Treble: 10 Essential Synth-Pop Albums

[arkin]

Here's a list of essential synth-pop albums from Treble...

http://www.treblezine.com/10-essential- ... op-albums/

mostly '70s-'80s, couple newish ones too.

[Frank_Chickens]

Immediately loses credibility by claiming Suicide's first album was the first ever synthpop album.

Haven't any of them heard of research? Apparently not.

[arkin]

so... what is, then? 1977 is pretty early for synth pop. Electronic music existed before then, but like... early Kraftwerk or what have you, dunno if you could call that synth pop.

[oldnewwaver]

I would have to say the following: (personal faves)

Yaz: Upstairs at Eric's

Human League : Dare

Ultravox : Quartet or Vienna

Depeche Mode : Speak and Spell or Black Celebration

Devo: New Traditionalists

Gary Numan: The Pleasure Principle

Thomas Dolby :The Golden Age of Wireless

OMD : Architecture and Morality or Crush

Heaven 17 :The Luxury Gap

Kraftwerk :Computer World

New Order :Low Life or Power,Corruption and Lies

Blancmange :Mange Tout

Pet Shop Boys: Please

I do not consider Simple Minds a synth pop band since they mainly use real instruments (drums, bass, guitar as a well as synths)

[Frank_Chickens]

[quote][i]Originally posted by arkin[/i]
<br>so... what is, then? 1977 is pretty early for synth pop. Electronic music existed before then, but like... early Kraftwerk or what have you, dunno if you could call that synth pop.
[/quote]

Not really, it's been around in its earliest incarnation since the late '50s (check out Thomas Disselvt and Kid Balton). Kraftwerk popularised the form in the 70s with 'Autobahn' being the stand out track.

[arkin]

I'm not sure that space age pop and synth pop are really the same thing. I get what you mean though.

[Jim2]

[quote][i]Originally posted by oldnewwaver[/i]
<br>
I do not consider Simple Minds a synth pop band since they mainly use real instruments (drums, bass, guitar as a well as synths)
[/quote]

Synthpop is pop music played with synthesizers. For the reasons you say Simple Minds is not a synth pop band, you must also eliminate New Order, for using guitars and OMD for using bass guitar and analog drums.

Where's Yello, Dalek I Love You, Soft Cell, Propaganda Visage or Ministry?

[Frank_Chickens]

[quote][i]Originally posted by arkin[/i]
<br>I'm not sure that space age pop and synth pop are really the same thing. I get what you mean though.
[/quote]

They are, just in different output forms as they both use tapes and synthesized effects to achieve their aim. The first generation didn't have anything prior to go on so took their cue from science fiction as that was the closest thing to what they were doing. Over time it changed due to different influences that were imbued into the genre till we got to Kraftwerk and their take on it which can be said had a basis in krautrock.

[thefxc]

I love how there is no synthpop between Violator and Cut Copy. What a bold list!

[oldnewwaver]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Jim2[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by oldnewwaver[/i]
<br>
I do not consider Simple Minds a synth pop band since they mainly use real instruments (drums, bass, guitar as a well as synths)
[/quote]

Synthpop is pop music played with synthesizers. For the reasons you say Simple Minds is not a synth pop band, you must also eliminate New Order, for using guitars and OMD for using bass guitar and analog drums.

Where's Yello, Dalek I Love You, Soft Cell, Propaganda Visage or Ministry?
[/quote]

I agree with you answer but I always felt OMD and New Order were more keyboard/synth oriented than Simple Minds

another additional for a synth band would be Berlin with Pleasure Victim