Synth Pop

A disclaimer before we get started: no guitars or Marshall stacks were harmed in the making of this playlist. True to its name, our Synth Pop Essentials playlist bursts at the grooves with blips and beeps, squiggles and squelches — the post-Kraftwek product of a new wave world in which machines and man co-exist with nary a solo in sight, from the deviant and subversively dark realm of Gary Numan and the Human League to the hip-club, strip-club robo-grinding of Goldfrapp and the savvy modern electronica of Hot Chip.

Throw off your mental chains and join Howard Jones, and his '80s mates, in Next Steps.

The '80s was the glory decade for synth pop — and there are few tracks more glorious, shiny, and uplifting than 1985's "Take On Me" by a-ha. We'll proffer a hearty handshake to anyone who can match singer Morten Harket note-for-note through the vertiginous chorus. Other era-defining classics include "Crockett's Theme" from Jan Hammer — written for TV cop series Miami Vice — and the politically charged, break-dance-ready electro of Paul Hardcastle's "19".

As for our Deep Cuts, all we've got to say is "Pump Up the Jam".

When MTV announced its arrival with "Video Killed the Radio Star" in 1981, the Buggles did more than provide the network with an impromptu theme song. They also aired the palpitating beats at the heart of synth pop, an early-'80s alternative to the clashing chords and ear-splitting hooks of punk and metal. At the height of its popularity, synth pop could be heard all over the airwaves, and the genre pushed through to the '90s via the work of the Shamen (1991's "Move Any Mountain") and the Beloved (1993's "Sweet Harmony").

The synth pop scene may have reached its zenith in the late '80s, but its influence remains strong to this day, either in shamelessly appropriated samples or through pioneering bands that continue to refresh the parts guitars alone cannot reach (Air, the Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, Goldfrapp). And it's easy to see why, as our Synth Pop selection reveals with every neon-tinged track. Here we salute the early music of New Order, Gary Numan, the Human League, Depeche Mode, and more, as we line up some of the best singles ever to find themselves caught between the pop charts and dance clubs.