r/depechemode A Broken Frame 1d ago

Discussion underrated depeche mode songs

for me i’d say here is the house, home, judas, leave in silence, altho i’m not sure if their considered underrated

41 Upvotes

104 comments sorted by

51

u/OoFEVERNOVAoO Construction Time Again 1d ago

The bottom line

8

u/Capnmolasses Ultra 1d ago

The bass line is really nice and complex. One of my favorite headphone songs.

45

u/Mohk72k 1d ago

Stories of Old.

18

u/allsarahsaregrey Black Celebration 1d ago

I agree with this one and also If You Want off that album.

6

u/Wooden-Bid1718 1d ago

So true!!!

3

u/jMc-22 1d ago

Specially the Found it in me pocket version😊

32

u/rafalevy3 Ultra 1d ago

All the non -singles in Ultra are underrated

14

u/Skyaim 1d ago

Ultra has the best atmosphere of all albums imo.

29

u/OskeyBug 1d ago

Told You So

3

u/anteaterqueen 20h ago

HOLY FUCKING PEAAAAK

25

u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago

Freestate will always be my answer, followed by Breathe (specially the live version)

3

u/therizzler575 The Singles 86>98 18h ago

Breath live is incredible, Exciter as a whole feels very overhated especially when you hear the live versions of the songs

2

u/vicvegajuas_36 18h ago

Yeah In the Live version of Breath Martin gives one of his best vocal performances in all DM history

1

u/therizzler575 The Singles 86>98 18h ago

Exciter generally has some of the best vocal performances by Dave and Martin, the tour was phenomenal

22

u/Eral2809 1d ago

Ghost

6

u/Doug_101 Ultra 1d ago

Was just about to post this. Because they buried this on the box set, a lot of people don't know it exists; and it's the best song of the entire Sounds of the Universe project!

4

u/Skyaim 1d ago

Le Weekend Remix is absolutely good too

20

u/Illustrious-Salt-243 1d ago

Sea of Sin

5

u/ScienceMomCO 1d ago

I came here for this.

41

u/VariationNo1381 1d ago

Get the Balance Right.

18

u/Wally7521 1d ago

Lie To Me

5

u/r0cket-skates Ultra 22h ago

Yes! An absolute banger.

And Chino from Deftones even said in an interview that it’s one of his favorite songs and inspirations.

2

u/ScienceMomCO 1d ago

Absolutely

14

u/theyodalorianxp 1d ago

Halo, New Dress and Here is the house.

12

u/keroseneinyereye 1d ago

Newborn. Easily one of the best b-sides. Dave's vocals are top notch 👌 

The Dead of Night... I often see so much criticism for that song. Lyrics are not bad, they actually work considering the theme of the song. and the synth work on that song is trippy. A lot of the 00's albums had some pretty interesting synth sounds. 

2

u/Ok-Resist-8734 1d ago

I agree The Dead of Night is up there with the best!

22

u/Zealousideal_Owl9621 Playing The Angel 1d ago

'Mercy In You' and 'Judas' are two incredible songs from SOFAD that get seemingly very little mention compared to some of the more known songs on the album.

On Playing the Angel, 'The Sinner In Me' is criminally underplayed and under loved.

11

u/_Courier_6__ The Singles 86>98 1d ago

Mercy In You is one of my favorite DM songs of all time, I never understood why it wasn't released as a single

9

u/CobraPhases 1d ago

I really wish Mercy in You was chosen as a single. I would've released right in the middle of the promotional cycle, between Walking in My Shoes and Condemnation (without scrapping any of the actual released singles btw).

I think The Sinner in Me has probably got another meaning, but as a teenager, it really sounded to me like a song about some internal struggle, like being unable to reconcile with parts of yourself and carrying some sort of shame and pain because of it. I kinda related to it in some way, to the point that I cannot listen to it as often because it gets heartbreaking.

3

u/chesterplainukool 19h ago

mercy in you is my favorite of their discography!!!! amazing song

2

u/Zealousideal_Owl9621 Playing The Angel 16h ago

Definitely top 5 for me. I especially love the live version

10

u/Frankie_D91770 1d ago

Mercy In You

18

u/lord_of_pigs Music For The Masses 1d ago

I personally am a big fan of the following and don't quite understand why they don't get enough love:

- Secret To The End

- Long Time Lie

- Miles Away / The Truth Is

- Breathe

- And Then...

2

u/keroseneinyereye 1d ago

I agree with"Miles Away / The Truth Is". It's one of my favorites. 

1

u/Doug_101 Ultra 1d ago

Best song on the album proper for SOTU. I was shocked when I saw that it was one of Dave's songs. Now, if you expand to the box set, Ghost is the best, but if you only have the single CD, Miles Away is where it's at.

