Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981)

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New Order and Depeche Mode flirted with dance-floor sexuality, while Soft Cell was busy engaging in it. The infamous synth pop duo was like the misfit older cousin your parents detested for teaching you the thrills of hedonism. A full 50 percent of Soft Cell's success can be attributed to Marc Almond's vocal delivery and back-alley lyrical content. At times, if you close your eyes really tightly, Almond's voice comes off like Liza Minnelli after a rough night of learning (the hard way) about punk rock in a squalid downtown basement club. The remaining 50 percent goes to Soft Cell's musical engine, Dave Ball. Ball's orchestrations and arrangements were, without question, ahead of their time. Listen as he explores aural catacombs pierced by synthesizer stalactites that drip cold futurist ooze, sort of like the musical equivalent of William S. Burroughs reinventing his concept of "interzone" as a discotheque. We recommend the classics "Sex Dwarf," "Chips on My Shoulder" and, of course, the ubiquitous hit "Tainted Love."

Human League - Dare! (1981)

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Before assuming its name, the Human League functioned as a revolving-door hangout for various British electronic musicians. Eventually, the group's musical backbone congealed, complemented by the addition of a pair of schoolgirl vocalists (Susanne Sulley and Joanne Catherall). With Dare!, the Human League became synth pop's first international superstars. The group's ascension into the kingdom of '80s pop royalty was driven primarily by the hit single "Don't You Want Me." The song featured a sordid tale of unrequited lust layered over high-gloss synth lines finalized by deadpan vocal harmonies in the chorus, somewhat reminiscent of The Beach Boys after a narcotics bender. Eventually, the group slipped into a New Wave caricature, manufacturing such plastic pop tunes as "(Keep Feeling) Fascination."

Yaz - Upstairs at Eric's (1981)

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Depeche Mode lead singer Martin Gore must have suffered a slight aneurysm upon first hearing Yaz, the brainchild of Depeche Mode founder and chief songwriter Vince Clark. With Upstairs at Eric's, Clark showcases the hyperaddictive synth pop he alluded to earlier with Depeche Mode's breakout single "Just Can't Get Enough." Here we see Clark's synthetic visions fully realized, especially on the album's opener, "Don't Go," and the essential "Situation." Clark's accomplished songwriting is complemented by the throaty Alison Moyet, whose robust vocal style manages to dominate every tune sent her way. With Upstairs at Eric's, the short-lived duo created what could quite possibly be the most brilliant album of the synth pop era. While their cohorts crafted some fantastic singles, Yaz delivered an entire album of synthesized goodness that shines from beginning to end.

Berlin - Pleasure Victim (1982)

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Berlin was an odd beast. The group appeared in 1979 as a Blondie imitator, in both sound and style. Perhaps the main difference between Blondie and Berlin was that the latter group created albums that were consistent over its career, whereas the former never matched the genius of its 1978 album Parallel Lines. Still, one could argue for classifying Berlin's Pleasure Victim as a novelty, were it not for the delicious morsels of synth pop found therein. The album features two perfect demonstrations of synth pop's emotionally detached nature in "The Metro" and "World of Smiles." The remainder of the album revolves around the sexually exploitative character of lead singer Terri Nunn. When all is said and done, the album still sounds pretty good, especially if you can find it in your heart to overlook the ridiculousness of "Sex (I Am...)."

New Order - Low-Life (1985)

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With Low-Life, New Order molted the sonic remnants of its Joy Division past and consummated the group's own unmistakable sonic signature. The album also marked the first time the group received proper promotion and distribution in America, thus ensuring that the angular-haircut teens of the '80s would fall prey to New Order's high-definition dance pop. Adding to the group's stateside popularity was its inclusion on the soundtrack to the prototypical '80s film Pretty in Pink. The soundtrack contribution ("Shellshock") was absent from the Low-Life album, but the dramatic instrumental "Elegia" graced the film. Despite being a cornerstone of synth pop, the album is not without fault in that some of its more dance-oriented moments have not aged well, and many of its melancholy moments seem to wander aimlessly, like a drunken sailor in a foreign port of call. But those weaker moments are easily forgiven once the pop perfection of "Love Vigilantes," "Perfect Kiss," and "Subculture" reach your temporal lobe.

