Depeche Mode is an album band. Their singles are not even the best songs on most or their albums.
If Martin wanted to write hit singles, he could do so easily. I bet thier are loads of them in his trash can.

Posted by David on Tuesday, 04/23/2013 @ 10:14am

Be honest there are only 2-3 bands/acts which survived from the 80s

for example u2. bon jovi, madonna and depeche mode

they are still successful. DM can sell out arenas in the us and worldwide. Each of their albums sell at least 1,5 million worldwide.

What happened to other 80s acts? They are poor bankrupt or want to make a comeback on low profiled reunion shows on the tv

DEPECHE MODE are even cited as inspiration by young artists like RIHANNA or FRANK OCEAN

their last hit they had in the year 2006 with precious which was ignored by us radio but still managed to reach # 71 on the hot 100

Posted by Christian on Saturday, 01/18/2014 @ 12:43pm

Depeche Mode deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

How many bands can sell out 3 nights in Los Angeles, let alone be from the 80's and still be around.

I don't know of too many groups that have been remixed as often as DM has.

Along with Kraftwerk (SP?) they helped pioneered synth music

Posted by FarbonCiber on Tuesday, 02/18/2014 @ 18:59pm

Depeche Mode made Personal Jesus & Enjoy The Silence my FAV of the band. Their music was hit & miss with me. I think they deserve induction but I hope Duran Duran & The Cure make it before them.

Music For The Masses & Violator were Classic albums. I read somewhere that they sold over 100 million units. That's impressive. They are deserving RRHOF. KING

Posted by KING on Thursday, 02/20/2014 @ 22:41pm

Reasons to include DM In HOF:

Longevity, able to sustain creativity and original album tracks over 26 years plus.

Violator, often voted a must have and classic album of its era

Influenced many acts the best being La Roux and Hurts

Diversity. Listen to Martin's ballads eg Home and contrast with up tempo rockier tracks. Effortless.

Distinctiveness., You know it's them. Electro synth beats, plus baritone vocals of DG. unmistakable.

The live performance. Always a truly professional performance with one of the top five best frontmen in the business.

Sales, speak for themselves.

Loyal fan base in particular across Europe where DM are a household name. This fan base if sustained and consistent.

Don't be mad, get them in the half of fame please.

Posted by Fiona on Wednesday, 06/18/2014 @ 17:37pm

They should be in already, also Joy Division, The Smiths and The Cure.

Posted by BulmaPunkRocker on Sunday, 07/6/2014 @ 22:54pm

Wow! It has been 2 years since a post here for Depeche mode. Maybe the support and fan base is finally starting to wane.

I hope not. Probably a new album nest year and I feel it is almost ther tun within the next 2-3 years for the hall of fame.

The band just needs one last push of support and they can rat where they belong, in immortality, the HOF

Posted by Brian on Tuesday, 09/20/2016 @ 01:35am

Finally a nomination for them, it'a about time

Posted by Christian on Tuesday, 10/18/2016 @ 15:38pm

https://www.rockhall.com/nominee/depeche-mode

The eligibility year for Depeche Mode is wrong on the Rock Hall website. It says 2016, and it's supposed to be 2006.

Posted by Roy on Saturday, 10/7/2017 @ 09:42am

Apparently Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top is a fan of Depeche Mode and Ministry. Speaking of Depeche Mode, he says, ‘"It’s the home of Master and Servant and People are People. I am constantly impressed with how they meld a bleak world view with synch and turn it all into great pop music. That’s alchemy!"

https://lonestar925.iheart.com/content/2018-02-11-billy-gibbons-depeche-mode-and-ministry-changed-my-life/

Now why can’t all classic rockers think this way and recognize the importance of new wave and alternative bands. Maybe more of those bands can get inducted but the voting body is too stubborn and out of touch. It’s borderline criminal bands like Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Cure, and Joy Divison/New Order are not in the HOF yet.

Posted by Nick on Monday, 02/12/2018 @ 11:13am

Nick, Ministry is touring over here this Spring. They will be in Cincinnati around April or so. It is in middle of week & I am working now, so I must pass. If it was a Fri/Sat show, I'd be there for sure!

