Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses poll

Bringing this back and this time it will be New Wave, though I might venture off that for a non New Wave album. The recent INXS poll inspired that choice. I think this board is stable enough, so lets have a fun month. One thing I have learned is that ILM has done almost every major 80s band albums polls. Then I found one but that is for the end of this series. Combing ILM to poll albums we have yet to poll and this one is surprising.

Put Ultra in the wrong spot.

It's hard not to vote for "Never Let Me Down Again," which is kind of where DM goes arena and absolutely owns it. Great lyrics, too. When did Gahan start taking heroin? Because this song is about that, right? But it's before he started, isn't it? And Gore was not a user, was he?

went with Behind the Wheel (because I like Never Let Me Down Again's Split Mix a lot more than the album version)

In a 1987 interview, Gore said that the song: "...has nothing to do with relationships. It's about the concept of fleeing from reality and the evil awakening afterwards. Any kind of fleeing. Drugs, alcohol, or whatever."[8]

I used to think that I don't really like this album. That this was where the Mode started to go wrong. But now I look at the track listing and I think 'wow, what a lot of bangers!' and I can't choose. Past me was very wrong and a snob.

Sometimes the obvious choice is the right choice - the "see the stars they're shining bright" part seals the deal. It would be hard to pick a #2 though - The Things You Said, Little 15 and Behind the Wheel are obvious candidates but I really like To Have and to Hold and Pimpf as well.

I agree. I have listened to this album 3 times in a row. The lead single is so head and shoulders above everything else it's not a hard choice. For second choice I might pick Strangelove, Behind The Wheel or I Want You Now.

I'm surprised in retrospect, how restrained the sound is. I tend to think of this album as sounding very maximal. Probably because Never Let Me Down sounds so *HUGE*. It has a sweeping, almost glacial epic quality to it. But many of the songs are so stripped-down and minimal. It's curious how memory can let you down. (Again.)

Strangelove

"Strangelove" was a staple on Miami stations whose programming leaned on freestyle and Miami bass and, lemme tell you, it slotted perfectly.

Don't know if I can pick a song per se but I sure had thoughts a while back:

https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/anniversary/depeche-mode-music-for-the-masses-review-anniversary/

Which was adapted from this older thread:

In praise of...Music for the Masses by Depeche Mode

I was going to vote Never Let Me Down Again without hesitation but it was so great to hear Strangelove again after listening back just now.

Big fan of "Sacred" but the entire thing is classic.

Their best album. 14 year old me would have chosen "I Want You Now" or the single remix of "Strange Love" (much better than the album version which came out after), but nowadays I really enjoy "Behind The Wheel" and all those swirling synths and the synth vocals they use towards the end.

no love for nothing????

never let me down is better on a stereo or arena than headphones, up so close the way i listen to music now it doesn’t really enthrall with perfect aural separation. i give it points for being one of the only songs that heard dead souls and did something with it… but nothing gets to the heart of this band for me, which is simply what if kraftwerk plus beach boys with s touch of joy division.

"Never Let Me Down" is a helluva karaoke jam.

"Nothing" and "Sacred" are highlights for me too.

“Never Let Me Down Again” is a terrible karaoke song unless you sing Martin’s part, which is usually in the karaoke backing track

I love the two side-openers, and "Strangelove" is catchy enough, but the rest has always felt really bland compared to the non-singles on the previous and subsequent albums.

“Never Let Me Down Again” is a terrible karaoke song unless you sing Martin’s part, which is usually in the karaoke backing track

― my favorite herbs are fennel and Drake (DJP),

"Never Let Me Down Again" is an awesome karaoke song if you have a voice like mine that can mimic Gahan.

Soto and DJP duet when

at which point I'll happily sing the Gore harmony.

Which song will win, and why will it be "Never Let Me Down Again".

It's safe as houses

is the album version of Behind The Wheel significantly different to the single version? sounds very different to the one I'm familiar with from their 86-98 comp

Yes, it’s a different mix

Oh god the single mix of Behind The Wheel is horrible! What did they do to such a great, atmospheric, yearning song to 'NOW that's what I call music' it up a bit?

hah, well that's the version i know best so I was quite jarred listening to the album version which is a lot more minimal / industrial sounding to me

Both are great IMO (I heard the single version first)

I'm fine with the opening track winning but I voted "Sacred". it's often overlooked but I'm happy a few people have mentioned it already. "Nothing" is awesome too

Monster of an album, which oddly I haven't listened to very often (probably because I mainly got to know these songs at the time through 101 and greatest hits tapes)

My favorite melodies on this album are “Strangelove”, “I Want You Now”, and “Sacred”

The Things You Said is my favourite Martin-sung DM song, by some distance probably. It's still second fiddle to NLMDA here tho.

