are as good as the hits from their other albums.
Liked it. A blast from the past. We used to call this band Depressed Mode in high school cause it’s what the goth kids listened to. Reminds me of the Cure.
I have listened to some Dépêche Mode before and never quite got the fuss but I did really enjoy this. Twice. Since, once again, it was on shuffle. I liked the goth/synth sound and the melodies and rhythms combined nicely.
Depeche Mode is a band I could certainly dive deeper into. I’ve mainly only listened to Violator (a masterpiece) and their most recent albums (which are quite good), but this was outstanding. I’ve always felt they were much bigger in Europe than the U.S. where I am and that they belonged to Europe, but I think they could be one of my favorite bands.
8/10
Fun and well produced though I still prefer Violator
Somewhat gothic, almost campy record, bringing plenty of melodrama with its dark synths. Love the touches of baroque pop when they bring in strings, really feels like a bridge between their frothy earlier work and the pop perfection of Violator Lyrics aren't the best, but manage to work in the context of the song, as long as you aren't looking for deep introspection or societal analysis
This is the album that got me into Depeche Mode. Up this point in my young life I didn't realize that electronic pop could be dark, ominous and completely appealing to a young kid that at the time was really into harder rock and metal. There are perfect pop elements slipped in there as well with HUGE sing along choruses. Now in my 50's I appreciate all the twists and turns and growing living breathing sounds created by synthesizers and human growth you can hear in the entire discography. I own the album on cassette, cd, vinyl and even have the 101 dvd set. This is the 4 star stepping stone to the next three albums that are all 5 stars.
A legendary band coming into their own. Often a better singles band over the years, here DM starts to put together an album worth of quality as they build up to the legendary Violator.
Making my Ops colleagues proud by loving this one.
Molto bello, le canzoni hanno tutte questa atmosfera ipnotica che adoro, un po’ lungo però
Memories from Tallinn
81/100. I really do love Depeche Mode’s sound, and this album is another great example of why. The synth work is fantastic, creating a dark and melancholic atmosphere. The production has a cold and spacious quality to it, yet the songs still carry a strong emotional core. The vocals are excellent as usual, bringing a sense of vulnerability and tension that fits the music perfectly.
I liked this! Sounded great.
Epic New Wave. They should call this New Tidal Wave. New Kahuna. New Tsunami.
by no means a real revelation to me but HEALTH really do owe kind of their entire contemporary career to these guys, don't they? put some slightly more punchy drums on it and The Things You Said would've slotted really neatly onto the B-side of any of those recent albums. anyway this one is a weird one. it doesn't feel as "complete" of an album as Violator, which felt on my first listen (and still feels) like a very singular, driven work with a tightly-focused vision. really excellent singles — Never Let Me Down Again is one of the best songs in their discography and a very powerful opener. To Have and To Hold is one of the most slaveringly erotic songs ever. which is why it's SO funny when you get to Nothing and the whole record just steps on a fucking landmine. one of the most jarring shifts in sound/tone i've heard in god knows how long. and then after that you get what sounds like 5 minutes of spooky haunted house music that somehow got put on the master before they shipped it out? very strange!
Que lastima que no lo hubiera podido escuchar todo de una sentada, porque me pareció increíble, innovador para su época, con mezcla de ruidos poco comunes, pero efectivos. Gran Álbum
Album #149 Depeche Mode: Music for the Masses If this is what the masses actually listened to, the world would be a better place. Dark synthpop is such a unique vibe, and nobody does it better than Depeche Mode. The 80s will always be my favourite decade for music, for whatever reason, the production of the time just fills me with such a sense of nostalgia and yearning for a time that I never lived through. Depeche Mode are one of the finest bands of the era, combining the indifference of Joy Division with the sound of Tears For Fears, resulting in the best of both goth and pop. Though Music for the Masses isn’t as anthemic and iconic as their eventual masterpiece, Violator, it certainly was their finest effort at the time it came out. The atmosphere and texture were all there, they just hadn’t perfected the hooks and melodies the way that they would on Violator; though the signs were there already with songs like Never Let Me Down Again. This album (or Black Celebration) are the perfect soundtrack if you want to dance yet maintain your nonchalant nihilist aura (which I assume is a common dilemma). Best Songs: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, Behind The Wheel Worst Song: To Have And To Hold Score out of 10: 8.5
One of several highlights from this band.
Dark, adventurous, and experimental, Music for the Masses is a defining electronic pop album, and I can see why it brought Depeche Mode so much success.
