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Depeche Mode's largest transformation came in 1986, with the release of their fifteenth single "Stripped", and its accompanying album Black Celebration. Jettisoning much of the "industrial-pop" sound that had characterised their previous two LPs (although they retained their often imaginative sampling), the band introduced an ominous, highly atmospheric and textured sound, accompanied by some of Gore's bleakest, most insightful lyrics to date. Also included on the album was a revised version of the song "Fly on the Windscreen", which had originally appeared as the b-side to "It's Called a Heart". The band recognised the song's promise, and decided to improve it and include it on the album, renamed as "Fly on the Windscreen - Final".
The music video for "A Question of Time" was the first to be directed by Anton Corbijn, beginning a working relationship that continues to the present day. Anton has directed 19 more of the band's videos (the latest being 2006's "Suffer Well") and live performances, and has been responsible for some of the band's albums and singles covers.
1987's Music for the Masses saw further alterations in the band's sound and working methods. For the first time a producer not related to Mute —David Bascombe— was called to assist with the recording sessions (although, according to Alan Wilder, his role ended up being more that of an engineer) and the band, for the most part, sided its sampling of industrial sounds in which their music used to rely, in favour of more synth experimentation. While the chart performance of the singles "Strangelove", "Never Let Me Down Again" and "Behind the Wheel" proved to be disappointing in Great Britain, they performed well in countries such as Canada, West Germany, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland, often reaching the top 10.
On the heels of Music for the Masses, the group played a follow-up world tour in 1987–88. The tour culminated on 18 June 1988 in a concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl with paid attendance of 60,453 (the highest in eight years for the venue). The tour meant an unprecedent breakthrough massive success in the United States and was documented in 101 - a concert film by D.A. Pennebaker and its accompanying soundtrack album.
In mid-1989, the band began recording in Milan with producer Flood and engineer François Kevorkian. The initial result of this session was the single "Personal Jesus". Prior to its release, a marketing campaign was launched with advertisements placed in the personal columns of UK regional newspapers with the words "Your own personal Jesus." Later, the ads included a phone number one could dial to hear the song. The ensuing controversy helped propel the single to number 13 on the UK charts, becoming one of their biggest sellers to date; in the US, it was their first gold single and their first Top 40 hit since "People Are People", eventually becoming the biggest-selling 12-inch single in Warner Bros. Records' history.
In February 1990, "Enjoy the Silence", became one of Depeche Mode's most successful singles to date, reaching number six in the UK; a few months later in the US, it became Depeche Mode's biggest hit, reaching number eight, and earning the band a second gold single. It won 'Best British single' at the 1991 Brit Awards.
1981 "Dreaming of Me" "New Life" "Just Can't Get Enough" 1982 See You" "The Meaning of Love" "Leave in Silence" 1983 Get the Balance Right!" "Everything Counts" "Love, in Itself" 1984 People Are People" "Master and Servant" "Blasphemous Rumours" / "Somebody" 1985 "Shake the Disease" "It's Called a Heart" 1986 Stripped" / "But Not Tonight"[B] Black Celebration "A Question of Lust" "A Question of Time" 1987 "Strangelove" "Never Let Me Down Again" "Behind the Wheel" 1988 Little 15" "Strangelove '88" 1989 Everything Counts (Live)" "Personal Jesus" 1990* Dangerous"[D] "Enjoy the Silence"* "Policy of Truth" "Halo" "World in My Eyes"
1981 Speak & Spell 1982 A Broken Frame 1983 Construction Time Again 1984 Some Great Reward The Singles 81>85 1985 Catching Up with Depeche Mode 1986 Black Celebration 1987 Music for the Masses Greatest Hits 1989 101 1990 Violator*
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