VIEWS: Erasure: ‘Always’ – Five Decades Of Hits, One From Each

Looking back on five decades of hits from Erasure and picking the best from each!

Erasure are about to release an updated version of their 2015 best of, “Always: The Very Best Of Erasure” on double weight vinyl and an expanded CD edition, which brings together many of their biggest and best loved hits from over thirty years of recording together.

It was back in 1985 that Vince Clarke, formerly of Depeche Mode and Yazoo, advertised for a singer for a new group he wanted to set up. 21 year old Andy Bell was the one that impressed him the most and together they have churned out dozens of albums and hundreds of songs ever since, Vince’s longest musical partnership by a long distance.

Things didn’t get off to a flying start but following the release of their early 1986 hit “Sometimes”, it was chart success after chart success from then on. Erasure’s appeal spread global and continued beyond the 20th and into the 21st century.

The expanded “Always: The Very Best Of Erasure” includes “Love You To The Sky” from their 2017 album “World Be Gone” and “Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)” from 2020’s “The Neon“, while the CD update features a 2015 remix of “Sometimes”. So what are the best Erasure songs from each decade? Everyone will have their own, but here are our favourites:

1980’s – “Sometimes” (1986)

The 80’s for many is Erasure’s finest period with classics like “Oh L’Amour“, “Ship Of Fools” and “A Little Respect“, but it was their first chart hit, “Sometimes”, released in late 1985 that made its way to No.2 in the UK and the top ten across most of Europe that wins the sound of the 80’s for Vince and Andy.

1990’s – “Breath Of Life” (1992)

The 1990’s proved more inventive and creative as the duo pushed beyond boundaries to stay at the top and with five consecutive UK number one albums now under their belt, there are so many songs to chose from. “Blue Savannah”, “Love To Hate You”, “Always” and the ABBA songs are all standouts from this period, but it is the final since from the “Chorus” album, “Breath Of Life”, in the Spring of 1992 that really takes the crown this time.

2000’s – “Breathe” (2005)

The 00’s saw Erasure cover “Other Peoples Songs” and see a “Light At The End Of The World”. Singles like “Freedom”, “I Could Fall In Love With You” and remixes of their earlier hits “Oh L’Amour” and “Always” are highlights, but the lead single from their 2005 album “Nightbird”, “Breathe”, is both classic Erasure and Erasure for a new century. The song hit the top five in the UK and number one on the US Dance chart.

2010’s – “Elevation” (2014)

Erasure experimented further in the 2010’s with their “Tomorrows World” album, a cover of Christmas classic “Gaudete” and their superb 2017 album “World Be Gone” with standout singles “Love You To The Sky” and “Just A Little Love”. But we go back to their 2014 album “The Violet Flame” for perhaps their best from this decade, their club smash “Elevation”, produced by Richard X, the song is both addictive and highly euphoric.

2020’s – “Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)” (2020)

Erasure have so far delivered one album in the 2020’s, “The Neon”, with numerous remixes and EP’s that have followed. The album is blessed with many outstanding tracks, but the lead single, “Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)”, was well chosen and set the success of the album up admirably. “The Neon” went top five in the UK, Erasure’s highest charting since “I Say I Say I Say” back in 1994.