Depeche Mode

Originally a product of Britain's new romantic movement, Depeche Mode went on to become the quintessential electro-pop band of the 1980s. One of the first acts to establish a musical identity based completely around the use of synthesizers, they began their existence as a bouncy dance-pop group but gradually developed a darker, more dramatic sound that ultimately positioned them as one of the most successful alternative bands of their era. Still, despite an enormous fan base, the group was very much considered an underground cult phenomenon prior to the release of 1990's Violator, a Top Ten smash. The band was formed in 1980 by Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy FLetcher and Vince Clarke. Clark left the band shortly before the release of their debut album Speak & Spell and Alan Wilder took his place. Wilder left the band in 1995, and Gahan, Gore and Fletcher continued as a trio from then on until Andrew Fletcher's death in 2022. Since that year, Gahan and Gore have continued as a duo, releasing the album Memento Mori in 2023 and embarking on a world tour that continued until 2024.