The twenty-five best Depeche Mode songs of all time.

Two and a half days until I finally see Depeche Mode live.

I’ve been trying for twenty-one years.

That’s right, if my wanting to see Depeche Mode in concert were a living thing, it would be old enough to legally buy alcohol.

So here’s what I think are their twenty-five greatest songs. A couple are official videos, most are various and sundry live versions, and two of them could not be found anywhere in YouTube land. But taken together, it should give you an idea of both why I love this band and what an amazing pop history they’ve made over the past twenty-eight years.

25) Love in Itself


24) Freelove (Deep Dish Freedom Vocal)

I specifically used this mix because I don’t think the album version is as strong of a song. It’s altogether drearier, and it doesn’t pop the way this remix does. So hats off to you, Sharam and Ali of Deep Dish.

23) Any Second Now (Voices)


22) Get The Balance Right


21) In Sympathy

Easily the best song off their newest album Sounds of the Universe, and it’s already been dropped from the setlist of this tour. Dammit.

20) I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead


19) Dangerous
For some reason, Warner Music is very particular about this track. I haven’t the slightest idea why, but for some reason, you can’t find a YouTube of this song (as performed by Depeche Mode) anywhere. It was only the B-side of the biggest-selling 12” single (1989’s “Personal Jesus”) in Warner history…

18) Condemnation
(Martin vocal)

Normally, Dave Gahan sings this song, but there aren’t any extant versions of that on the YouTube. So you can easily hear his take on the song on any of the albums (and it’s one of Dave’s best songs that he sings), but Martin’s version is just beautiful.

17) Leave in Silence


16) Precious
I do this song at karaoke sometimes, because someone has to.

15) But Not Tonight


14) If You Want

Written by unheralded genius Alan Wilder.

13) Somebody

The song that would have caused Junior High mixtapes to be invented had they not already existed.

12) Halo


11) New Life


10) It Doesn’t Matter


09) Shout


08) Blasphemous Rumours

You never outgrow this song. I’ve talked about its fascinating grammatical complexity before, but it also reflects the basic roots of any conflict with religion. Seeing them perform it before a pop crowd just makes it all the more surreal. And effective.

07) Behind The Wheel/Route 66 (U.S. Version)
Ivan Ivan (the madman behind I-Square Records in the 80s) did an amazing megamix of Behind The Wheel and Route 66 for the U.S. It can be found on the domestic 12” single, an extravagantly-priced CD promo, and on a 1988 Sire Records CD sampler called Just Say Yo. It is magnificent, even if you just have my word to take for it.

06) Stripped


05) Never Let Me Down Again


04) Fly on the Windscreen


03) Everything Counts


02) Enjoy the Silence

Again, no official video to be found. So this is my favorite of the remixes. It doesn’t really give you all the lyrics (or any of them, for that matter), but if you haven’t heard “Enjoy The Silence,” then there’s something wrong with you.

01) Shake The Disease

Putting out fire... and doing it- rough.

I love the fact that Inglourious Basterds is making millions of people aware of "Putting Out Fire," the magnificent David Bowie/Giorgio Moroder collaboration that served as theme to the 1982 Cat People. But here is Miss Tina Turner turning this song out. Has this ever been released anywhere? And if not, that's a shame.

Forgotten dance classics: Revolting Cocks - "You Often Forget"

Because not all dance classics are pretty and frothy.

I don't really like any of the studio versions of this song, but this Live version, from their 1987 Cabaret Metro show that produced their "You Goddamned Son of a Bitch" live album, is probably my favorite industrial track of all time.

"You Often Forget" Live
Revolting Cocks

I first heard of it in John Peyton Cooke's novel Out for Blood, where it was bandied about in the same context as Rick Astley, which is my kind of sensibility, let me tell you.

International pop music interlude: Depeche Mode

In somewhat of a depressed mood as per the death of Estelle Getty. The following song always tends to brighten my spirits.

Depeche Mode - "Shout" (Live in Hamburg, 1984)