An English electronic band from Essex, Depeche Mode first began to take form in 1977 when Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher came together. Over the next few years, both men worked with other bands and on individual endeavors, but were little by little conceptualizing this new project as well. In 1980, they recruited drummer Martin Gore to join them; they called themselves "Composition of Sound."

Depeche Mode

You've got to somehow learn to enjoy doing this. There's different phases over the years of the three decades. When we started out, we were barely out of our teenage years. Of course we had a lot of fun for many, many years -- going out to parties, and clubs and bars. But, you know, there comes a time when you have to draw the line.

The Early Years

An English electronic band from Essex, Depeche Mode first began to take form in 1977 when Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher came together. Over the next few years, both men worked with other bands and on individual endeavors, but were little by little conceptualizing this new project as well. In 1980, they recruited drummer Martin Gore to join them; they called themselves "Composition of Sound."

Soon, Clarke and Fletcher began to experiment with synthesizers in place of instruments. With the final addition of David Gahan, the band became Depeche Mode. In 1981, the released their debut album, Speak & Spell. The album peaked at #10 on the UK chart, and at #192 in the United States.

Building an Empire

For the next four years, Depeche Mode released one album each year, each certifying gold in the UK. Their 1984 release, Some Great Reward, certified silver in the UK, but went platinum in the United States. The initial single, People Are People, was their first hit in the United States, and it peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot Singles chart. The album launched the band into popularity in colleges and the rising gothic subculture that was already prevalent in the UK and growing in the United States.

1986 and 1987 saw two more platinum albums. Depeche Mode produced several videos which were enjoying frequent airplay on MTV, giving the band even more exposure and widening their fan base. Their 1990 album, Violator, beat their prior records, certifying 3x platinum. The singles, Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence, both landed in the Top Ten. They launched a very successful world tour to support the album.

Life on Top

Depeche Mode released five more albums through 2009. Each album was promoted by wider and wider-reaching tours. Their audience was growing more diverse with adults as well as youth attending concerts and buying music. The presence of the internet added a new dimension to their record sales, and their tracks became available for streaming and download on line. Prior to the release of the 2009 album, Sounds of the Universe,

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