Artist	Song
Eurythmics	Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
from Eurythmics: Ultimate Collection (Remastered) (2005)
The Human League	Don't You Want Me
from The Very Best of the Human League (2005)
a-ha	Take On Me
from Rhino Hi-Five: a-ha - EP (2005)
Gary Numan	Cars
from The Pleasure Principle (1998)
Soft Cell	Tainted Love
from The Very Best of Soft Cell (2002)
Devo	Whip It
from Greatest Hits (2009)
Yaz	Situation
from Upstairs At Eric's (2005)
Various Artists - Azzurra Music	West End Girls
from The Best Of: Pet Shop Boys (2005)
New Order	Blue Monday
from Singles (2005)
Tears for Fears	Shout
from Songs from the Big Chair (1999)
Erasure	A Little Respect
from Rhino Hi-Five: Erasure - EP (2005)
Thomas Dolby	She Blinded Me With Science
from The Golden Age of Wireless (1983)
A Flock of Seagulls	Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)
from Platinum & Gold Collection: A Flock of Seagulls (2003)
Men Without Hats	The Safety Dance
from The Silver Collection (2009)
Frankie Goes to Hollywood	Relax
from Bang!...The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1993)
Berlin	Take My Breath Away
from 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Berlin 1979-1988 (1988)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark	If You Leave
from The OMD Singles (1998)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark	Electricity
from The OMD Singles (2003)
Depeche Mode	Enjoy the Silence
from The Best of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1 (Deluxe Version) (2006)
Howard Jones	Things Can Only Get Better
from Rhino Hi-Five - EP (2005)
Falco	Rock Me Amadeus
from Falco: Greatest Hits (2008)
Corey Hart	Sunglasses at Night
from Corey Hart: The Singles (1995)
Dead or Alive	You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
from Youthquake (1985)
Animotion	Obsession
from Obsession - The Best of Animotion (1996)
Peter Gabriel	Shock the Monkey
from Peter Gabriel 4: Security (Remastered) (1982)
The Cure	The Walk
from The Cure: Greatest Hits (2007)
Naked Eyes	Always Something There to Remind Me
from The Best Of Naked Eyes (1991)
Depeche Mode	Just Can't Get Enough
from The Best of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1 (2006)
The Buggles	Video Killed the Radio Star
from The Age of Plastic (1990)
Kim Wilde	Kids in America
from The Very Best of Kim Wilde (2003)
Talk Talk	Talk Talk
from Natural History - The Very Best of Talk Talk (2007)
Eurythmics	Here Comes the Rain Again
from Eurythmics: Ultimate Collection (Remastered) (2005)
Harold Faltermeyer	Axel F
from Totally '80s for Kids (2010)
Michael Sembello	Maniac
from Number 1's: '80s Pop (2007)
Ultravox	Reap the Wild Wind
from The Voice - The Best of Ultravox (2003)
Roxette	The Look
from Look Sharp! (1989)
ABC	Be Near Me
from Look of Love - The Very Best of ABC (2001)
Thompson Twins	Doctor! Doctor!
from Thompson Twins: Greatest Hits - Love, Lies and Other Strange Things (1996)
Alphaville	Big In Japan (Original)
from Forever Young (2004)
The Human League	(Keep Feeling) Fascination
from The Very Best of the Human League (2005)
Peter Gabriel	Games Without Frontiers
from Shaking the Tree (16 Golden Greats) [Remastered] (1990)
Howard Jones	No One Is to Blame
from Rhino Hi-Five - EP (2005)
Electronic	Getting Away With It (Full Length Version)
from Getting Away With It (2005)
Bronski Beat	Smalltown Boy
from The Age of Consent (2008)
Marc Almond	Tears Run Rings
from The Stars We Are (2003)
Men Without Hats	Pop Goes the World
from The Silver Collection (2009)
After the Fire	Der Kommissar
from Radio Hits of the '80s (2006)
Information Society	What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)
from Rhino Hi-Five: Information Society - EP (2007)
Nu Shooz	I Can't Wait (American Mix)
from Tha's Right (2010)
Scritti Politti	Perfect Way
from Cupid & Psyche 85 (2005)
Yello	Oh Yeah
from Stella (2005)
Re-Flex	The Politics of Dancing
from Lost & Found: Imagination, Vol. 1 (2007)
Heaven 17	Let Me Go
from Best of Heaven 17 (2003)
Kraftwerk	The Telephone Call
from Electric Cafe (2005)
Trio	Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha
from Da Da Da (1997)
Murray Head	One Night In Bangkok
from Broadway's Greatest Leading Men (2000)
Visage	Fade to Grey
from Fade to Grey - The Best of Visage (1993)
Paul Hardcastle	19
from Cover to Cover (2007)
Book of Love	Boy
from Book of Love (2008)
Soft Cell	Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
from The Very Best of Soft Cell (2002)
Communards with Sarah Jane Morris	Don't Leave Me This Way
from Communards (2006)
Kon Kan	I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)
from Move to Move (2010)
Sigue Sigue Sputnik	Love Missile F1-11
from The First Generation - 2nd Edition (2006)
Ministry	Work for Love
from With Sympathy (1988)
Trans-X	Living On Video
from Living On Video (1986)
Gary Numan & Tubeway Army	Down in the Park
from Replicas (1998)
Propaganda	P. Machinery
from A Secret Wish (1985)
Red Flag	Russian Radio
from Naïve Art (2006)
The Beloved	Hello
from The Sun Rising (2006)
Sunscreem	Love U More
from 03 (2006)
Xymox	Imagination
from Twist of Shadows (1994)
The Human League	Being Boiled (Fast Version)
from The Very Best of the Human League (2005)
Shriekback	Nemesis
from Oil & Gold (1990)
Japan	Cantonese Boy
from Tin Drum (2003)

Comment:

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 [i]Synth Pop[/i] 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.

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