Great album from the Essex boys
- I ❤️ goth girls
Yet another big group where this is my first full listen to one of their projects and its great. The overwhelming sense of dread and despair in some of these instrumentals really make the record for me. Especially with how haunting the vocals sound with that reverb. Type of record I'd want to hear at the end of the world. Awesome intro to this group (beyond some of their bigger songs) that gets me excited to listen to more.
ha mi scho lang uf das gfreut. well s andere vo ihne wo uf de liste isch isch krass geil. erste song isch en super istiig. sini stimm plus die synths plus die mega gated drums sind soo e killer kombi. ok bis etz de erst am beste hä. aber sacred au no recht geil uuuh refrain mega dissonanze mega cool. nüt gseit. um was goht little 15?
I can't really quantify why I like Depeche Mode. It's not my normal kind of thing. But it all comes together in a way that's very pleasing. A couple songs have annoying production choices, but even those songs have parts that are just really catchy or compelling. Also, Strangelove is SO GOOD. Makes me want to dance in a dark, moody club.
Great album, love Never Let Me Down Again
A brilliant album from an incredible 80s band . They had a dream run of records into the 90s
Thought this album was really cool and super weird. Love the effects and cool rifts.
Catchy
Great 80s indie synth-pop.
Really good album
Dark, kinda gay, very British, very 80s, very cold, very cool.
Idlk
excellent really liked it
Their international breakthrough album, it's dark and mystifying with a blend of synthpop and industrial aesthetics. Martin Gore and Dave Gahan really nailed this sound, to the point where this album would provide the blueprint for their music going forward. "Never Let Me Down Again" is the crowning jewel of the record, opening with really interesting synth passages and a haunting melody. The pounding drums echo through your ear, as Dave Gahan croons about trust and uneasy relationships. This theme continues into the next song "The Things You Said", another great song with a similarly dark instrumental and lyrics about betraying trust. Other great songs are the intense "Strangelove" and "Behind The Wheel". The deeper cuts are mostly fine, "Sacred" is pretty haunting, and "Little 15" is pretty unconfortable but that was kind of the point of the song, "Nothing" is a great song as well, right before the atmospheric outro "Pimpf". Overall I found this album to be quite enjoyable and definitely a good one for when you're in a darker mood or driving at night. There was only one dud for me and that was "I want you now". The heavy breathing sounds kinda icked me out. still! I had fun listening to this and definitely see why it's considered a classic of it's kind.
Great album. Plenty of their best songs, and most of the deeper cuts were very good as well. There was one song ("I Want You Now") with a bunch of heavy breathing and... other noises, that I really didn't care for at all.
I definitely want to listen to the album again, it's both interesting and enjoyable. The songs towards the end I didn't enjoy as much as the others, though. My favorite song of the album is Strangelove.
overraskende godt, havde lidt svært ved at tage mig sammen til at lytte til det, fordi jeg allerede havde hørt violator. Men det er virkelig godt og sammenhængende og man føler virkelig man bliver taget igennem en historie. Det Synth-poppet new wave lyd bliver også blandet med lidt rock og det er virkelig sådan mørkt og erotisk på en eller anden måde. Det er noget af den bedste 80'er lyd jeg har hørt hvis jeg skal være ærlig, det lyder næsten helt synthwave agtig noget af det. Det løftede dem til stadion niveau og de sluttede også deres tour af med en koncert for 70.000 mennesker åbenbart, hvilket er pænt mange mennesker. Det er her man siger de virkelig fandt deres lyd og dannede bro mellem deres tidligere og det de senere lavede som var violator, som jo er det jeg forbinder depeche mode med. Generelt meget positivt overrasket over hvor godt og stemningsfuldt et album det er.
Depeche Mode started to stretch their wings here and develop, something which culminated in their masterpiece: Violator. My criticism of the album is the production leaves the songs sounding flat and sterile and I recommend listening to them on the live album 101. On 101 the songs become more muscular and organic. WIth Never let me down again really shining.
I'm so sick and saddened because looking at the reviews I'm realizing for the first time in my life that Depeche Mode isn't universally loved. How can you feel anything but cool while listening to this. The only reason this isn't a five is because of the weirdness at the end, as evidenced by how few plays those last few tracks get compared to the rest of the album.
Strong 4. Some quality tunes - strong 80's vibes (sometimes to the detriment of the songs) - a couple of bum tracks (Pimpf?) mean its not a 5.
4/5
Maybe a little more fun than the Smiths.
W porządku
Surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. Added a few songs to my Playlists, will deffo be listening to it again
God I love this era of music, pre-autotune with great 80's synth sounds. The fodder for a million-million mix tapes. It carves me to my core. I'm not the most enthusiastic fan of Depeche Mode, but the first side of the album is the sweet spot for me. I never owned this album, but experienced it on the dance floor and at parties and so far every song on the first side is amazing and brings back fond memories of peak 80's. The second side is also quite good, but not quite up to side 1, but is dark and interesting.
Not my favorite Depeche Mode album but it is still pretty good.
I liked it.
