Catching Up with Depeche Mode by Depeche Mode

Catching Up with Depeche Mode

by Depeche Mode

Released: November 11, 1985

Synth-pop, electronic rock, new wave, dance-rock, post-punk, alternative rock, pop rock

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Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Chart Success.

01

The Album

"Catching Up with Depeche Mode" is a compilation album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released exclusively in North America on November 11, 1985, by Sire Records. The album was created in response to the international release of The Singles 81→85 in October 1985, which collected the band's seven-inch singles up to that point. However, Sire Records wanted to differentiate this North American release from The Singles 81→85 since some of the band's singles had already been featured on a previous compilation, People Are People (1984).

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

To avoid repetition, Catching Up with Depeche Mode…

To avoid repetition, Catching Up with Depeche Mode excluded four songs that were already present on People Are People: "Leave in Silence," "Get the Balance Right!," "Everything Counts," and "People Are People." In place of these tracks, the compilation includes several new additions: "The Meaning of Love" and "Somebody," two notable singles from earlier in the band's career, as well as two B-sides—"Flexible" (from the Shake the Disease single) and "Fly on the Windscreen" (from It's Called a Heart).

The version of "Fly on the Windscreen" featured…

The version of "Fly on the Windscreen" featured on this album predates the final version that would later appear on Black Celebration (1986).

Then

Reception

The compilation album peaked at number 113 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and was eventually certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 2, 2000, highlighting the band's growing popularity in North America at the time.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Catching Up with Depeche Mode" is a compilation album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released exclusively in North America on November 11, 1985, by Sire Records. The album was created in response to the international release of The Singles 81→85 in October 1985, which collected the band's seven-inch singles up to that point. However, Sire Records wanted to differentiate this North American release from The Singles 81→85 since some of the band's singles had already been featured on a previous compilation, People Are People (1984).

To avoid repetition, Catching Up with Depeche Mode excluded four songs that were already present on People Are People: "Leave in Silence," "Get the Balance Right!," "Everything Counts," and "People Are People." In place of these tracks, the compilation includes several new additions: "The Meaning of Love" and "Somebody," two notable singles from earlier in the band's career, as well as two B-sides—"Flexible" (from the Shake the Disease single) and "Fly on the Windscreen" (from It's Called a Heart). The version of "Fly on the Windscreen" featured on this album predates the final version that would later appear on Black Celebration (1986).

The compilation album peaked at number 113 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and was eventually certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 2, 2000, highlighting the band's growing popularity in North America at the time.

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