Biography

Depeche Mode began in 1976, when Andrew Fletcher and Vince Clark created the band No Romance in China. Within three years, the group had disbanded. A series of other incarnations under different names eventually led to the addition of David Gahan on vocals, and in 1980, Depeche Mode was born. The group added a strong synthesizer, techno sound to their music and established a following on the club scene in London.

After a few moderately successful singles, Depeche Mode released Speak and Spell, their debut album, in 1981.  A Broken Frame came next in 1982, followed by Construction Time Again (1983), but it was Some Great Reward (1984), which became the big breakthrough for Depeche Mode. The album featured the breakthrough hit “People are People,” which hit the top of the charts worldwide, and paved the way for future success on subsequent albums: Black Celebration (1986), Music for the Masses (1987), Violator (1990), Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993), and Ultra (1997), with the collective hits “Strangelove,” "Policy of Truth," "Enjoy the Silence," "Personal Jesus," ??"Barrel of a Gun," and "It's No Good."

In the new millennium, Depeche Mode continued its successful trend, with the releases Exciter (2001), Playing the Angel (2005), and Sounds of the Universe (2009), featuring the hits "Dream On,” "I Feel Loved,” "Precious," and "John (The Revelator.)" Depeche Mode launched worldwide tours during this time and most recently was recognized with an ECHO Award in Germany for Best International Group – Rock/Pop. So far, Depeche Mode has enjoyed forty-eight songs on the top of the UK charts and sold more than one hundred million albums and singles worldwide. Depeche Mode has plans for a new album release and additional tours and performances in the future.