Knew and liked "Never Let Me Down" off here but hadn't heard the rest of the album. Generally liked it, although it could get a bit repetitive in some songs. "Nothing" was the other big standout here for me, but also enjoyed "Strangelove" and "Sacred"
This is kind of the best. Not much stands out directly, but what a vibe. I’ll need a few more listens.
I do love a good Depeche Mode
I had never heard these songs from Depeche Mode (filthy casual that I am) before, and I'm quite impressed. Never Let Me Down Again and Strangelove especially are very good songs that are almost better than Personal Jesus or Enjoy the Silence. I think the synths on this album are especially standout, compared to the other Depeche Mode album. This album has a heavy and great atmosphere about it.
Creepy and dark in the correct way. Never Let Me Down Again is a great opener, and the album never really lets up from there. The Things You Said, Little 15, and Nothing are all solid tracks that mix that sort of dark synth and British new wave into something that works well. The album ends with Pimpf, which is just a five minute instrumental with a choir, and it's weird that the album just ends with a Castlevania theme honestly.
Ok
Powerful. Industrial. Genuinely Inventive. Glad its here.
Nice 80s goth album
It’s great background music, but there’s a lot happening under the surface—tension, atmosphere, and little production tricks that make the album feel deeper every time I hear it. Since I know the 101 versions better, it’s interesting how different the studio tracks feel. Live, everything is bigger and more aggressive, almost built for a crowd. On the album, though, the songs are cooler and more minimal, like they’re meant to pull you inward instead of outward.
🥀
Не все треки понравились но однозначно топ.
Muy buen disco y qué forma de iniciarlo. El pero que le pongo es ese final, me suena a esas canciones que usan los artistas entre una canción y otra para descansar o cambiarse.
Okay so I really do like Depeche Mode!!! I was so happy to get an album from them because my dad usually listen to them so I knew them from before and have listen to them before as well.
afwisselend bangers met mid, algemeen wel nog nice
8 - GOOD
Really good album, bit overshadowed by Violator but can comfortably stand against it. Strangelove is their best song.
This album is peak 80s. Reminds me of disco. Very "Music for the masses" disco. Feels like a somewhat generic "You spin me round" if it was an album. Strangelove was the song that got me to this point and it's only song 3/14. Half the songs are also just instrumental. Maybe because I'm listening at work I don't really see the main point here, but it felt more like background 80s elevator music that you'd hear before going to a disco skating rink or something?
Classic Depeche Mode at their best. Love this album. Timeless.
9/10
Enjoyable album. It's not their best in my opinion, but I like the sound they developed here.
3.5⭐️/5 04.05.2026
Me gusta mucho depeche mode, escuche los primeros temas con mi bella novia que si bien no los recordaba, le resultaba familiar. Strangelove es un temazo, uno de mis favoritos de este grupo. El ambiente que me transmite este disco es como si fuera un escenario futurista pensado en los 90. La segunda mitad del album se me hizo un poco monótona por lo que no puedo darle 5 estrellas
Det är ju svårt att helt gå i i den kalla, men också lite mesiga, världen som är synthmusik. Här lockar DM in mig ena låten och kastar ut mig och bryter förtrollningen i nästa. Jävligt härliga syntar som används, ibland med smakfulla New Order-guror. Blir en snäll fyra för att jag för första gången kan se mig själv sjunga med i detta tillsammans med andra svartklädda I en industrilokal i Hamburg.
Jau sen bija plāns dziļāk paklausīties Depwche Mode, tā kā forši.
That's a great album. Finally something that I know. I saw some negative reviews, and honestly, I don't understand why. Every song in this album is a vibe.
Liked this!
Mielenkiintoinen projekti. Jotenkin oudolla tavalla myös toimiva. Syna ja synkkyys toimii.
- I love Depeche Mode. - Dave Gahan has one of my favourite voices - love the expressive baritone quality. - Also love the synth work, and the chord progressions. - Love the dark poppy feel of this, and unlike one of the other reviews, I love dancing to it. - This album is a bit hit or miss - I don't love Sacred, Little 15, Pimpf, or I Want You Now for example. The other songs are bangers, though. - It's probably a 3.5 because I skip a few songs, but I'll round up because none of the songs are actively bad and many are actively great.
