Depeche Mode is in their fifth decade of churning out synth-pop classics, but “Enjoy the Silence” still stands as the band’s most popular song. It is also their most covered song, as more than 250 artists have tried their hand at interpreting it. What makes “Enjoy the Silence” irresistible to those who listen to and play it? It could be the simple but catchy guitar riff, the bouncy synth bass line, David Gahan’s icy cool vocals, or most likely, the way everything comes together.
The hit from Depeche Mode’s Violator album might be impossible to top, but many of the cover versions are worth a listen. These five include some of the most popular takes on the song, and each puts “Enjoy the Silence” in a unique musical context, far from the synth-pop environment we all associate with it.
Tori Amos
Tori Amos’ arrangement, which consists of her on vocals and piano with string accompaniment, may sound miles away from Depeche Mode’s. However, Martin Gore initially wrote the song as a ballad backed only by organ. Of the remakes featured here, Amos’ version probably matches Gore’s original vision for the song the best
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Tori Amos
Tori Amos’ arrangement, which consists of her on vocals and piano with string accompaniment, may sound miles away from Depeche Mode’s. However, Martin Gore initially wrote the song as a ballad backed only by organ. Of the remakes featured here, Amos’ version probably matches Gore’s original vision for the song the best.
The song appears on Amos’ 2001 covers album Strange Little Girls. Each of the songs on the album was originally written and recorded by a male artist. Amos not only remade each song from a female perspective, but she adopted a different persona for each number. For “Enjoy the Silence,” she took on the role of a veteran Las Vegas showgirl named Isis. When Amos sings Can’t you understand / Oh my little girl, she is singing it from the perspective of an older woman who is looking out for her younger colleagues. Amos also changes the line Words are meaningless and forgettable to Words are meaningless and unforgettable, changing the entire tone of the message.
