Personal Jesus

Released in August 1989, 'Personal Jesus' marked a bold new direction for Depeche Mode. Written by Martin Gore after reading Priscilla Presley's memoir about her relationship with Elvis, the song reimagines devotion — romantic, spiritual, and rock-fuelled at once. Its raw, blues-inflected guitar riff gave the band a harder, more physical sound than anything they had recorded before. Directed by Anton Corbijn in the desert landscapes of Almería, Spain, the accompanying video leaned into the song's themes of faith and desire. The track became one of the most-covered songs in Depeche Mode's catalogue, later recorded by both Marilyn Manson and Johnny Cash, whose stark acoustic version introduced it to an entirely new generation.