What Are Depeche Mode’s 5 Biggest US Hits?

Many bands who went the synth-pop route in the 80s struggled to maintain much longevity beyond the genre’s heady early days. Depeche Mode defied that trend to the point where people still eagerly await any new music from them 40 years down the road.

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Although they enjoyed many more pop hits in their native UK, the band did pretty well on the US charts. Here are the five Depeche Mode songs that scored the best on the American Top 40.

5. “I Feel You” – No. 38 in 1993

Depeche Mode struggled to find the right way of following up their massive Violator album and the tour that accompanied it. Artistic differences, intra-band squabbles, and the pressure that they faced all added up to a more disjointed album in Songs Of Faith And Devotion. The fact that “I Feel You”, which sounds more like a mood piece of an album track, was chosen as the first single reflects that struggle. Still, the grinding blues track represented a fascinating side of the band.

4. “Personal Jesus” – No. 28 in 1989

Fans thought they had an idea of what to expect from Depeche Mode. But “Personal Jesus” was not at all what anybody expected. That made the decision to send it out as a single in 1989, months ahead of the release of the Violator album, an extremely bold one. And it paid off in a major way. No one could have guessed that they’d churn out a guitar-driven single with plenty of open spaces. Martin Gore wrote it after reading Priscilla Presley’s book Elvis And Me. Dave Gahan added vocals caught somewhere between menace and seduction.

3. “Policy Of Truth” – No. 15 in 1990

Sinewy and sleek, “Policy Of Truth” stood out amidst some of the more bloated songs in pop and R&B in 1990. Writer Martin Gore makes an interesting case against honesty throughout the track. There are multiple lyrical and musical hooks that keep popping up throughout the song. The minimal embellishment on the part of the players, right down to Dave Gahan’s measured vocal, lends it something of a New Wave feel. It’s just another reason why Violator stands as one of the most towering achievements by any band in the 90s.

2. “People Are People” – No. 13 in 1984

Depeche Mode released some of its most groundbreaking and adored music in the mid- to late 80s. But none of those songs could do much on US pop radio, although several did extremely well on the dance charts. As a result, it looked for a while like their first pop hit would also be their last. That first hit was “People Are People”, of course. Martin Gore’s message is a relatively simple, albeit timeless, one of unity. But the thrilling percussion somehow adds surprises every step of the way to keep it from being trite in any way.

1. “Enjoy The Silence” – No. 8 in 1990

Depeche Mode’s biggest ever US hit started as something of a dirge. Martin Gore had created demos for the Violator album that were intentionally spare and unpolished so that the band could add its input. In the case of “Enjoy The Silence”, Gore reluctantly handed off the song, which he envisioned as quiet to match the “silence” of the theme, to producer Flood and keyboardist Alan Wilder to rework it. They came back with the pulsating disco beat that lifted the song to the rafters.

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