Where 1986's Black Celebration was their first step away from a more electronic sound to an industrial/rock hybrid, Depeche Mode's Music for the Masses is known as the album that established the modern sound of the band. Featuring classic songs like "Strangelove" and "Never Let Me Down Again", the album became a staple of the burgeoning alternative music radio genre in America at the time.
The album's release was also accompanied by Depeche Mode's largest American arena tour to date - including a Rose Bowl appearance that drew 90,000 fans - proving that they truly did make "music for the masses." Being able to pull together a large scale tour while still only charting at #50 in the United States (with the remixed version of "Strangelove '88") was a pretty gangster move, of the sort usually reserved for classic rock acts making a comeback. It sent a message to the music industry that radio alone was not an indicator of a band's viability.
In addition to the well known songs on Masses, there are some amazingly intimate tracks that make one feel as if lead singer David Gahan is whispering in your ear with every listen. The mid-album trio of "Little 15," "Behind the Wheel," and "I Want You Now" gives a slow, sensual lull that rolls into a final nod to their electronic roots on the album's final three tracks. Depeche Mode manages to touch on every aspect and incarnation of their sound on the album, ensuring it provides something for all fans.
After the release of Music for the Masses, "the Mode" would go on to make a live album and DVD called 101, documenting their masses tour. The DVD is mainly shown through the eyes of fans who were handpicked to tour with the band, but it also features interviews with Depeche Mode where they pose the rhetorical question: "is this the pinnacle of our careers?"
It was - of course - not, as the 1990 album Violator would go on to feature some of the band's biggest hits, including "Personal Jesus" and "Policy of Truth". Violator also became the largest selling album in their catalogue.
Courtney
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