Music for the Masses

This Depeche Mode gets a high 3, disappointing after hearing Violator first. Great production but the vocals lack the hooks needed to carry the vibe.

#5 Though album title was more like a joke because the band did not considered their music for the masses, today it feels like a general 80-s synth pop/rock music. Also this album heavy influenced and somewhat defined the Russian rock scene in the end of the 80s: Kino, Nautilus Pompilius, Agata Kristi. So it's highly praised in Russia. As a child of the 80s I get very nostalgic listening to this darker tunes.

Some bangers, some songs are just 80's leftovers.

Some exquisite songs (or, more precisely, sounds) on here - that’s for sure. It’s amazing how Depeche Mode once again made use of the intriguing rhythmic backdrop and the layering of instruments to create the very dynamics that make their best songs so instantly memorable. I mean, these pulsating synth/bass lines hardly ever miss, do they? That being said, apart from the obvious highlight, opener ‘Never Let Me Down Again”, Music for the Masses somehow never manages to step out of the shadows of its predecessor (Black Celebration) and its towering follow-up (Violator). I’d say that Music for the Masses is at its best when it either reaches for the rougher, industrial edge that defined Black Celebration (“To Have and to Hold”) or foreshadows the brilliant melange of post-industrial new wave and pop sensibilities that would eventually make Violator a stone-cold classic (“Strangelove”). I know it’s not a common opinion, but I see Music for the Masses as a purely transitional record, with some meandering duds (“Behind the Wheel”, “Sacred”) and some experiments with mixed results, such as the Kraftwerk-esque ballad “The Things You Said” or the operatically tinged closer “Pimpf”. Depeche Mode weren’t quite ready to embrace a more fully realised pop approach yet; they were caught somewhere between what lay behind them and what lay ahead.

Much like with Radiohead (whom I had the pleasure of reviewing yesterday), I’m also surprised by the hype surrounding Depeche Mode beyond their big hits. “Music For The Masses” is certainly not a bad album, but at some point you’ve already heard the beat and all the signature effects—and then there just isn’t much left to offer. To me, Depeche Mode remains a moderately good British band from the ’80s that had a few big hits in 1990.

I can understand why people love them so much. Unique Depeche Mode sound and style. Im not the biggest fan of the 80's music (which I believe is the worst decade), but I kind of enjoyed listen to this record.

I recognize that this is objectively very good and influential music, but it didn't really do anything for me in the moment

Was decent - 6/10

Depeche Mode, de allereerste artiest van deze muziekreis! Destijds Violater 4 sterren gegeven en daar sta ik eigenlijk nog steeds achter. Dit album is wat ouder en dat merk je ergens ook wel, ik heb sterk het idee dat ze hier hun 'sound' nog aan het zoeken zijn. Betekend overigens niet dat ik de muziek ook minder vind hoor. Wel hoor je al die kenmerkende Depeche Mode stijl, het voelt vaak vrij duister maar daardoor ook ontzettend episch. Luister naar bijvoorbeeld Little 15 waar de zang zo gedragen word dat ik met mijn ogen dicht niets anders voor kan stellen dan een gigantische gothische kerk. Mooi contrast met Behind the wheel dat eigenlijk een van de meer dansbare nummers is. Pimpf als afsluiter is bizar. Dat is echt volle volle bak op de gothische, epische muziek. Hierna moest ik eigenlijk gewoon even bijkomen, mazzel dat het dan ook het laatste nummer was want wát een reis was dat! Violator is een stuk toegankelijker, interessant om te merken dat dit album al Music for the masses heet, terwijl het album daarna een stuk meer voldoet aan die benaming. Nu ben ik geen gigantische expert van Depeche Mode, dus het zou kunnen dat dit al een stijlbreuk is. Het enige wat ik weet is dat Violator een stuk beter is, dit is een goed album, maar wel een die ik niet heel snel nog een keer zal luisteren. Tenzij ik enorm in de mood ben voor duistere, gothische, melancholische muziek dan! FAVO: Strangelove, Behind the wheel, Nothing

I'm mean it's fine

Very low impact tunes for me

Très mid. Pas bcp de cohérence entre les morceaux et pas vraiment d'émotions dans les musiques et les mélodies. Une bonne outro quand même qui remonte un peu l'album.