1. Never Let me Down Again: Muy ochentoso, me gusta. Estilo Stranger Things. 7/10 2. The things you said: Muy tranquilona, siento q va de fondo para hacer cosas, no es nada wow, pero no me disgusta. 7/10 3. Strangelove: Me gusta mucho. Buen ritmo, buena letra. Me gusto bastante. Me hace acordar mucho a otra cancion pero no se a cual. 9/10 4. Sacred: Me gusta, sigue por la misma linea, buen ritmo, buenos arreglos. 8/10 5. Little 15: Me gusta, muy tranquila tambien, no me termina de encantar. 7,25/10. 6. Behind The Wheel: También bastante tranquilona, nada especial, pero me sigue gustando. 7/10 7. I Want You Now: Es más "oscura", de todas formas me sigue gustando. 7/10 8. To Have and To Hold: Sigue esta linea más oscura, me gusto mas la anterior pero igual me gusta. 7/10 9. Nothing: Acá vuelve un poco a los primeros temas, me gusta bastante. 8/10 10. Pimpf: Super instrumental y vuelve a ponerse oscuro, como tema en si meh. 5,5 /10 11. Agent Orange: Sigue instrumental, pero ahora saliendo de la oscuridad, como tema en si. 5,5 /10 12. Never Let Me Down Again: Sigue instrumental, mucho más arriba. Como tema en si. 6/10 13. To Have and To Hold - Spanish Taster: Sigue instrumental y por la misma base. 5/10 14. Pleasure, Little Treasure - Glitter Mix: Gran cierre, me gusta. 7/10 Nota General: Muy ochentoso, me encantó. Quizás en canciones individuales no hay ninguna locura, pero el albúm en si es un viaje, va pasando por momentos un poco más oscuros, un poco mas alegres, un poco mas tranquilos, viaje total. Me gustó mucho como álbum. 8/10
Neat, a bit of beep boop, a bit of mood. Strangelove stood out as a fun bop. Fun overall, decent somberness and melancholy in the second half of the album. Feeling generous now, but, the music helped, so...
It’s an extremely moody album. I loved all of the tracks in these so there’s no singling out this time. ‘To Have and To Hold’ and ‘To Have and To Hold’ I was really drawn to the 80’s gothic moodiness of the album it gave me visions of Elvira, Labyrinth and Tim Burton. Rating:4/5 GEMV (29.03.2026)
I liked the synth vibes of this, would listen again but wouldn't go out of my way - hence 4 stars.
it's cool. quintessential 80s sound without sounding too cheesy
Sounds like Depeche Mode alright
I wore this tape out in middle school. I really like this album.
3rd in my list of DM albums!
Yes, love this voice, excellent songs, really nice.
Maybe I shouldn’t listen to these high off my ass on cold meds, but here I am. Never let me down again sounded like good, solid, typical Brit rock, which it was. I liked the electronic synth in The things you said, his voice was also really nice. Strange love was a bop. Very 80s. Sacred had a good groove to it. I liked Behind the Wheel, and I want you now had a very calming feeling to it. Nothing was exactly what I’d expect coming out of this album. Not in a bad way, it just had a lot of 80s tropes. I have similar thoughts for the rest of the album. I think it was a solid outing. 4/5 ⭐️ 79/1089
Je découvre que j'aime vraiment bien Depeche Mode !
First listen = 3, Second listen = 3.5, Third listen = 4. What I like best about Depeche Mode is the vocals and their synthy sounds. Dave Gahan’s lead vocals with Martin Gore’s backing vocals harmonize really beautifully into a single "voice" that is Depeche Mode. And accompanying the vocals is some pretty creative synth composing. Even the songs that I didn't like that much on this album were still musically interesting.
Choutte
Better than Coldplay
The album they made just before they released their masterpiece and you can hear it. Not every track excels, but their sound is undeniable. Loved it.
8.5/10 - I love this album. It’s dark, it’s moody, it’s interesting. I think the album is a bit too long and tails off at the end. I think if the album ended after “Nothing” we would be looking at a High 9. Great Album.
Good album for background music
Depech Mode gets moody and dark on Music for the Masses. I've been a Depeche Mode fan for a few years because my ex was a fan. I do have a few favorite Depeche Mode albums, but this one has never been among them. This particular listen is changing that. Think New Order, but sadder and sexier. Music for the Masses still isn't a top 3 Mode album for me, but the songwriting is noticeably better than some of their previous efforts, and the change in tone towards darker sounds absolutely works for them. This absolutely influenced Nine Inch Nails.
its a good album
clean
Chill
Great album
Incredible vibes. Depeche mode is absolutely great at what they do.
4/5 Depeche mode how I love you so. SO iconic 80s, every song had something fun about it. I'm so glad I listened to this album in full. Also how do you manage to be so effing queer while only having straight dudes on your roster?? Crazy.
Det hørtes ut akkurat som forventa, så det gjorde ikke nokka særlig inntrykk fra eller til, nei.
I really liked this. It sounds like video game music from late 80s to late 90s in the best possible way. Great album to listen to on the train at night. Standout tracks: - Never Let Me Down Again 4.5/5 - Nothing 4.5/5
I'm a latecomer to Depeche Mode, this album was a lot more enjoyable than I expected.
Very cool, I like it.
