The Singles 81→85 is a singles compilation album

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 released in October 1985 by Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...

. The compilation was not originally released in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, being replaced by its counterpart Catching Up with Depeche Mode

Catching Up with Depeche Mode

Catching Up with Depeche Mode is a compilation released only in North America by British band Depeche Mode on November 11, 1985.As the title suggests it was an attempt to let the public catch up with the band's four previous LP's, by including singles and album songs...

. This was their first ever release with a picture of the band on the cover. In 1998, to coincide with the release of The Singles 86>98, the band remastered, repackaged, and re-released the compilation worldwide. Upon re-release there was a typographical change to The Singles 81>85 in order for consistency with the later release The Singles 86>98. Two bonus tracks (one of which had never appeared on an official CD to date) were included on the 1998 re-release.

The 1998 re-issue has sold 283,000 units in the U.S. as of April 2006.

Reception

LP: Mute / MUTEL1

Mute / CD MUTEL1

CD: Mute / LCDMUTEL1 (1998 Reissue bonus tracks)

Songs written by Martin Gore

Martin Gore

Martin Lee Gore is an English songwriter, lyricist, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, remixer and DJ. He is a founding member of Depeche Mode and has written the vast majority of their songs...

, except tracks 1, 2, 3, 16, and 17 written by Vince Clarke

Vince Clarke

Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....

.
David Gahan

David Gahan

Dave Gahan is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the baritone lead singer for the British electronic music band Depeche Mode since their debut in 1980. He is also an accomplished solo artist, releasing albums in 2003 and 2007...

 sings lead vocals on all songs except "Somebody" which is handled by Martin.

Cover and leaflet

Both the re-issue and the original LP has each single pictured on the leaflet and comments by certain reviewers, both positive and negative. Pre the Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....

 era, Neil Tennant

Neil Tennant

Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...

's dismissive Smash Hits

Smash Hits

Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...

review from the actual release date of the double A side single Blasphemous Rumours/Somebody is featured.

The photograph by Eric Watson

Eric Watson (photographer)

Eric Watson is an English photographer.Watson moved to London in 1974 to study fine art at Hornsey Art College, where his contemporaries included Adam Ant and became an assistant to the photographer Red Saunders in 1980 and soon branched out as a photographer in his own right, primarily in the pop...

 featured on the cover was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Certifications

Country	Certification	Sales/shipments
Germany	Gold	250,000