Isaac Hayes - How to Be a...Zillionaire! (1985)

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Think of ABC as the Elvis Presley of synth pop. While Soft Cell crafted sleazy disco cabaret and Depeche Mode abused itself with tenderized industrial music, ABC sculpted plastic-souled synth pop that bordered on sterile. British audiences devoured ABC's R&B-influenced pop like a giant plate of bangers and mash smothered in HP Sauce. Unlike so many other big acts from across the pond, the group found a willing audience waiting for it in the States. The single "How to Be a Millionaire" became a smash hit and a staple of New Wave revivalist dance clubs. The song's video capitalized on front man Martin Fry's dashing good looks, which young teens admired and imitated with varying degrees of success. ABC managed to squeeze out a few more pop gems before the prevailing anti-decadence of the early '90s led to the group's timely demise.

Depeche Mode - Music For The Masses (1987)

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Music for the Masses was the soundtrack to Depeche Mode's global coming-out party. On it, the band's sixth album, the leather-clad synth pop pioneers managed to isolate the most addictive elements of their music and songwriting style: industrial rhythms, synthetic textures, and emotive, socially charged lyrics. This sonic refinement, mixed with monumental improvements in recording technology, generated the biggest sound Depeche Mode had ever made. As the album title pretentiously declares, the group had finally managed to fabricate synthesized music that the masses could digest. Oh, and digest it they did. The release of Music for the Masses catapulted Depeche Mode into the arena rock echelon and transformed millions of youngsters into fiends for the group's epic dance-floor symphonies and overly dramatic electro-ballads.

Erasure - The Innocents (1988)

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After departing Depeche Mode and Yaz, Vince Clark concocted the perfect soulful, dance-beat-driven synth pop group: Erasure. Clark managed to locate a singer whose voice was frighteningly similar to that of Alison Moyet (of Yaz). Like Moyet, Andy Bell's vocal confidence amplified the animated synthesized orchestration Clark had perfected. But unlike Moyet, Bell served up his disco-fried diva melodies while prancing about the stage in a pink tutu or some other fantastic creation. His vocal acrobatics and eccentric showmanship, combined with Clark's sparkling compositions, eventually led to The Innocents. The album's hit, "Chains of Love," pulled the group from the obscurity of London's gay club scene and vaulted it firmly onto US charts. The group's success could be jointly attributed to Clarks' saccharine bubble pop and Bell's bittersweet recollections of lovers past and optimistic expectations of lovers future. The combination worked then, and it continues to work today, as Erasure is currently touring in support of its 11th album.

Gary Numan - New Dreams for Old: 1984-1998 (2000)

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The founding father of synth pop is still the most influential artist in the genre. His early release, Tubeway Army (from his group of the same name), somehow perfectly balanced his punk rock ethos and refried disco sensibilities. Numan's aesthetic had an obvious effect upon the future of synth pop and is traceable today across a sprawling range of descendants of New Wave culture. Numan's next album with Tubeway Army, Replicas, was where he began to develop his robotic, detached posturing: a sort of physical manifestation of the Kraftwerk sound. With the solo effort The Pleasure Principle, Numan's artificial nature had taken control. The album also spawned the infamous hit "Cars," which still stands as the quintessential futurist tune. "Cars" would eventually exile Gary Numan to the one-hit-wonder hinterlands, an unfortunate turn of events, considering the sheer genius of his body of work.

Ladytron - Light & Magic (2002)

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The relatively recent Ladytron represents a new breed of electro pop directly descended from the synth pop of a bygone era (chronicled above). Much ado was made during the millennial shift of 2000 regarding the so-called "electroclash movement," a highly stylized, ironic style that did much damage to the fundamental credibility of synthesizer-based music. Ladytron's critically acclaimed debut, 604, was at the forefront of this media-fabricated movement. Unfortunately, the group suffered from the massive--and predictable--public backlash against electroclash, whatever it was. The seemingly universal resentment toward electro pop is sort of ironic, considering the mainstream's current love affair with electro-infused Southern crunk. With its sophomore effort, Light & Magic, Ladytron streamlines its affinity for sonic angularity and vintage analog synths. If Ladytron strove to appear to be from both the past and the future, it achieved its goal with stunning success. But if the group's purpose was to construct a slice of unique contemporary electro pop...actually, it accomplished that too. The arrangements were complex, the effects simplified, the melodies intricate, and the vocals haunting. Ultimately Light & Magic proves that synth pop is still alive...and is probably due for a full-on resurgence.