10 Depeche Mode covers by famous singers or bands

In the late 80s and early 90s, the British synthpop band offered the world a number of notable hits. Their sound has inspired musicians of all styles ever since. Here are 10 direct tributes to the influential band - some more memorable than others.

The first single on Depeche Mode's best known album, "Violator," was "Personal Jesus." The hit acquired new fame in the 2004 version covered by shock rocker Marilyn Manson. The cover sticks to the original tempo of the song, adding grungy guitar riffs and heavy drums.

In a completely different style, Johnny Cash recorded his own bluesy interpretation of "Personal Jesus" on the 2002 album "American IV." Depeche Mode's hit song was re-worked into an acoustic version by Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante for Johnny Cash.

Notorious for provocative performances, rebelling against the East German regime and indulging in drugs, the German "Godmother of Punk" found her own personal Jesus late in life: Nina Hagen was baptized in 2009. She spread her newfound love for God in her music, releasing her album "Personal Jesus" in 2010 - which of course included the famous Depeche Mode song.

The American pianist and singer Tori Amos also regularly included a cover of "Personal Jesus" during her "Summer of Sin" tour in 2005, adding a lot of piano notes to the original. She also recorded another of Depeche Mode's "Violator" hits, "Enjoy the Silence," on "Strange Little Girls" - each track of this concept album was a cover of a song originally performed by men.

The Scottish singer who grabbed the world's attention as a contestant on "Britain's Got Talent" in 2009 also covered "Enjoy the Silence" on her 2011 album "Someone to Watch Over Me." Boyle's sugarcoated sentimental version of the song is stripped of all traces of the goth dance beats that made the original a hit.

The fourth and final single for the album "Violator" was "World in My Eyes." The Cure, another pioneering band known for its dark, tormented music, chose this song as their contribution to the Depeche Mode tribute album "For the Masses," released in 1998.

Depeche Mode's single "Stripped," from the 1986 album "Black Celebration," featured innovative samples. In their own Neue Deutsche Härte style, the German provocative rockers Rammstein served up an interesting cover version. The video controversially included images from Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda film "Olympia" - but the band distanced itself from the filmmaker's politics.

The Depeche Mode song "I Feel You" was a track from their 1993 album "Songs of Faith and Devotion." More rock-oriented than previous songs, it was the band's highest-charting hit worldwide. The English alternative rock band Placebo covered it, initially releasing it for members of their fan club only and, in 2003, including it on "Sleeping with Ghosts."

German electronic music group Tangerine Dream covered Depeche Mode's single "Precious" from the album "Playing the Angel" (2005). The krautrock collective may have developed pioneering sounds in the mid-1970s, but their cover of this song didn't add much to the original.

The single "Never Let Me Down Again" was a particularly strong hit in West Germany in 1987 and remains a favorite among fans. The Smashing Pumpkin's melancholy rendition of the hopeful song perfectly captures the spirit of teenage turmoil. Depeche Mode's singer Dave Gahan even said he thought it was "a lot better" than the original.