English electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Long-running lineup: Dave Gahan (vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards/guitar/vocals), and Andy Fletcher (keyboards, died 2022). Early member Vince Clarke departed in 1981 to form Yazoo and later Erasure. Foundational to the development of synth-pop and dark electronic music.
Fifteen studio albums starting with Speak & Spell (1981). Commercial peak: Music for the Masses (1987), Violator (1990, featuring "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence"), and Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993). Fletcher died in 2022; the band continued as a Gahan/Gore duo with Memento Mori (2023). Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
