It all came together for Depeche Mode with Violator, capping off a retrospectively unstoppable decade starting as club favorites in their Essex home base to filling stadia worldwide all while having a series of electronic hits on the charts, music video channels and the radio. With the twangy glam-tinged smash “Personal Jesus” and the vast, soaring “Enjoy the Silence” they had an astounding one-two on that pop front, while deeper cuts like the serene-in-vast-space float of “Waiting For the Night” and the blood-drenched drama of “Halo” hit just as hard.

– Ned Raggett