It’s hard to put your finger on why Depeche Mode don’t quite demand a natural spot in that well-worn, Buckingham Palace-topping pantheon of mainstream British greats. The synth-pop trio - made up of Basildon-born Dave Gahan, Andy Fletcher and Martin Gore - humbly admit that their most loyal fans are to be found “anywhere East of England”.

Yet the group’s sales numbers are astonishing: to date, Depeche have sold over 100 million records and scored 48 songs in the Official ...