An interesting, singular sounding record with some cool, atmospheric soundscapes but not quite as catchy or pop-laden as Violator, which is home to all the hits.

I liked this! Interesting vibes - like a cross between Kate Bush and OMD

I think I got this album out from my library when I went through my Depeche Mode discovery phase. Never let me down was always a favourite. Strange Love another hit. I forgot about good tracks like Little 15. Some of the production is a little indulgent and the vocals are what the kids would call simping now, but teenage me lapped it up and it was nice to hear those tracks again.

📢📢📢

Enjoyed it. Not my usual go-to but I can see why they are so popular.

3.6

I found this oddly satisfying to listen, although I am was never a big fan of theirs 🙏

A very moody, catchy little ‘80s album that I wound up enjoying the sounds & lyrics of a lot more than I expected going into it. Very cool ideas on this one!

meh. chill. just chill.

Mostly great. 2 or 3 weak songs let it down.

Opet se ja ponadao da ace biti nesto brutalno i da ce mi se svidjeti zato sto je kao elektronska muzika, a kad ono razocaralo. Nije uzasno kakvih je albuma ovdje bilo, ali bas ispod ocekivanja.

Cool album, probably changed the game for a lot of people. 6.3/10

Rikmanns Simple Minds leverer en solid prestasjon som nok gjør Hyvold våt i øya++. Mye kult og lite å trekke for, uten å virkelig blåse meg av banen. En finfin 4er.

Liker det litt majestetiske. Favorittspor "Little 15". Ikke en sterk 4 PS. Den pustingen på "I want you now" kan imidlertid du få billig av meg....

Erketypisk 80-talls sound på albumet. Noen veldig bra sanger.

Starter veldig bra, men klarer ikke å holde nivået for min del. Det blir for sært på feil måte for min del, så da vipper det akkurat ned til 3 for min del. Hører gjerne mer på Depeche Mode, men ikke så mye av dette albumet

Bra album fra et veldig bra band! Flere veldig catchye låter, og jevnt over sterkt. Noe litt rart, men det tåler jeg. Sterk 4

Yep, this is music for me.

Began a formula that they imo perfected with Violator. Not huge on the extended intro of Strangelove on this, but that’s not a huge gripe.

Very 80s

So sleek and glossy it could be chrome plated.

Dreadful. Is half of this even music?

It was fine, but nothing really grabbed me.

Some high highs and low lows on this one. I think this is my first time actually ever listening to Depeche Mode which is crazy because I feel like they are big in the cultural zeitgeist Best Song: Never Let Me Down Again Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4

Stronger album than I remember - good collection of songs and the production sounds great

Not my speed

So dull

🕶️✨🎤🖤👾

Matches the late October Halloween vibe, but not my own vibe. Also Pimpf - fully thought my dryer broke or someone was stumbling around my basement...did not like

It's a rare thing for an album with a title as big as Music For The Masses to have the quality of content to fit that billing. Although it was most certainly intended in a tongue-in-cheek way, Depeche Mode finally broke America with this outing and were well on their way to international superstardom. The band had recently hired photographer Anton Corbijn to overhaul their public image and supplied them with the best music videos of the late 1980s, and with a new found swagger the band had written a slate of songs worthy of all this transition. Never Let Me Down Again and Strangelove are two of the most iconic songs in their entire discography and lead a bevy of powerhouse singles that helped earn Music For The Masses its much deserved iconic status.

good

Day1016 - strangelove has always been one of my favorites

What a fucking mood.

Welp, this sounds exactly how I thought a band called Depeche Mode would sound. This kind of sounds like what would happen if you take that Joy Division album and sanded off the rough edges (and turned the synth way up). I like the layering, love the building tension on Pimpf that's released in a puff of smoke. Ok, I guess I like Depeche Mode.

Very solid stuff. I liked it.

Not my Cup of tea

I really like Depeche Mode. I love Violator. Music For The Masses has some great songs such as Never Let Me Down Again. But as an entire album I give this a “good”.

Album : 50/1089 Songs known going in : 1 Favourite song : Never let me down Rating : 4/5

Depeche Mode at their most “voice calling you from outer space”.

I wish Depeche Mode for this album would stick in either direction: more dance vibes or more introspective synth pop. AutoTune would've carried the vocals so hard, they're monotone to me (2.5-3).

