The band Depeche Mode has been inducted into the Rock Hall 2020 (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2020)
Table of Contents
Synth-pop legends Depeche Mode were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the evening of 7 November 2020. The ceremony took place online. It was originally scheduled to take place at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland on 2 May, but Pandemonium made adjustments.
The trailer for the award ceremony...
Charlize Theron presented Depeche Mode
Announcing the band was actress Charlize Theron. She inducted electronic music pioneers Depeche Mode into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, enthusiastically proclaiming the band's music as the soundtrack of her life:
"Depeche Mode is the soundtrack of my youth. I'm not kidding - they had a song for literally every occasion of my life: my first date, my first time leaving South Africa and, of course, the first time my heart was broken. And so when I finally saw them live a couple of years ago, it was like an epic slap in the face of nostalgia. But more than that, when I was at the concert, I realised what else I love about their music: they celebrate the underdog. Their music brings people from all walks of life together and makes them accept themselves as they are. The music makes them feel like, "it's okay to be different." This really struck me at the concert. I was moved to tears. I came home, I told my daughters about it, and I was mad as hell because I don't usually go to rock concerts for the sake of crying. But honestly, it speaks to the immense power that Depeche Mode have had over the years. It also explains why, when I had the opportunity to choose some songs for the soundtrack to Atomic Blonde, they were first on my list. It's no surprise that they're joining the ranks of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - they should have been there 20 years ago if it had been up to me. But what an incredibly well-deserved honour. Thank you guys for being the soundtrack to my life."
The band accepted the award with Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher thanking their brothers and former band mates Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder who sadly didn't turn up.
Depeche Mode earned the right to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for the first time in 2006, and have since been nominated three times for their work: "Black Celebration" (1986), "Music for the Mass" (1987) and "Violator" ( 1990). The British band's combination of rock and electronic elements, dark feelings and a wide palette of experiences has always appealed to fans of the band like Theron, who said that "their music brings together people from all walks of life."
Depeche Mode's full induction ceremony
Depeche Mode have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Nine Inch Nails, Whitney Houston, The Notorious BIG, T. Rex and The Doobie Brothers, as well as renowned managers Jon Landau and Iving Azoff.