3.8
Oh, this was actually a vibe
dark, moody synthesizers and great vocals. beat switches r awesome and it really makes me feel something while listening to it. very great album, very great music by a very good band. melodies and chord progressions r really solid its just great man i love this thing
Very poppy british music. I’m not a huge depeche mode fan but this album is pretty nice 8/10
I'm definitely into synthpop, yet I haven't listened to a lot of Depeche Mode in my life. The first 3 songs on the album were standouts, and I also enjoyed the horror sounds of the closer Pimpf, and a few of the other songs throughout the album were fun to listen to. Overall I enjoyed this album.
Never Let Me Down Again - 4.5/5 The Things You Said - 3.5/5 Strangelove - 4.5/5 Sacred - 3/5 Little 15 - 3/5 Behind the Wheel - 4/5 I Want You Now - 4/5 To Have and to Hold - 3.5/5 Nothing - 4.5/5 Pimpf - 3.5/5 The transitional period between the poppy synthpop of "I Just Can't Get Enough" to the more darker tones of what Violator would become. There were a couple of duds but was really solid throughout. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Never Let You Down Again, Strangelove, Nothing
Yeah
reminds me of my dad. fave song is never let me down again, its a classic for a reason
This album is weird and I kind of vibe with it because of that. Of course, some songs sound similar to each other and I didn’t even notice the album end, but I liked it as I was listening to it.
Its no Violator. But it's pretty good.
Very seranading Saved: The things you said Strangelove Sacred Little 15 Nothing
Not really sure where this album went at the end but the first half or so is solid. Saved (4) - The Things You said - Strangelove - Little 15 - Behind the Wheel - To Have and To Hold
These guys are better than I thought they would be. I've always heard of them but I never sat down and listened to any music by them except for Personal Jesus and only because Johnny Cash covered it. An excellent example of post New Wave.
There are a lot of excellent tracks here. One that I found unsettling but overall solid.
Love ittt
Sin duda no es mi fav, pero empezar un álbum con don’t let me down again debería de estar prohibido
A bit too emo but entertaining. Kings of dread infused techno.
Good album. Maybe not their absolute best, but it features some of my all-time favorite Depeche Mode tracks, like “Strangelove” and “Behind the Wheel.”
One of my favorite albums from all the way back to my college days. It's still it's still a fine listen today. Definitely the hits "Strangelove", "Never Let Me Down Again", and "Behind The Wheel" stand out the most, but backed up dark a beautifully with the likes of "Little 15", "Nothing" and "PIMPF" (9.6) ★★★★½
i want you now like what omg loved it
Listened to it on the flight to Malaga. Solid as expected
Not chirpy music by any means, but feels like one piece of art rather than a lot of songs.
Better than I expected
Big, dark, and moody like you would expect. Def in my rotation, but wasn't ground-breaking.. but maybe i've listened to it too much historically.
Seeee. Gran álbum. Oscuro y entretenido electropop. 7/10
Enjoyed it
I'm taking a ride with my best friend!
Pretty good. Not their best
music for the masses its me im the masses
Depeche is actually my MO
that was legitness
Enjoyed most of this! I do like that whole dark 80s synth pop sound when done well, and for most of this I thought was canny. Never really listened to these before, apart from the big hits. Pleased I took the time!
Dark electronica, loved the way most of the drums and synths fitted together. Not quite as good as violator and I find the blokes voice a shade too croony but the music nearly always makes up for it. The things you said best of the bunch.
4.5 - really, really close to a 5, but I’m grading on the DM scale, and I want to preserve Violator as their peak. “Never Let Me Down Again”, “Strangelove”, “Behind the Wheel”, “To Have and To Hold” - these songs are as good as it gets. Eerie, gothy, but still great pop music. DM are a one of one, and this is a great record with just a couple songs that are “just fine” that keep it from 5 status.
Never really listened to Depeche Mode and even when they were kind of very mainstream in the early 90s I never quite got it, i.e. I Feel You. But since moving to LA I have become aware they have an incredibly disproportionate influence in LA, which is pretty cool - apparently because KROQ pumped them for years and the people responded, and they played a sold out Rose Bowl touring for this album, which is really kind of crazy. This was a lot more interesting than I expected. Will have a significanly more positive attitude towards Depeche Mode going forward.