Not for the masses

Classic of all the times! I loved it and I will always love despeche mode music and vibe.

Meh, if you love your 80s synths, you'll be right at home here, but I didn't find a lot of interest in the songs themselves. Dave Gahan's vocals tend to be fairly monotone, which grates over a whole album. And the songs are nothing special on here, certainly nothing hitworthy and merely a filler album between their earlier poppy stuff and when they went truly megahuge with Violator.

Another 80’s electronic English band. Shocking. So bland and monotonous.

It’s rock & roll, but drab and mostly boring. There is nothing I connected with on this album. Disappointing to say the least.

I bought this album on cassette because I thought the cover looked cool. I listened to it once. I don’t trust people who like Depeche Mode.

Synth pop with a dark ominous tone. Kinda like it.

This is a great album! I vividly remember this one growing up in my sister’s room. I used to sneak the cassette out and listen to it when she wasn’t home. It was too sacred to even dubb. I don’t know if it is actually Goth, but there a lot of darker elements than their previous albums. This is also an album much in the vein of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in that there are not a lot of hits, but the album is so cohesive that it becomes iconic, which is ironic considering its title. The radio classic Never Let Me Down Again starts the story. It’s intriguing that this came just two years after Bowie’s electro-pop album with almost the same name. Depeche Mode’s version is admittedly better. Songs like Sacred which incorporated the chimes, or Little 15 which strongly questions the nature of religion, or Strangelove which address the concepts of sin, add to the mystique. Even the choral arrangements like Pimpf (again with the chimes) feels nefarious and apocalyptic. I was going to give this a three but the more I write it feels like it deserves more.

Random thoughts: * I've always been a fan of the early Depeche Mode music (pre-Violator) but only experienced via the live album 101 and singles compilation. Damn! I was missing out. * This is a great album and I can see why this was their breakthrough artistic statement. It really is an album of sounds and collections and truly artistic in its endeavor. * Strangelove kinda gets into you soul and brain and you will be humming the chorus over and over. * The orchestral tracks lend gravitas to the whole endeavor and add to the experience even if they aren't singles. * Lots of great tracks on here. * Time to go full goth and blast Music for The Masses.

This is great. I always dig a Depeche Mode record. I like the deep dark dance and experimental bits. Its like blues but electronic. I think I like the other Depeche Mode record in this project, this one kind of feels like George Michael a bit more than I typically like. I liked this!

Beautiful

Very boring 80s music that I didn’t enjoy all too much.

Solid record with DM's signature sound, but the songwriting falls a little flat on this album for me. There are only a few standout tracks. I vastly prefer Violator.

has several great tracks; taken together with Violator, I might get into Depeche Mode after all

Ei aivan Violatorin tasoa, mutta kauaksi ei jää. Tällä levyllä kolme singlelohkaisua (Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove ja Behind the Wheel) ovat kiistatta ne parhaat biisit, mutta kokonaisuus on erittäin vahva. Synkkäsävyinen atmosfääri pysyy vahvana ja soundit ovat kestäneet aikaa hyvin. Music for the Masses on sinänsä osuva nimi, koska levy kuulostaa siltä kuin biisit soitettaisiin livenä isolla stadionilla.

Really good one.

Enjoyed this one. Depeche Mode have a great and sound which they maintain while they matured over the years. Great voice too.

I personally find a lot of earlier Depeche Mode a little hard to access, because their lyrics and the singing don't really do it for me. Having said that, these dudes certainly know how to build electronic music. This is heavy synth, yet it doesn't seem to be a fossil from the era. Their ability to sample and try new sounds creates a new sonic experience. This was the first album that really hit it big outside of the UK, and I can see how people heard this and became fans. So I'm rating it on that.

Interesting bridge between their campy, earlier work, and the more gothy, 90s output.

never letting it down again

Depeche Mode is such an acquired taste. This is not their best album.

