Top 10 Favorite 80's Synth-Pop Songs - "Revenge"

@teamfreak16 (43421)
Denver, Colorado
May 25, 2016 3:25pm CST
We head to Chicago, home of Ministry, for #1 in my Top 10 Favorite 80's Synth-Pop Songs series. Ministry was formed in 1981 by vocalist Al Jourgensen (the band's only constant.) Although Ministry is one of the world's most popular industrial act's, they started out as a synth-pop band, releasing their keyboard-laden 1983 debut album, With Sympathy. To this day, I contend they would have been as popular as other electronic bands such as Depeche Mode and New Order had they continued this direction. (Fun fact I read years ago: Jourgensen was once on the ski team at the University of Colorado before blowing out his knee.) "Revenge" was a single from that album, and although it failed to chart, I think it's one of the top three songs on With Sympathy. (By the way, Jourgensen pretty much professed to hating the band's synth-pop era, but has since reworked classic's such as "Everyday is Halloween.") "Revenge" is, lyrically, pretty dark for synth-pop, which is probably why I like it over equally great songs from the album, such as "Work for Love." Although I'm a big fan of industrial Ministry, I do love their early synth-pop. A lot.
5 people like this
3 responses
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
25 May 16
Now that's what I call classic synthpop. Jourgensen didn't like synthpop? He sure has heck had the hairdo for it.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
25 May 16
The seeds of the direction he would take are apparent on the second album, Twitch. I'd even heard that at one time he demanded that Arista destroy the With Sympathy masters. Don't know if it ever happened.
@Ronrybs (17854)
• London, England
26 May 16
'Nother one I've not heard of, but it doesn't sound too surprising from what I've read
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
26 May 16
Industrial is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, especially when it's as loud and aggressive as Ministry.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
25 May 16
another mystery to me.But I can dig it if you can.Again,I am green on this.Never heard of them.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
25 May 16
A lot of people only know them from their industrial stuff, which is not everyone's cup of tea being as loud and aggressive as it is.