Speak & Spell (studio album) by Depeche Mode

Speak & Spell by Depeche Mode
Year: 1981
Overall rank: 3,285th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
70/100 (from 210 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1981 (59th)
Award Top albums of the 1980s (506th)
Award Best albums of all time (3,285th)
Product Details
Availability

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Depeche Mode Speak & Spell Cassette M5S 3642 Just Can’t Get Enough Tested EX VG+
Condition: Very Good


eBay
eBay
Depeche Mode,Sire,"Speak & Spell",US,LP,stereo,In Shrink,1981 alt rock classic,M
Condition: Used


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Speak & Spell - Depeche Mode CD Sealed ! New !
Condition: Brand New


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Depeche Mode bestography

Speak & Spell is ranked 8th best out of 44 albums by Depeche Mode on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Depeche Mode is Violator which is ranked number 114 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 12,631.

Depeche Mode album bestography « Higher ranked (2,412th) This album (3,285th) Lower ranked (3,842nd) »
Playing The AngelSpeak & SpellA Broken Frame

Upcoming concerts

Apr
26
Fri
20:00
Strangelove - The Depeche Mode Experience
Delmar Hall, Saint Louis, United States. United States
Tickets from $25.00 (Ticketmaster) Get tickets
 
May
03
Fri
19:00
Strangelove - The Depeche Mode Experience
Middle East - Downstairs, Cambridge, United States. United States
Tickets from $25.00 (Ticketmaster) Get tickets
 
May
10
Fri
21:00
Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience
Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, Denver, United States. United States
Tickets from $25.00 (Ticketmaster) Get tickets
 
Discover more upcoming concerts

Listen to Speak & Spell on YouTube

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Speak & Spell track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 75 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Track
Rating/Comments
1.
Rating: 81 (54 votes)Comments: 0
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3.
Rating: 77 (44 votes)Comments: 0
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4.
Rating: 73 (40 votes)Comments: 0
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5.
Rating: 73 (42 votes)Comments: 0
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7.
Rating: 78 (47 votes)Comments: 0
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9.
Rating: 68 (38 votes)Comments: 0
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Speak & Spell rankings

Speak & Spell collection

Speak & Spell ratings

Average Rating: 
70/100 (from 210 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 210 ratings for this album.

Sort ratings
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
50/100
 Report rating
04/06/2024 09:12 Gammarus1979  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 51981/100
 
70/100
 Report rating
03/18/2024 21:04 Kali  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 68974/100
 
75/100
 Report rating
03/15/2024 01:55 matterhornrider  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 3,76982/100
 
60/100
 Report rating
03/07/2024 14:22 PurplePiePete  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,67980/100
 
65/100
 Report rating
02/25/2024 07:45 PAPPITUFO  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 12579/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album has a Bayesian average rating of 70.2/100, a mean average of 69.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 70.1/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.9.

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Speak & Spell favourites

Showing all 14 members who have added this album as a favourite

Speak & Spell comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 14 comments |
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Rating:  
60/100
From 02/21/2024 07:18
Yeah, pop for onetime ise
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 07/23/2023 03:05
Powerful synths, I think this could be misjudged and sounded a bit dated a couple years ago, but now that the 80s nostalgia is back, it is clear that the sound here is amazing and it was a great debut.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 12/20/2020 23:10
A good start
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 10/15/2020 09:21
This shows the way from Kraftwerk to synthpop. It's not an awesome album but it's absolutely interesting.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 09/05/2017 05:29
This poppy premier welcomes Depeche mode into the eighties and shows a tremendous potential for the band.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
60/100
From 06/05/2016 12:48
Depeche Mode's debut album is full of throwaway pop with Vince Clarke at the helm. Obviously, just can't get enough, is a classic pop song, the rest is a combination of not bad and forgettable. It's funny listening to some of these songs, I mean, can you imagine Depeche Mode playing, what's your name? these days. Not a chance. Overall, speak and spell, is okay for the time and place but Depeche Mode were more of a singles band than an album band at this point.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (3 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 04/30/2016 03:15
JCGE obviously is a killer track. The rest... well it's not vialator, and if you are into synth pop...
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 09/23/2014 22:46
Good debut. Not great, but solid. Dreaming of Me and JCGE are classics.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
50/100
From 03/27/2014 19:50
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Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -4 votes (1 helpful | 5 unhelpful)
Rating:  
65/100
From 10/06/2013 21:02
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Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -3 votes (0 helpful | 3 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1981
1. Moving Pictures by Rush
2. Computerwelt [Computer World] by Kraftwerk
3. Discipline by King Crimson
4. Juju by Siouxsie And The Banshees
5. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by Brian Eno & David Byrne
6. Time by Electric Light Orchestra
7. Faith by The Cure
8. Dare by The Human League
9. Damaged by Black Flag
10. Deceit by This Heat
11. Youth Of America by Wipers
12. Fire Of Love by The Gun Club
13. Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones
14. Ghost In The Machine by The Police
15. The Ascension by Glenn Branca
16. Heaven Up Here by Echo & The Bunnymen
17. Face Value by Phil Collins
18. Killers by Iron Maiden
19. Movement by New Order
20. Architecture & Morality by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
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