What is the best synth-pop album of all time?

Synth-pop redefined pop music by replacing organic instruments with pulsing synthesizers and futuristic production. From austere minimalism to glittering maximalism, vote for the greatest synth-pop album ever made.

Violator

Depeche Mode's 1990 masterpiece featuring 'Personal Jesus' and 'Enjoy the Silence' — universally cited as the pinnacle of synth-pop.

1/14

Dare

Human League's 1981 defining statement of the synth-pop movement, featuring the genre's signature anthem 'Don't You Want Me'.

2/14

Actually

Pet Shop Boys' 1987 follow-up containing 'It's a Sin' and 'Always on My Mind', widely regarded as their artistic peak.

3/14

The Pleasure Principle

Gary Numan's 1979 blueprint for synth-pop featuring 'Cars', which took the genre into the mainstream for the first time.

4/14

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Eurythmics' 1983 album featuring its iconic title track, a flawless blend of icy synthesisers and Annie Lennox's remarkable voice.

5/14

Hunting High and Low

A-ha's 1985 debut featuring 'Take On Me', whose unforgettable synth riff became the sound of a generation.

6/14

Architecture & Morality

OMD's 1981 album fused synth-pop ambition with emotional depth, influencing virtually every synth act that followed.

7/14

Upstairs at Eric's

Yazoo's 1982 debut perfectly blended Vince Clarke's mechanical synth melodies with Alison Moyet's raw, soulful vocals.

8/14

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Soft Cell's 1981 debut featuring 'Tainted Love' is one of the most startling and visceral synth-pop albums ever made.

9/14

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode's 1987 album was the breakthrough that turned them into stadium-filling global stars.

10/14

Very

Pet Shop Boys' 1993 album features some of their most exuberant and euphoric dance-oriented synth-pop.

11/14

The Bones of What You Believe

CHVRCHES' 2013 debut brought synth-pop roaring into the modern era with shimmering hooks and emotional intensity.

12/14

Computer World

Kraftwerk's 1981 visionary album predicted the digital age and laid the conceptual groundwork for all synth and electronic pop.

13/14

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

M83's 2011 epic double album breathed new emotional life into synth-pop's cinematic possibilities.

14/14