Everything Counts

by Depeche Mode

“When we talk about vanguards, we typically refer to those who totally reject the mainstream, carve out a path for themselves by finding some loyal fans and building their career on that.”

Seemingly admirable enough, at least compared to those who may opt for commercial success over art that could find itself struggling. Seldom do we see those who engage in musical exploration be brave enough to try out their sounds before audiences accustomed to for-profit music.

Depeche Mode did just that. They were bold, to say the least. Depeche Mode brought novel electronic sounds into their pop songs as electronic music was still breaking into the popular realm. Depeche Mode deserves the most lavish praise for bringing experimental sounds to the mainstream.

“The band had been born into electronics.”

Inspired by musicians that came before, their start in the industry was into an evolved world. Electronic had had a significant presence by this time - so much so that, like a path of least resistance, the band found where they fit in, in the most natural way conceivable.

Britons had a fair amount of exposure to experimental artists - a handful of outliers, even contrarians, seeking to stand out and put out work that's 'out the box.' And then there were those who didn't. Such was the world or the musical environment when Depeche Mode came to be. Dave Gahan fronted the band; he had joined a little after they had already started. Martin Gore had been the lead singer prior to Gahan and now took on the role of keyboardist and primary songwriter.

In 1983, the band released its third album, Construction Time Again. One of the singles off of that album was "Everything Counts," a song that carried political messaging, written by Martin Gore that earned him accolades from music critics.

At this point, Depeche Mode's sound was primarily electric, a destination they had arrived at gradually. They often ventured into the Industrial genre, "Everything Counts" exhibited some elements of Electronic and those from Industrial, giving it a serious and dark tone.

What made this song special, for the band at least, was that this was a rare song where Gahan - the initial lead singer - and Gore would share singing duties almost equally. "Everything Counts" incorporates some sampling of several instruments acoustic in nature. They include a xylophone and melodica. The song achieves that balance many contemporary producers strive to attain of a sort of equilibrium between electronic - and synthesized - sounds with acoustic.

The song's drumming, supplied by an E-mu Drumulator drum machine, is modeled after 1980s Hip Hop beat breaks, which in turn are sampled from earlier Funk beat breaks. The song also relies on a sampler, much like other electronic dance productions of the era, to capture snippets of the sounds of metal scrapping.

It is considered a significant step forward for the band. It displayed a pushing of the envelope, and it showed their growth and musical maturity since their arrival a few years earlier. The band was influenced by pioneers of Electronic Music such as Kraftwerk, the Human League, and others.

Music industry veterans hail Depeche Mode for maintaining their originality amidst their frequent climbs up the pop charts. Chris Martin of Coldplay praised Depeche Mode, saying, "Sonically, they were and are about throwing away all the rulebooks." Their sales were staggering. Everything from record sales to concerts, the band did exceptionally well.