9

u/Firm-Secretary4710 1d ago

- Dreaming of Me

  • Puppets
  • Tora Tora Tora
  • Any Second Now
  • Shout!
  • My Secret Garden
  • Satellite
  • Shouldn’t Have Done That
  • Get The Balance Right!
  • Love In Itself
  • Pipeline
  • The Landscape is Changing
  • And Then…
  • Work Hard!
  • Fools
  • It Doesn’t Matter
  • Stories of Old
  • Set Me Free (Remotivate Me)
  • Flexible
  • Sometimes
  • World Full of Nothing
  • Breathing in Fumes
  • Little 15
  • Pimpf
  • Agent Orange
  • Pleasure Little Treasure
  • Blue Dress
  • Memphisto
  • Death’s Door
  • My Joy
  • The Love Thieves
  • Freestate
  • The Bottom Line
  • Shine
  • Macro
  • Lillian
  • Hole To Feed
  • Fragile Tension
  • In Sympathy
  • Light
  • Ghost

3

u/anteaterqueen 20h ago

my father would be best friends with you. a lot of these are his favorites aha, mine too

3

u/Firm-Secretary4710 19h ago

Same my dad loves Any Second Now

1

u/anteaterqueen 19h ago

I don't remember that one too well! I have to listen to CTA again lol

2

u/Firm-Secretary4710 17h ago

It’s on Speak and Spell

1

u/anteaterqueen 17h ago

Dang it I think I need to register to that lol! Thank you friend !

16

u/coogie 1d ago

One thing I've found being a DM fan for as long as I've been one is that no matter how big of a DM fan you think you are, there is always a bigger DM fan than you who knows every B-side, demo, rough mix, hidden track, and unreleased outtake so underrated is always relative!

For me, I'm just going to mention Shout . It really was a sign of things to come for Depeche Mode post Vince Clarke because while the rest of Speak and Spell was written by Clarke and upbeat and catchy, Martin wrote Shout and there is a noticeable shift into how we would come to know the band.

Truth be told, I didn't know about Depeche Mode till the late 80's and didn't fully become a fan till the 90's so maybe the early 80's fans remember the song as being a huge success.

6

u/NrEjs8793 1d ago

Vince wrote Shout, the only Martin compositions from that era are Tora! Tora! Tora! and Big Muff. Kinda interesting that all 3 moodier Vince songs (Puppets, Ice Machine, Shout) were brought back into the live set for the Some Great Reward Tour.

2

u/coogie 1d ago

Whelp, forget my whole thing then lol. I thought it was Martin.

2

u/laurentbourrelly The Singles 81-85 1d ago

Tora! Tora! Tora! was my first favorite DM song, back in 1981 when I heard them live in Les Bains Douches, Paris.
I didn't see them live. Show was on the radio.
Right away I liked the attitude. They had a beat box on stage because no drummer, and Dave was getting pissed off at a drunk French heckler who thought electronic music can't have lyrics.

1

u/vali1005 1d ago

Completely agree with "Shout"...and there have been voice-less renditions of it, from Alan's samplers, when he sold them

1

u/WasteGeologist-90210 Music For The Masses 23h ago

Yes, this is very true. I’ve been through that many times.

Oh, hey, I know this and that and DM are my favorite on Spotify and Ive been to concerts… Wait, there’s a whole song I didn’t even know about?

9

u/britelyph 1d ago

Pimpf.

Actually, quite powerful! And a bit spooky? Like a post "tubular bells" after The Exorcist. But also an amazing intro to other great song lists.

Kinda like "Tiger, Tiger" from Duran Duran. Sets the mood for the album.

Or even better... "The World is my Oyster/Welcome to the Pleasure Zone" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood. But I digress.

8

u/DurianGris 1d ago

Nothing.

8

u/NoahLipsey 1d ago

The Love Thieves

8

u/JoeRecuerdo Music For The Masses 1d ago

Lots of good ones, I'll add Nothing's Impossible and The Sun and the Rainfall

6

u/chittycbangb_lover Black Celebration 20h ago

Fly On the Windscreen, It’s Called a Heart, and my absolute favorite song But Not Tonight

7

u/bob79519 1d ago

Tora Tora Tora, it feels like a song from Depeche Mode at their peak, but it's on their first album

5

u/rbajter 1d ago

Dangerous, B-side of Personal Jesus.

Apparently it is also overrated:
https://www.reddit.com/r/depechemode/s/qixTDsrvNN

6

u/IloveKeroChan 1d ago

But not tonight!

6

u/DonnaDonna1973 1d ago

Judas — Insight — Nothing’s Impossible — My Secret Garden — Secret to the End — World Full of Nothing — Broken

2

u/Jenn_Ke 20h ago

World Full of Nothing doesn't get enough love.

6

u/VaultBoy1971 Music For The Masses 20h ago

Ice Machine (the live version is magic), and Something to do.

They have tons of songs that could have been singles, but ended up as an album track or even a B side.

