Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Essentials

These Liverpudlian electronic music pioneers played experimental synth-pop with the scope and seriousness of the art-rock bands of the '70s. Beginning in 1978, OMD's early albums featured minimalist instrumentals and ballads where raw keyboards sometimes sounded like post-punk guitars. Led by Andy McCluskey's radio-friendly voice, they mastered a pure pop sound and found worldwide success with 1985's Crush, which kicked off a series of melancholic synth-driven hits. The group fizzled in 1996 but triumphantly returned a decade later with new albums and tours.