Sweet (or the Sweet, depending on who you’re talking about K-Tel repackages with) recorded a number of songs that have come to epitomize the style versus substance genius of Glam rock’s best bands. From the absurd perfection of “Ballroom Blitz,” “Little Willy” and “Fox on the Run” to the overblown, epic psychedelia of “Love is Like Oxygen,” the Sweet designed fantastically catchy anthems built on simple rock guitar riffs, then piled on the synthesizers and vocal overdubs until they simply ran out of space. The finished product was clad in a metallic sheen, saturated with compressed distortion and injected with a loopy sense of irreverence. In short, it was absolute sonic candy that rocked.
- Mike McGuirk
Depeche Mode
As with many of the 1980s’ most brilliant pop stars, Depeche Mode have too often been relegated to period film soundtracks and compilations to evoke surface nostalgia rather than their unique emotional and musical complexity. From their earliest days with Vince Clarke (before he left to form Yaz, and later Erasure) creating disjointed, analog Synth Pop that evoked technological and social alienation, to their evolution through the ’90s evoking epic orchestrations of heavier electronics and production with a force that often borders on Industrial intensity, they have always been successful on both the dancefloor and in the music store. Dave Gahan’s sorrowful, impassioned vocals evoke feelings of loneliness as he presents mischievous lyrics of tongue-in-cheek social commentary, sexual politics and bittersweet romance. As they progressed, their symphony of synthesizers no longer represented cold futurism, but an otherworldly warmth via smooth melodies and clean dance beats.
- Marc Kate
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