Posted by Paul in KY on Monday, 02/12/2018 @ 18:56pm

Reasons why Depeche Mode should be in the Hall Of Fame:

1. Their band history.
DM has one of the most intriguing band histories of all time. From being computer geeks in 1981, to nearly falling apart in 1997, to arena tours in 2017, it's definitely worth reading. Also, Depeche Mode sold more tickets in 2017 than JUSTIN BEIBER AND ED SHEERAN. If that's not impressive, I don't know what is.

2. Their fan base.
DM has one of the most dedicated fan bases of all time. Ranging from 5 year olds to 50 year olds, their music stretches out to every age group. Also, there's billions of Violator tattoos online.

3. Their hit singles.
DM released 53 singles, each one of them hits. From 1981's New Life, to 2017's Cover Me. 1982's Leave In Silence to 2013's Should Be Higher. 1984's People Are People to 1993's Walking In My Shoes. Don't even get me started on the singles for Violator.

4. Their songs in general.
You can take away their singles, and still have amazing and unique songs. From In Your Room and Insight, to Get The Balance Right! To Behind The Wheel, even the more obscure songs are brilliant (I Feel Loved, In Your Room, It's Called A Heart, Suffer Well, e.t.c.)

5. Their albums in general.
They released over 14 albums in their band time as of now. They started off in 1981 with Speak And Spell and then released an album for the next 3 years, then came back in '85 with Black Celebration. They then reached the big time with Music For The Masses and Violator. They also got their first #1 hit with Songs Of Faith And Devotion. Their last album was 2017's Spirit.

6. Their concerts.
Lasting almost over 40 years, they toured to critical acclaim. The most popular of these was the Music For The Masses. They even released a DVD and live album for the last concert at the Rose Bowl (101). Their shows still sell out.

and last but not least...

7. Their massive influence.
DM has influenced so many bands, it's not even funny. No Doubt, Linkin Park, Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, Deftones, and that's not even all of them. They were also a major influence on indie rock and frequently considered one of the greatest new wave AND 80's bands of all time.

That's about it.

Posted by Michael on Thursday, 11/1/2018 @ 15:40pm

@ Michael

Yep, with the Cars now in as the catalyst of New Wave, your comment goes to show how much I want the Cure and Duran Duran to get an induction in a few years from now; that should be enough support for Depeche Mode - I could see them to be part of the 2022 Class.

Posted by The Dude on Thursday, 11/1/2018 @ 15:52pm

If the RRHOF can find some way to shoehorn Joy Division and New Order together as one band (really is there much of a precedent for their situation in the RRHOF? I'm not aware of anything like it in there.), then perhaps they could see it possible to do, in one fell swoop, a triumvirate of Kraftwerk, JD/NO, and DM all in one year, and SATB the next. Putting The Cure in has opened the floodgates wide, and they have some Catching Up to do (With Depeche Mode).

Posted by Gary on Saturday, 12/29/2018 @ 21:18pm

There is a precedent. The Faces and Small Faces were jointly inducted, and so were Parliament and Funkadelic. I’d not be surprised if the same would happen to Joy Division & New Order. It would be great to have Joy Division / New Order, Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk inducted in the same year, but I don’t see it happening, seeing how difficult it is to get the 80s alternative in. I’m certain that the induction of The Cure, Roxy Music and Radiohead has opened the door for these acts, but I’m sceptical that it would happen in the same year.

Posted by The_Claw on Sunday, 12/30/2018 @ 04:11am

Interesting article.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nme.com/music-interviews/anton-corbijn-depeche-mode-biggest-cult-band-world-2570435/amp

Posted by Timothy Pernell on Friday, 11/22/2019 @ 09:09am

Depeche Mode merece ser inducido al Salon de La Fama por su trayectoria !!!y su permanencia en la música.

Posted by Laura Dagna on Tuesday, 01/14/2020 @ 18:20pm

Congratulations to Depeche Mode! Thrilled that they are finally in.

Posted by RG on Wednesday, 01/15/2020 @ 11:02am

Now that Depeche Mode is (deservedly) in, I wonder if that will mean five more votes for Kraftwerk to finally make the cut?

