Bauhaus/Love & Rockets/Peter Murphy

Talk about undead. Nearly 30 years since its '79 debut, "Bela Lugosi's Dead," the beautifully spooky single from Goth godfathers Bauhaus, remains the cult anthem of all things drear and danceable. But the band's dark dominion over the dance floor walks on in other awesome incarnations: Bauhaus co-founder Daniel Ash presides over both Tones on Tail's diabolically hooky "Go!" and the eerie soundscapes of Love & Rockets, including the brooding beat monster "Ball of Confusion." It doesn't end there — explore our Next Steps for more underworld adventures.

The perfect storm of bleak brilliance that is Bauhaus is revealed in all its dark dimensions, from the scorching genius of guitarist Daniel Ash on an incendiary "Third Uncle"; to the zombie-surf sounds of "Twist," by Ash's Bauhaus follow-up, Tones On Tail; to the Goth-lounge glamour of "His Box," by vocalist Peter Murphy's own post-breakup band, Dalis Car. Later, a solo Murphy's world-weary vocals morph moody ballads like "Strange Kind of Love" into minor-key classics, while Love and Rockets skirt the truth with "No New Tale to Tell." Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, it's time to take a journey into Bauhaus and company's unfathomable depths . . .

There is much in the depths of the delicious Bauhaus underworld to explore, so let our Deep Cuts lead you from the fierce Goth-rock glory of "Double Dare" to "Kick in the Eye 2" (an atmospheric remake of the band's velvet-grip club hit) to bassist David J's weird and wonderful narration on "Of Lillies and Remains." Deeper in the band's cavernous vaults, you'll find standout solo material in the painless strains of J's "Sweet Anaesthesia," the ironclad industrial gloom of Love & Rockets' "No Big Deal," and the ethereal shimmer of Peter Murphy's "The Sweetest Drop."

They're the kings of Goth's dark realm, godfathers of the gloomy grooves that have held disciples in thrall for nearly 30 years and counting. The fateful foursome of guitarist/vocalist Daniel Ash, vocalist Peter Murphy, bassist David J, and drummer Kevin Haskins didn't just create music to move and brood to; they laid down eerie, intense, and commanding sounds for an entire genre of nocturnal rock. The band may have broken up in '83, but its musical offspring — Tones on Tail, Dalis Car, Love & Rockets, and solo reigns from Murphy and J — never relinquished their underworld throne, creating everything from the industrial beats of Bauhaus' "St. Vitus Dance" to Murphy's solo smash "Cuts You Up" to the smoldering life force of Love & Rockets' "So Alive."