Depeche Mode

Everything you need to know about Depeche Mode can be gleaned from listening to the last track on this compilation - "Everything Counts (Live)." It's a simple enough ditty, drenched in synths and drum machines, with lyrics that hint of dark doings - typical Mode stuff - but listen all the way and hear the enraptured crowd singing along as the song ends. It's stirring stuff. People love this band, and it's no surprise, judging from the top quality of their material. None of their '80s contemporaries have managed such ongoing mass adoration and quality control. More power to the Mode.