Looking at my Spotify "Liked Songs", I have 6 songs from Depeche Mode liked across 4 different albums - and only 1 song from this album - so it's fair to say I am aware of Depeche Mode but have only slightly dabbled in their music. I did see a Depeche Mode cover band one time like 10 years ago and thought it was a very good show. So, I'm curious to see what I think of this whole album. The one song I had already "liked" is "Never Let Me Down Again" - which seems to have been the hit song from this album and the one that I remember hearing on the radio. It's pretty cool. After the first listen through, the 2 additional songs I "liked" right away were the 2 instrumentals - "Plimpf" and "Agent Orange". They were a nice break from the voice which seems to annoy me. The music is good though. Funny how they are the least played songs on this album - according to the Spotify stats. Do people not generally like instrumental songs?? Also, apparently "Agent Orange" isn't part of the original 10 song release - oh well, still like it. After 3 listens, these 6 other songs grew on me - "The Things You Said", "Little 15", "Behind the Wheel", 'I Want You Now", "To Have and To Hold", and "Nothing". For some reason, I could not get into "Strangelove" and "Sacred". I'm glad this website/book got me to actually sit down and listen to this. Definitely digging Depeche Mode. Funny thing is, when this was new in 1987, I wasn't really into this type of music - but as time goes by it's grown on me. This also led me to discover a bunch of covers of Depeche Mode songs by other bands, and I really like the Smashing Pumpkins version of "Never Let Me Down Again". Liked songs on Spotify: 9/11 (10 on the original release, but I am counting "Agent Orange" even it it wasn't on the original release - so that makes 11) Rating: 4/5
i don’t think i realized this album was from the 80s
eigentlich ganz cool
Was a bit same same in parts but otherwise a great listen
Clint eastwood…
Like Architecture and Morality, I'm tempted to give this one a five, you hardly can get a better pop album than this. Never Let Me Down is my favorite off of this, but every song up until Nothing is really good! I've made new second favorites on this relisten.
I’ve never listened to depeche mode before but I really liked this album. It was moody and had super interesting sound. Loved it! Favorites: Strangelove, never let me down again, behind the wheel, pimpf
Started off really strong. This album was such an interesting sound.
J'ai bien aimé c'était cool la musique et l'ambiance est vrm bien gérée et cristallise plutôt bien l'identité du groupe. Je me suis fait un petit kiff pour écouter la version extended c'était vraiment sympa ! Enfin bref, bon album
Actually listened to this one — pretty goated
Pretty good. Just barely a 4. Some songs pretty good, some songs dated blahness. Their other album Violator definitely deserves to be on this list but this one I’m not so sure about.
Favourite Songs: Never Let Me Down Again Behind The Wheel To Have And To Hold Nothing
This was great. Four stars.
I like the overall gothy sound. It's why I like the cure. This has more electronic sounds incorporated but still a good moody listen. I think there's a bit of filler (pimpf) but I'm glad I got to give Depeche Mode a shot
i don’t usually like synth pop because a lot of the time it isn’t done right and just feels like 80s overload but i was pleasantly surprised by this. best track is sacred. would definitely listen again!
I'm coming to enjoy Depeche Mode the more I hear and whilst this didn't hit the heights of _Violator_, I enjoyed the contrast of its accessibility vs its experimentalism. Musically there are moments where you can hear this and the results are something that would have surely influenced a young Trent Reznor writing _Pretty Hate Machine_.Vocally, David Gahan shines as he often does and gives a warmth and humanity to the cold starkness of the music.
Dark yet groovy, very enjoyable. Lyrics are a bit too simple / on the nose for the most part but it's clearly not where the focus is
Well-made album I hadn’t heard before, the songs were congruent (recognisably Depeche Mode) but didn't seem repetitive, the patterns all sounded fresh (drums might have been same-y but didn't grate), some interesting harmonic progressions. Mood was rather melancholy but not forced. No particular song hit me as catchy or obvious hit single - intrigued to learn after listening that this was breakout period for the band. I could listen again without complaint - but not compelling. 8/10
yep, same songs this 4 is veeeery light
I adore Depeche Mode but every time I listen, my hair turns black and falls into my face and I have to put on my black turtleneck and my black trenchcoat and wander the streets of London in the black of night. And airfare to London ain’t cheap! So it’s a rare treat. This album would rate just for “Never Let Me Down”, but there are so many Mode bangers on here.
This album is pretty good. I didn't know what to expect but, once I got into it, it was a nice listening. It's not much of my like, but I've liked it and found really interesting so many aspects on here. The songs have a very surrounding atmosphere, are ethereal, but also pretty consistent and cohesive with so many layers that give them, at some points, a very cinematic flavor.
Energetic, dark, very danceable, cool synth sounds, questionable drum sounds, cool overlapping vocals, great pop hooks. I liked this more than I expected. Favourite tracks: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, Behind The Wheel, Nothing
Mooooooooooood
Slow, psychedelic and weird, but I'm there for it actually
8/10
Sure! I had fun here!
Decent album overall. I’m a big fan of the synth wave sound, so this hit just right. Favorite track: Never Let Me Down Again 4
Great album. Just pure Depeche Mode vibes even though I didn't fully recognize any of these tunes. One fun thing I realized, being inspired by their early tunes (Just Can't Get Enough), these guys just love a drum machine. I know they were fairly common on the New Wave side of things but they utilize it so well and just know how to package an album. Depressing, moody, and dare I say fun
Superb album! This reminds me of my life in New York during the 80s, where I would walk briskly through the night returning video tapes and going to gothic night clubs.
Really cool vibes
This album sounds like a lost childhood and broken promises. painfully beautiful, I regret seeing this band as shallow before.
