Erasure

Though their success wasn't immediate, Erasure eventually became one of the biggest and longest-lived synth-pop outfits. After his work in the first half of the '80s with Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and The Assembly, synth wizard Vince Clarke formed the duo with singer Andy Bell in 1985. Together they developed a sound that was as loaded with pop hooks as Clarke's previous projects but bore a bigger dose of dance music influence. Their 1986 debut album, Wonderland, didn't make much impact, and Erasure's first batch of singles stalled as well. But things really took off for the twosome beginning with the follow-up, The Circus and the U.K. No. 2 hit "Sometimes." Between Bell's flamboyant persona and Clarke's infectious tunes, Erasure enjoyed a long run of success in the U.K. And by the end of the '80s they were even making inroads in the U.S., hitting the Top 20 with the singles "Chains of Love" and "A Little Respect" from 1988's The Innocents. With their self-titled 1995 album, Erasure began to expand its sound beyond the house- and Hi-NRG-inflected dance-pop sound that made them famous, and in the process their popularity diminished somewhat, but they were never far away from the upper rungs of the U.K. charts, and as late as 2005 they could be found hitting the Top 5 with "Breathe." And they always remained a major force in the dance music realm in the U.S. Bell began a solo career in 2005 with Electric Blue and Clarke started the duo VCMG with old Depeche Mode bandmate Martin Gore in 2011, but both men remained loyal to Erasure first and foremost.