My sister bought the cassette tape of this album and listened to it on repeat. I was still pretty young at the time, but the music definitely made an impact on me.

It is notorious for the hit singles: “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence.” I think it is solid from start to finish. It manages to kick in full gear where needed and then dial it back to more subtle, emotional songs. Almost every song has a pretty unforgettable hook of some sort, whether lyrics or melodies.

It’s kind of interesting in that it is very much a synth pop album, but it came out in 1990. So, it was kind of a trendsetter by helping to move the music landscape in a rock alternative direction and away from the synthy disco vibes of the 80s.