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In 1981, four teenagers from Basildon released ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ - a bright, synth-pop single that announced the arrival of Depeche Mode. Over the next four decades, that same band would evolve into something far darker, stranger, and more monumental. This documentary explores how Depeche Mode became one of the most beloved bands in the world - everywhere before the country they came from.

They’ve sold over 100 million records, filled stadiums from Mexico City to Moscow, and become a source of near-religious devotion for fans around the world. And yet, back home in Britain, they’ve often been misunderstood - too weird, too pop, too synthetic, too uncool.

Writer, critic and musician Sasha Frere-Jones leads a journey through class, coolness, eyeliner, bondage, synthesizers and the Cold War. Along the way, he meets the fans who followed the band across continents, critics and the artists who owe them so much.

Featuring exclusive interviews and extraordinary archive from behind the Iron Curtain to Los Angeles riot scenes, this is the untold story of how Depeche Mode conquered the world - by accident, by design, and by sheer persistence.

Contributors:

Gary Numan, musician
Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records
Alexis Petridis, music critic
Jeremy Deller, artist and filmmaker
Suzie Stapleton, musician
Paul Gidley, Depeche Mode fan

Presenter: Sasha Frere-Jones
Producer: Richard Power
Executive Producer: Kellie While

A Pomona Audio production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4