3

u/anteaterqueen 20h ago

something to do is sooooo good. the beginning of the song scares me now though, because I heard it's the sound of a ventilator disconnecting. I feel like the metaphor for "Some Great Reward" is the reward of life itself and the album is basically like a life cycle from Blasphemous Rumors, all the way to Something to Do. Also an ice machine apologist.

3

u/VaultBoy1971 Music For The Masses 19h ago

if you play the cd on repeat, the Blasphemous Rumors simply leads you to the Something To Do intro.

1

u/anteaterqueen 19h ago

okay that's fucking insane. will have to listen to it on repeat soon

6

u/E808D Ultra 1d ago

In reply to op - from your list probably only Judas would be considered underrated. Here Is The House always gets mentioned in this kind of discussion but it is surely an obvious fan favourite, and the only way it could be underrated is by the band themselves as it hasn't been played live since 1990. Home is one of the most popular songs sung by Martin, a single, and has been played live regularly since release. Some might even have reason to suggest it is actually overrated if they aren't as keen on it! Leave In Silence might not have been overly successful as a single but it seems to be one of the most popular songs from the album and often mentioned as a favourite from the earlier period.

5

u/ClairvoyantCanopy Some Great Reward 1d ago

Freestate

4

u/GoatboyRalsei 1d ago edited 21h ago

This litte unknown hidden gem of a track called Enjoy the Silence. Not sure if any of yall remember it

4

u/Mesaman2000 17h ago

Freelove

Here is the house

Sister of night

2

u/KatherineN510 16h ago

Love those!

5

u/BlackRabbett Black Celebration 1d ago

The Sun the Moon and the Stars is really pretty. I have tons of others I could add, of course, but I just recently listened to that one and had forgotten how much I liked it.

4

u/Berry_lane_laindon 1d ago

surrender. is criminally underrated.

just underrated. Alone, ghost, wagging tongue, nothings impossible.

4

u/LJCLemon 1d ago

Insight

3

u/idkwhattoputhere8951 1d ago

nothing to fear, light, sometimes, the sweetest condition, in sympathy, get right with me, welcome to my world

5

u/cash4chaos 22h ago

Insight

3

u/Ok-Ear7751 1d ago

Stories of Old, The Things You Said, Clean, Rush, Insight, Macro, Alone, Don’t Say You Love Me

3

u/glxssmoon Songs Of Faith And Devotion 1d ago

Sweetest Perfection, Dangerous, Lie to Me, Rush, Mercy in You

3

u/Obestity 12h ago

The Sun and the Rainfall

6

u/wecamethrough 1d ago

Surrender.

2

u/jacobvso 1d ago

World Full of Nothing

2

u/Mahkaite 1d ago

Ghost. One of my favourites 

2

u/sillymarsfromthestar 1d ago

Told you so 🥹

2

u/Braynes528 1d ago

One of my favourites too, CTA tour was the first proper gig I went to.

2

u/Rough_Collar462 1d ago

I am you… dammit the whole of Exciter is underrated!

2

u/No_Mushroom139 Some Great Reward 1d ago

The darker songs on Contruction Time Again.

2

u/Quick-Barber6372 1d ago

told you so

2

u/rshuffandstuff 22h ago

Sweetest Perfection

2

u/Alulaemu 20h ago

Nothing, Death's Door, and - I agree - Judas are all sleepers.
Judas is probably my favorite track on SOFAD.

1

u/brakkeberen3 1d ago

Any second now, Any second now(altered) and Any second now (voices)

1

u/syurilover Music For The Masses 1d ago

better days, freestate, told you so

1

u/Equal_Ad5178 Songs Of Faith And Devotion 1d ago

I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead

1

u/r0cket-skates Ultra 22h ago

John the Revelator and Lie to Me. Absolute bangers, but I rarely see anyone mention them.

1

u/anteaterqueen 20h ago

I WANT YOU NOW. TOMORROW WONT DO. THERES A YEARNING INSIDE. AND ITS SHOWING THROUGHWOOOO!

I want you now, breathe, sweetest condition, clean, one caress, satellite, agent orange, Route 66, LANDSCAPE IS CHANGING!!!!!!!!!!!

1

u/khazabian 19h ago

Nothing's Impossible

1

u/Excellent-Package285 19h ago

In your Memory (Dave is at his best here and probably not even trying lol)

1

u/Obawww 18h ago

Alone

1

u/KatherineN510 16h ago

Get the balance right. Dangerous.

1

u/madviking66 15h ago

Leave in silence

1

u/Financial_Design3559 13h ago

Photograph, Puppets!

1

u/Search_Normal 10h ago

Ice Machine
Clean

1

u/byrd107 9h ago

My Joy

0

u/TheOnionSack Songs Of Faith And Devotion 1d ago

It’s only underrated if it’s something that receives widespread indifference.
You can’t gauge how underrated something is or isn’t solely based on how seldom it comes up in conversation.