Vince Clarke’s departure from Depeche Mode might have seemed abrupt after their first burst of fame thanks to his songs, and his connection with Alison Moyet, herself just looking for a new singing gig, was a gamble for both of them — one that turned out to be exactly perfect, as the non-album classic “Situation” showed. With Clarke’s precise, beautiful electronic melodies and dance rhythms matched by Moyet’s rich singing voice, Upstairs at Eric’s helped shatter the cool-if-not-cold image of electronic pop with stellar songs like “Don’t Go” and “Only You.”

– Ned Raggett