Anyway this is my favourite Mode album

Slightly prefer the single mix of Behind the Wheel - the album mix is superb in its menacing patience though, which is why it was perfect for opening the tour.

Yeah my favorite version may in the end be the 101 one, with "Pimpf" as the lead-in with all the screaming, Gahan's interjections hyping up a beyond-crazed crowd already.

"Nothing" by far. that bassline is the deepest darkest darkwave bassline of all time

and the kids dancing to it on the bus in 101 is one of my favorite things of all time

Going back a bit on the conversation about the song "Never Let Me Down Again". Around time of release, my naive self thought they were talking about his dick. Probably because they referenced "He" and "As Long As I Remember Who's Wearing the Trousers." Today, I think it absolutely has to do with cocaine or maybe heroin. Gore seems more like someone who would do cocaine but I have nothing to go on and just guessing.

the kids dancing to it on the bus in 101 is one of my favorite things of all time

Mine too! D.A. Pennebaker knew exactly what he was doing in counterposing their youthful joie de vivre with the dead-eyed nihilism of those lyrics.

KROQ Top 50 1987:

3. Strangelove
10. Never Let Me Down Again
19. Behind the Wheel

Acclaimed Music 1987:
16. Album
27. Never Let Me Down Again
73. Strangelove
100. Behind the Wheel

Didn’t place in Pazz & Jop Top 40 Albums and neither did Kiss Me or shockingly Appetite for Destruction. No songs from this album made their Top 23 either.

ILM has not done an 80s general poll that I could find.

There’s a couple of 80s polls.

**************THIS IS A JOURNEY INTO SOUND - IT'S THE ILX 1980s SINGLES POLL RESULTS COUNTDOWN WHAMBAM FOOFARAW****************

Now this is how it started: THE ILX 1980s ALBUM POLL RESULTS!!

Tracks NLMDA #68, albums didn’t place.

Thanks for that Dan! The only other DM song in the Top 200 was "Just Can't Get Enough" at #114. No DM album made the Top 200!?! I have always thought DM were one of ILMs biggest 80s bands? I don’t think I voted in either poll.

I also ventured into Rate Your Music but their rankings makes no sense and not worth the energy, imo.

But when you think I've had enough from your sea of love
I'll take more than another river full

voted wordz of wisdom pt 2

I think this is my least favourite pre Songs of Faith and Devotion DM album, I could never really get into it aside from Never Let Me Down Again, Behind the Wheel and Nothing, to me it sounds kind of like Erasure but without the tunes? Maybe it will click for me one day.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

You can make a case for any song on this album except for "Sacred" and "To Have and To Hold". But sometimes you just need to go with the obvious choice and pick "Never Let Me Down Again".

Nah, those two are great. The only one I could do without is Little 15 (but I know it's got a lot of fans). I voted for Behind the Wheel. So badass.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

58 is a lot of votes, good job board. Depeche Mode are big on ILM. Been wrestling with the next installment, keep changing my mind but is coming.

I get why Pimpf wouldn't be voted for but it's one of my favourites on the album. Camp gothic horror that correctly seems to take itself pretty seriously.

I voted for Never Let Me Down Again because it's a pretty unique song, especially as an opener for a dark pop album, but if I didn't take the easy choice, I would have chosen Nothing, I love the ARP 2600/filter resonance thing they were doing throughout the tune.

maybe we should do polls for the second best song on an album if there's a predictable winner like this

It would be cool to choose a top three or top five and take a cumulative tally of the songs chosen by each voter. It would give a clearer picture of what people consider to be the strongest tracks on an album.

that's why i like the "Worst song on..." thing we did with the Beach Boys' albums a few years ago. Everybody on those threads were big Boys nerds and it led to some really interesting discussions (like "HOW can Good Vibrations be the WORST song on Smiley Smile?")

Yeah being able to rank things in polls would be a godsend

OK I woke up and chose murder. Let's hash this out:

Never Let Me POLL Again - Second best song on Depeche Mode's Music For The Masses (that ISN'T Never Let Me Down Again)