Depeche Mode “Enjoy the Silence” released

Enjoy the Silence Depeche Mode

Writer(s): Martin Gore (see lyrics here) Released: February 5, 1990 First Charted: February 17, 1990 Peak: 8 US, 2 CB, 5 GR, 4 RR, 13 MR, 6 UK, 14 CN, 71 AU, 5 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.6 UK, 1.84 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 2.0 radio, 738.72 video, 629.48 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Depeche Mode formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. At the core of the English electronic band are singer/songwriter Dave Gahan and keyboardist, guitarist, and songwriter Martin Gore. They were pivotal in shaping the new wave scene of the early 1980s. In the UK, all fourteen of their studio albums from 1980 to 2017 hit the top 10. However, it was the group’s seventh studio release, Violator, which gave the group their first taste of the top 10 in the United States. Not only was Violator the first US top 10 album for Depeche Mode, but it gave them their first top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Enjoy the Silence.” Prior to that, their only top 40 hits were “People Are People” (#13, 1985) and “Personal Jesus” (#28, 1989). The latter was the first single from Violator. Third single, “Policy of Truth,” also reached the top 40, peaking at #15. In the song “Enjoy the Silence,” “the singer is in a relationship where thoughts and feelings are all that matter. He feels words are unnecessary and can even be harmful, so he prefers to enjoy the relationship in silence.” SF The song was originally written as a ballad, but then sped up with a beat and guitar riff added. SF Gahan said, “I think we knew between us that there was something very special about it, but we had no idea what a huge hit it was going to be.” SF Billboard magazine’s Bill Coleman called “Enjoy the Silence” an “engaging charmer” WK that blends [the] quintet’s recognizable techno-pop melodies with trendy house grooves.” WK It is “propelled along by neat, sequenced bass and drums and foreboding mock-choral synthesizer chords.” TB David Giles from Music Week declared it “the best Depeche Mode single in years” WK noting that it “heralds a return to the classic pop approach of their early Eighties hits…in contrast to the electro beat obsession of recent recordings.” WK Resources: SF Songfacts TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 244. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 9/30/2022; last updated 5/2/2024.