Martin Gore

One of Depeche Mode's founding members, Martin L. Gore only occasionally serves as the band's voice, leaving lead vocals to Dave Gahan. (Gore's tenor tends to grace D.M.'s quieter, more downcast output, like "Somebody," "Sometimes," "A Question of Lust" and "I Want You Now.") But as the group's principal songwriter, Gore has more than made his mark -- on the band, and on pop music in general. Not for nothing are Depeche Mode covered so often and by such a varied range of musicians. So it's ironic that Gore's solo work has concentrated on cover versions. He teased fans in 1989 with the Counterfeit EP, a collection of songs by the likes of Tuxedomoon's Winston Tong and Durutti Column's Vini Reilly, but it wasn't until 2003 that he would release his debut solo album. Counterfeit 2 recast songs by Lou Reed and Julee Cruise as delicately durable synth-pop ballads.