While I wouldn't call myself a Depeche Mode superfan, I've always appreciated their dark take on electronic music and feel like they were pretty big innovators in bridging some club-ready sounds with very non-pop lyrical content (Just Can't Get Enough aside). I don't think this album is quite as good as Violator but still very good. The synths sound great and layered, good melodies, Dave Gahan's voice, a pair of epic orchestral closers just for good measure. It all works for me.
Great start but it steadily declines in quality and gets pretty weird at the end. Still love the highs of this one, Depeche Mode hits slap.
Some classic 80s synth pop! Started to sound a bit all the same but some bangers for sure. Also why does 80s synth pop give Halloween, maybe it’s the minor keys 😹 Overall enjoyed it though! First time listening to Depeche Mode and made we want to listen to more
- I added 4 songs from this album to my '1001 Albums Favs' playlist - I swear 'Route 66' was in the Cars movie or am I tripping - Why was the whole of Moonlight Sonata at the end of this album - For context, I listened to the deluxe edition album
thoroughly enjoyed. its a toothier tears for fears
I liked it! Definitely different to what I’m used to but pretty good overall! Loved the heavy synth use
This is how 80s synth should be done. Great atmospheric album. 4/5
Love me some Depeche Mode. This isn't my favorite album from them, but it's a close second. Stranglelove and Behind the Wheel are my favs on here. 4.
Overall rating by me: 8,5/10 Song added to the playlist: ,,Never Let Me Down Again", ,,Strangelove", ,,Sacred", ,,Little 15", ,,Behind The Wheel", ,,Nothing" Notes: Proof that you really can't miss with Depeche Mode and an absolute beast of an album.
This was a first time listen for me. Of course, I know Depeche Mode and own - or have owned - several albums and singles over the years, but somehow Music For The Masses had passed me by. My first impressions were all very positive and the album feels very much the precursor to Violator, which I adored when it came out a few years later. It’s a powerful, muscular sounding record with songs written and produced for big arenas, which Masses propelled them into. The sacrifice made was the complete loss of froth, the poppy edge that had made them household names in the first place - but it feels a like a natural progression, and anyway, they’d never been convincing popstars after Vince Clarke left. Highlights for me are the bombastic opener Never Let Me Down, the linked I Want You Now and To Have And To Hold and the lush final track, Pimpf, with its choral chants and orchestral ambiance. 9/10
When I was in college I fucking hated Depeche Mode. I was dumb then.
jako jako dobro!
I really liked this album, my favorite songs are strangelove, nothing, agent orange and pleasure little treasure glitter mix. I like the varieties of different genres, and I really love the meaning of some songs, the only thing that I didn't like is that the first songs were well idk how to say it, the songs weren't going anywhere, it started and ended the same way, and most of the songs do that too. Basically a good album indeed.
Very good. ★★★★
I had never put much time into Depeche Mode but I always assumed they were a poppier act. This had some good brooding tone to it and I really enjoyed it. The opener and Behind the Wheel were the standouts for me. 4 stars
Don’t think I’ve heard any of the songs from this album before, but it’s pretty darn good. It’s Depeche Mode but kind of slower and darker, nothing wrong with that
good album, i liked never let me down again, the things you said, nothing. in some parts of the albums it goes to weird direction with sound, but overall, good. 4
Baya iyiydi bu
Memories.
Ganske bra på da beste. Litt mid ellers
another time not paying enough attention, but this is exactly what I wanted in an 80s album after listening to kate bush’s hounds of love
It’s hard not to compare this to Violator, not just because it’s their big album but also just cause they sound really similar. And this isn’t as good as that (obviously), but it’s still a really solid album I can definitely see myself revisiting it in the future. Favorites: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, I Want You Now
This is a very good synthpop album with a dark vibe. Unfortunately, it stops just short of masterpiece status; while I find lots of excellent pop hooks underneath the 80s sound, and I like the sound in general, it lacks that X factor that makes an album truly great. It's almost a 5 star album, but I just can't bring myself to call it one. It's undeniably a good album, but it is by no means the best album of the era.
I love Violator but it’s actually the only Depeche Mode album I’ve listened to. Let’s see how this one holds up. — I love synths. I love that sad goth vibe. Early predecessor to dark wave. Actually, is this dark wave? OK RYM says yes BUT not as the primary genre which yeah makes sense.
0/14 bekannt 7/10 Beste Songs: to have and to hold (Spanish taster), I want you now, pleasure little treasure-glitter mix Genre: Synth-pop
funky
Really strong first half, production and instrumental wasn’t anything I heard from new wave before
If only the masses were that tasteful!
