Synth Pop

A disclaimer before we get things started: No guitars or Marshall stacks were harmed in the making of this playlist. True to its name, our Synth Pop Essentials burst at the grooves with blips and beeps, squiggles and squelches — the post-Kraftwerk product of a new wave world where machines and man co-exist with nary a solo in sight, from the deviant and subversively dark realm of Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, and the Human League to the danceable, herky-jerky novelties of Devo, Dead or Alive, and Men Without Hats. Contrary to popular belief, synth pop produced more than one-hit wonders too; as our Next Steps prove, it helped launch the careers of everyone from the Eurythmics to Berlin.

When MTV announced its arrival with the cheeky, temple-thumping nostalgia of "Video Killed the Radio Star," 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 rock and heavy metal. At the height of its popularity, synth pop could be heard all over the airwaves, including the rambunctious rallying cry of "Kids in America," the barber shop/dance club harmonies of "Here Comes the Rain Again," and the triple-synth attack of "Axel F," a.k.a. the Beverly Hills Cop theme. As for our Deep Cuts, all we've got to say is "Pump Up the Jam."

Um, yeah, so the swinging synths of "Work for Love" aren't a hoax. They are, in fact, the first, candied synth-pop incarnation of Ministry — a fun-house mirror image of the highly influential band that'd later define the industrial scene with such hammering singles as "Stigmata" and "N.W.O." It's one of many pleasant surprises in our Deep Cuts, including the politically charged, break-dance-ready electro of "19," the hip-shakin' Top 40 action of "Cool Places" (a playful duet between Sparks and Go-Go's guitarist/singer Jane Wiedlin), and key selections from such you-had-to-be-there favorites as Red Flag, Re-Flex, and Sunscreem.

The synth pop scene died like a battery-powered (and completely drained) Moog in the late '80s — thank you very much, Mötley Crüe — but that didn't keep its influence from infusing every decade since, creeping into everything from robotic R&B (the "Tainted Love" sample of Rihanna's "SOS") to bands that balance their riffs with ripples of electronic effects (the Rapture, LCD Soundsystem). And it's easy to see why: As our Synth Pop Essentials reveals with every neon-tinged track, the early music of New Order, Gary Numan, the Human League, Depeche Mode, and more are some of the best singles to ever find themselves caught between the pop charts and dance clubs.