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, 01/29/2020 @ 01:11am

@ Joe

Make that six, since NIN's Trent Reznor is on the same class with Depeche Mode. I've heard a rumor about this: when Kraftwerk was nominated in 2019, they had enough votes to get inducted - but they were snubbed in favor of Janet Jackson.

It probably happened to them again this year with Whitney Houston.

Posted by The Dude on Wednesday, 01/29/2020 @ 07:15am

I don't think Vince Clarke deserves induction as he only appears on one DM album. And Fletch doesn't either because he appears on no albums. :P

Posted by WILLIAM F. TELL on Wednesday, 02/19/2020 @ 18:08pm

I'm surprised they included Vince Clarke (Erasure * Yazoo / Yaz) in the induction. Good though.

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 08/20/2020 @ 17:00pm

Congratulations to the members of Depeche Mode on their 2020 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction. By the way, your video packages and induction speeches had been really quite superlative.

Well, what do you think?

Posted by Enigmaticus on Sunday, 11/22/2020 @ 20:36pm

Overall, I am not very familiar with Depeche Mode's discography, but their recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction had inspired me to start collecting their material. Thus far, I now own a greatest hits collection, "The Best of Depeche Mode Volume 1" and the BluRay/cd version of "Spirits In The Forest." I am also definitely thinking of getting "Violator," in the not too distant future. So, what on earth had inspired me to start collecting their discography? Dave Gahan's humorous Rock Hall induction speech and ZZTop's Billy Gibbons' personal endorsement of this particular artist, plus I actually like some of their song videos (especially 'Personal Jesus,' 'Enjoy The Silence' and 'Where's The Revolution' quite a bit.

Well, what do you think?

Posted by Enigmaticus on Wednesday, 11/25/2020 @ 22:49pm

Overall, I am not very familiar with Depeche Mode's discography, but their recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction had definitely inspired me to start collecting their material. Thus far, I now own a greatest hits collection, "The Best of Depeche Mode Volume 1" and the BluRay/cd version of "Spirits In The Forest." I am also also thinking of getting "Violator," in the not too distant future. So, what on earth had inspired me to start collecting their discography? Dave Gahan's humorous Rock Hall induction speech, Win Butler's, Chris Martin's, Charlize Theron's and ZZTop's Billy Gibbons' personal endorsements of this particular artist, plus I actually happen to like some of their song videos (especially 'Personal Jesus,' 'Enjoy The Silence' and 'Where's The Revolution') quite a bit.

Well, what do you think?

Posted by Enigmaticus on Wednesday, 11/25/2020 @ 23:50pm

Nick Bambach,

I have read your piece on Depeche Mode, "Strangelove: Why Depeche Mode's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Matters." May I suggest that you make the following change in your blog- I remember sitting there and memorized by the dark lyrics to "I remember sitting there and being mesmerized by the dark lyrics?" Otherwise, your piece works very well.

Thank you.

Posted by Enigmaticus on Friday, 11/27/2020 @ 08:39am

Engimaticus,
It's fixed and thanks for pointing it out. Sometimes autocorrect gets the best of us. If you need some recommended DM songs, I'll gladly recommend songs for you. If you haven't done so already, listen to 'Black Celebration' ASAP, it's IMO their best album and arguably the one most DM fans pick as their favorite.

Posted by Nick on Friday, 11/27/2020 @ 09:39am

Nick,

You are very welcome, unfortunately your piece still needs the linking verb 'being,' prior to mesmerized. I just thought that you should know.

Thank you.


Meanwhile, perhaps you can explain the virtual farm animals used in the "Spirits In The Forest" concert? I have just ordered the extended version of "Violator" with the accompanying dvd, by the way.

Posted by Enigmaticus on Friday, 11/27/2020 @ 15:41pm

Have no clue about the virtual farm animals and don't even remember them being in the movie. I saw it in theaters a year ago so maybe my memory is off. You can also email me directly on my site if you have any questions or comments too. I'm sometimes not on FRL as often. Thanks for your support.