I don't think every track on this album is perfect but I do kind of think it's a perfect album in how the songs flow together, how the pacing works, how the energy shifts
a minha mãe já me tinha mostrado algumas musicas de depeche mode e algumas estão neste album e eu gosto delas. never let me down again- já conhecia gosto bastante (9/10) the things you said - kinda meh (7/10) strangelove - ja conhecia e adoro mas prefiro a single version (10/10) sacred- kinda meh tambem mas definitivamente listenable obviamente (7/10) little 15- crazy title, gosto do instrumental é meio haunting e gosto do buildup, acho que é meio monotono mas até combina com a letra e o instrumental (8/10) behind the wheel- ja conhecia tambem e prefiro a versão single, mas como gosto bastante do instrumental, principalmente daquela flauta? de fundo continua a ser muito boa (9/10) i want you know- meio forgettable (6.5-10) to have and to hold- snooze fest (5/10) nothing- é bom voltar a ouvir algo mexido, gosto bue do instrumental e do refrão (9/10) pimpf- n tem nada a ver com o resto do album, parece musica medieval, é tuff mas n curti (5/10) agent orange- bom instrumental, acho que é um bom final para o album (7/10) acho que o meu "problema" com este album é que é um bocado monotono, gosto de depeche mode quando é mexido e usa muitos sintetizadores e isso mas neste album é um bocado diferente, nao sei se a maioria dos albuns deles sao assim, com algumas musicas mexidas e algumas mais tranquilas, tenho de ouvir outros para descobrir mas acho que os higlights sao as musicas que ja conhecia e faz sentido sendo as mais conhecidas, gostei bastante do nothing e não conhecia então já é um W. quero ouvir o violator, ja ouvi bastantes coisas boas sobre entao estou curioso. Para mim overall é um 7,5/10
- New to me album - Never Let Me Down Again is the highlight - Very Good
This album got better as it went along. The arc of the album seemed to go from light to dark. I much prefer the back half featuring deeper/darker tones. Frankly I think need to spend more time with this album because the more I listen I bet the more i'd like.
Felt like I was watching the build up to a fight or some sort of heist movie listening to this music.
Spannend, ursprünglich nicht mein Ding, aber jetzt über die Jahre...Super! c
Pretty, pretty, pretty good!
Really good! Would listen again! Nostalgic new wave.
Violator is a favourite album and I swore I’ve listened to all DM had to offer. I haven’t. I knew the main single and that was it. This is how I like my DM - moody, synthy, dark. Adding this to the regular rotation!
Du très bon Dépêche Mode!
I'm familiar with a few of the songs off this album. This was enjoyable. Maybe not my favorite collection of Depeche Mode songs, but still good.
Another 80's winner from DM featuring classics like Strangelove, Never Let Me Down Again, & Behind The Wheel. Production by the legendary Dave Bascombe is always an x-factor!
You know, if I had listened to this album when I was in my teens, it'd be a 3 star album. The only knock is the lyrics are... teeny. But the songs are sick AF.
Nomen est omen. Not their best work but nonetheless very good.
5/5 Genial, envolvente, trasporta al futuro.
Classic dad album
Good stuff. 4/5 Highlights: The Things You Said Strangelove Pimpf
I've always liked this band for its dance songs with their rhythmic beats. I remember when I first heard them, I thought their sound was different from what was on the radio at the time.The opening song of this album is pure Depeche Mode. I liked the low key sound to the song, "The Things You Said". I liked really Dave Gahan's voice which helped to make this music easy to listen to for me. Song I liked the least was: "Pimpf" the piano was too repetitious and the song had an ominous sound that I just couldn't connect with. Song I liked the most was, "I Want You Now" but I could have done without all the heavy breathing.
I didn't care for this at the time despite being a DM superfan in high school, but it has grown on me, esp "Never Let Me Down Again." Assuming this is about Dave Gahan's then burgeoning addictions, it's poignant and a little heartbreaking. "The Things You Said" and "Behind the Wheel" lean into Kraftwerk territory to great effect, and "Little 15" brings all the eldergoths to the yard. There's a lot of the experimental-y musique concrete stuff I liked them for, so I'm not sure what my deal was. I think it was that regular people liked "Strangelove" and had to rectify that one of my favorite bands was actually popular. (Cue "To Have And To Hold" as I close my yearbook and put it back on the shelf.)
Depeche Mode had certainly come a long way from the upbeat synthpop of “Just Can’t Get Enough,” released six years earlier. This music is much darker, which I appreciate, and more sophisticated. I also detect a generous measure of theatricality — literally. “Pimpf” sounds made for the stage, with its timpani and multi-part composition, while “Little 15” also brings the drama. These guys played an important role in showing how to create evocative and atmospheric music using the synthesizer.
I bought this record new and saw them on this tour, so I am biased towards loving this record because it came out at the exact perfect time in my life to hear it.
Bringing electronic to the masses. 3.8* rounded up. First listened to on the RER B after a post-Aussie hike around St-Remy-Les-Chevreux