"Don't Go" by Yaz

Yaz (originally called Yazoo) was a synth pop group that had some modest chart success in the US in the early 80s. Yaz was comprised of Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke (formerly of Depeche Mode) and their 1982 record, "Upstairs at Eric's" is considered a landmark release in the genre.

In terms of chart hits, though, it left quite a bit to be desired. "Situation" stalled at #73 and "Only You" only reached #67. "Don't Go" is the track that kicks off this album and feels more like a hit, but it didn't chart.

Moyet would strike out on a solo career and Clarke later formed a similar band, Erasure. Both would find greater chart success beyond Yaz: Moyet had a #31 hit in 1985 with "Invisible" and Erasure would score three Top 40 hits in the late 80s and 90s.

"Heart Of Stone" by Erasure

1988 was the magical year for the English pop duo called Erasure. The boys had their first chart appearance with "Chains of Love" going to #12 and "A Little Respect" going to #14. They would never be able to best these performances, the closest being "Always", which hit #20 in 1994.

The vocal half of Erasure is Andy Bell and the instruments are performed by Vince Clarke. If you are reminded of the less gloomier side of Depeche Mode when you hear Erasure, that's because Clarke used to be in Depeche Mode. He also did time in another famous duo act of the 80s called Yaz.

"Heart of Stone" is an underrated gem from Erasure's breakthrough 1988 album, "The Innocents".

"Somebody" by Depeche Mode

English band Depeche Mode is one of the most successful synthpop bands ever. After amassing an underground fan base in the early 80s with (now) classics like "I Just Can't Get Enough" and "Everything Counts", they stormed onto the American charts with their powerful anthem "People Are People", which reached #13 in 1985 and remains one of their best known hits.

Depeche Mode struggled to keep a presence in the US top 40 throughout the rest of the 80s, but came back in a big way in 1990 with the release of their album "Violator", which hit #7 and remains their biggest selling record. Driven by clever pop hits like "Personal Jesus" (#28), "Enjoy The Silence" (#8), and "Policy Of Truth" (#15), the band enjoyed a huge resurgence.

While still remaining popular even today, the band never captured that kind of chart success again. Their next album, 1993's "Songs Of Faith And Devotion", would be their one and only #1 record, but it only spawned one top 40 hit, the leadoff single "I Feel You" (#37). 1997 would be their last top 40 appearance to date, with "It's No Good" landing at #38.

Chart performance aside, the band's rich catalogue is filled with other goodies that should have been more widely known. "Somebody" is arguably the band's greatest ballad - touching and simple, it is amazing that this song didn't grab more attention when released in 1985. Quite unique, the song is recorded over background noise - a crowded restaurant or amusement park - providing an interesting texture for the ears. The transcendent beauty of the piano melody stands out even more as it soars above the more ordinary everyday noise.

Cover songs – Anberlin

Modern rock band Anberlin masterfully blends musical genres and it seems they have a fondness for 80s music. You’ll hear hints of synth pop and industrial music in many of their original songs, but they’ve also covered a number of 80s hits.

Here they are performing “Enjoy The Silence”, which was Depeche Mode’s biggest hit ever, landing at #8 on the Billboard chart in early 1990.

They also covered “The Promise”, from the one-hit wonders, When In Rome, who took the song to #11 in 1988.

Anberlin has also covered the classic 1986 Smiths song, “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”.

Anberlin has covered other tunes beyond the 80s…including Radiohead’s “Creep” and this classic from Bob Dylan.

All of the above cover songs can be found on Anberlin’s 2007 release, “Lost Songs”.