Posted by Nick on Friday, 11/27/2020 @ 16:02pm

And also here's the full film version of DA Pennebaker documentary DEPECHE MODE 101 (1989) which is one of my all-time favorite movies and one of the best concert films ever . It's hard to find a copy of this one on DVD but there's usually a copy floating online somewhere. You will get a good sense of their popularity right before 'Violator' and became huge in America. I was also a guest on a podcast last spring discussing this doc that may be of interest to you.

https://vimeo.com/189490503

Posted by Nick on Friday, 11/27/2020 @ 16:06pm

Nick,

Lately, I have been listening to quite a few songs by Depeche Mode. I had purchased their video collection Depeche Mode Video Singles Collection and the extended version of Violator on cd and dvd.

Well, what do you think?

Posted by Enigmaticus on Saturday, 12/19/2020 @ 14:51pm

Enig, I know this question was intended for Nick and not myself, but let me just say one thing: I think you're a smart man for wanting to explore Depeche Mode's music.

Posted by John Mangee on Saturday, 12/19/2020 @ 16:04pm

John Mangee,

Thank you. Yes, I had certainly left them off my listening list for several decades, but the "Spirits Of The Forest" BluRay and their 2020 induction presentation had definitely piqued my interest in Depeche Mode.

Well, what do you think?

Posted by Enigmaticus on Saturday, 12/19/2020 @ 16:37pm

Nick,

This year, I have really become quite fascinated by Depeche Mode's most recent works. Thus far, I have given 3 "Spirits In The Forest" packages on BluRay as gifts and 1 "Spirits In The Forest" package on DVD as a gift. I have also given 2 Depeche Mode "Video Singles Collections" as gifts. So I may order a few more Depeche Mode "Video Singles Collections" in the not too distant future, since the other person would appreciate the aforementioned item. Meanwhile, I am really looking forward to purchasing an extended version of "Songs Of Faith and Devotion" when they have them available. My next two purchases will probably be "Spirit," "Playing The Angel" and "Songs Of The Universe" on cd.

Well, what do you think?

Posted by Enigmaticus on Tuesday, 12/29/2020 @ 19:59pm

Charlize Theron barely spoke. How is she credited as the presenter for Depeche Mode?

Posted by Roy on Friday, 01/1/2021 @ 04:11am

R.I.P. Andy Fletcher. A great musician gone too soon.

Posted by Steve Z on Thursday, 05/26/2022 @ 14:16pm

Rest in Peace Andy "Fletch" Fletcher, 1961-2022.

Posted by Joe S. on Thursday, 05/26/2022 @ 15:12pm

RIP Fletch.

Posted by J.W. on Thursday, 05/26/2022 @ 15:22pm

Depeche Mode Keyboardist Andy 'Fletch' Fletcher Dead at 60
Rock Hall of Fame musician co-founded the group in 1980 and remained with them for more than 40 years
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/depeche-mode-andy-fletch-fletcher-dead-1359207/

Alan White, Drummer for Yes and John Lennon, Dead at 72
Alongside 50 years in Yes, Hall of Famer also played on George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass' and Lennon's "Imagine" and "Instant Karma"
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/yes-drummer-alan-white-dead-72-1359113/

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 05/26/2022 @ 17:38pm

My most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Andy Fletcher on his untimely passing at the age of 60. Since I am also 60 years old, his passing really hits home. Over the past several years, I have become more enamored of Depeche Mode's output and although Dave Gahan and Martin Gore are the main songwriters in Depeche Mode, the late Andy Fletcher's keyboard work had certainly helped Depeche Mode to define their sound. Andy Fletcher will surely be missed.

Well, what do you think?

Posted by Enigmaticus on Friday, 05/27/2022 @ 05:47am

Depeche were always a pretty overhyped band, really. Kraftwerk gave credibility to electronic music, and then people like Numan, OMD and Human League innovated the 80s synth scene. Depeche kinda jumped on that bandwagon and also began trading on tired rock 'n' roll cliche: the "sexy" frontman with his exposed chest and hair swinging around, an increasing distorted guitar quotient in the music, people having "drug problems", egos clashing internally, and so on. Oh, and their songs are always about "the pain" and all that crap. Try doing a Kumbaya once an album, eh?

Posted by Kristof on Tuesday, 02/20/2024 @ 10:17am