C cool

Solid album. Surprising how sexy his voice is all these years later.

yeah idk what to tell u.... its depeche mode. not really sure i have anything new to say that i didn't already cover last time we got one of their albums. but obviously, it's good. i havent listened to this album in forever but i think my opinion of it is more or less unchanged in that time, which is to say, i don't like it as much as violator or black celebration (still sore over that one being excluded from the list) but it's still great. i think it mostly just comes down to having less stand out bangers than those two? like, "never let me down again" and "behind the wheel" are both great, and "strangelove" is an absolute all timer that got stuck in my head again after just one listen, despite how i wasn't even fully focused on it. but the rest.... i do really enjoy stuff like the dive into a much darker, fully industrial sound on "to have and to hold" and the pulsing grunts on "i want you now", but somehow it just doesn't really stick so well in my head i guess? idk. there's no tracks i'd ever skip, but its not getting 100% of my attention 100% of the time. it's still a 4 tho. a weaker depeche mode album is still a depeche mode album.

Didn't like this one that much. Their previous albums are better or a lot better than this one. Didn't heared one outstanding track on this album. So: 3/5

Appreciate DM. Not every day

En resumen: me gusta

One to keep.

I don't get it.

It brings back many memories.

This is another record where I have heard the singles, but never really heard the album itself. This is evidently the album that transformed the band into a massive act that could fill stadiums. You can definitely hear the band moving towards the sound that you hear on Violator (which I have heard.) I'm really tempted towards describing the band as an attempt to nudge some of the sounds heard with EBM towards the mainstream. You hear the emphasis on rhythm and moodiness that you get from bands like Nitzer Ebb and Front 242, but with melody and less lyrical repetition. There are even moments where you get sounds from the band that wouldn't be out of place on a Pet Shop Boys album and a couple gestures to the longer history of electronic music. Overall, I think this works pretty well. It's a pretty solid record and the worst songs on this are still pretty good, while there are some very good songs on this album.

This album made me think about a gay guy getting sucked off at a rest stop and thinking to himself, "isn't it wonderful we still have 3rd spaces?"

Love this album, it's the bridge between my two favorite albums of theirs (Black Celebration and Violator) and incorporates some tricks and techniques from each to create both danceable bangers and haunting, disturbing ambient soundscapes. Little bit of everything, they do it all so well. Never Let Me Down Again and Strangelove are especially some of my favorite songs that the band have released. Special mention to b-side Pleasure, Little Treasure too, not part of the main tracklist but hits every time.

Great electronic pop album. They had always been a band I knew through jokes and reference but not their music, and it’s really good.

Dark, cold - the 80s is dying and we live in a dystopia. Honestly such a flawless vibe that tons of modern bands look to replicate it. Nothing stands out on this album, but the feel and consistency throughout really make it interesting.

I love the 80s sounds...ughhh/ I just love Depeche Mode

Major growth spurt that bridges the first five albums to Violator and beyond.

This is the kind of album you put in a coming of age movie that takes place in the 80s and they are at an arcade and are wearing legwarmers and Jessica with her ginormous hair is flirting with Mike who is wearing a shirt that is too small for him and somehow they are also rollerskating and also wearing neon clothes. Mike turned her down btw.

Music to sway to, good stuff if a little samey

Eh. Not bad but not really a fan of the 80s production. Maybe I'll like Violator more when it comes up.

On first listen I found it incredibly dull. Second time around I had warmed a little to it.

Pretty boring, if I’m being honest. Depeche Mode have a vibe and I did not feel it on this record. 2.0/5.0 Best Song: Behind The Wheel

Never let me down is doing ALL the lifting on here. Dissapointing to have such a good song first followed by a load of filler.

Its music for the masses!

Favourite tracks: Strangelove, Never Let Me Down Again, Behind the Wheel

The album Catching Up with Depeche Mode is all I need to hear from this group. The album definitely has the sound of Depeche Mode but lacks the excitement of some other other work.

I loved this album when it was released in my junior year of HS, but like many album selections from this project it had fallen off my radar. Listening to it again sure brings back a lot of memories. There were other contemporary bands who did dark and broody better and other bands who did the synth-pop better, but Depeche Mode combined these styles better than almost everyone else. This was the album where they first integrated the two into their distinct sound. The integration of guitars made the music more sonically interesting and more accessible to the masses. See what I did there? When it was released, Music for the Masses was influential in helping take electronically driven music mainstream. It also influenced many acts that followed, like NIN, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead and many others. It is a solid album, with an important place in music history and absolutely belongs on this list. Fun fact, I saw them on this tour!

They have a well defined sound and they don’t stray from it