Erasure are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell and songwriter, producer, and keyboardist Vince Clarke, who was previously a co-founder of Depeche Mode and the synth-pop duo Yazoo. The duo achieved significant commercial success from their fourth single, "Sometimes" (1986), and became one of the most prominent acts in the UK from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s. Between 1986 and 2007, Erasure had 24 consecutive top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart. By 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had reached the UK top 40, with 17 entering the top 10. They won the Brit Award for Best British Group in 1989. Erasure released their debut album "Wonderland" in 1986. Although it had limited chart success, the track "Oh l'amour" later became one of their most popular songs when reissued in 2003 to promote the compilation "Hits! The Very Best of Erasure". Their second album, "The Circus" (1987), reached number 6 in the UK and produced four top 20 singles: "Sometimes", "It Doesn't Have to Be", "Victim of Love", and "The Circus". Their third album, "The Innocents" (1988), became their first UK number 1 album and included hit singles such as "Ship of Fools", "Chains of Love", and "A Little Respect". In the same year, they released the Christmas EP "Crackers International", which reached number 2 in the UK and featured the song "Stop!". "The Innocents" was the first of five consecutive UK number 1 albums, followed by "Wild!" (1989), the Mercury Prize-nominated "Chorus" (1991), the compilation "Pop! The First 20 Hits" (1992), and "I Say I Say I Say" (1994). Their ABBA tribute EP, "Abba-esque" (1992), also reached number 1 in the UK. Notable singles from these releases included "Drama!", "Blue Savannah", and "Star" from "Wild!", "Chorus", "Love to Hate You", and "Breath of Life" from "Chorus", and "Always" and "Run to the Sun" from "I Say I Say I Say". From 1995 onward, Erasure’s commercial success began to decline with the release of the album "Erasure" (1995), followed by "Cowboy" (1997) and "Loveboat" (2000). They experienced a partial resurgence in the 2000s in some European countries with their cover of Peter Gabriel’s "Solsbury Hill" from the album "Other People's Songs" (2003) and the UK Top 5 single "Breathe" from "Nightbird" (2005). Later releases achieved more modest chart performance amid broader changes in the music industry. Over their career, Erasure have written more than 200 songs and have sold over 28 million albums worldwide. Studio albums Wonderland (1986) The Circus (1987) The Innocents (1988) Wild! (1989) Chorus (1991) I Say I Say I Say (1994) Erasure (1995) Cowboy (1997) Loveboat (2000) Other People's Songs (2003) Nightbird (2005) Union Street (2006) Light at the End of the World (2007) Tomorrow's World (2011) Snow Globe (2013) The Violet Flame (2014) World Be Gone (2017) The Neon (2020) Day-Glo (Based on a True Story) (2022)
