What is the best Erasure album ever? [Update 2022]

We rated every studio album track by track

To find out what are the best Erasure albums, I did the work and rated every single album track by track. I sum­mar­ized the res­ult in a rank­ing that you can find here. At the end of the art­icle, the val­ues are again clearly arranged, shown chro­no­lo­gic­ally in a curve graph.

Quantity or quality is the question concerning Erasure

The qual­ity of Erasure albums have sig­ni­fic­ant ups and downs. While in the mid-90s the focus was still more on quant­ity and the qual­ity notice­ably declined, Andy Bell and Vince Clarke for­tu­nately caught them­selves again at the begin­ning of the 2000s and no longer deman­ded this high out­put from them­selves. The enorm­ous out­put that Erasure has been pro­du­cing for dec­ades must of course be cred­ited to the guys. So it's per­fectly legit­im­ate not to pro­duce a hit album sometimes.

The best Erasure album charts

17. Snow Globe

Release: 2013
Overall Rating: 2.15 ★★☆☆☆
Great tracks: (None)
Weak tracks: Sleep Quietly, Silent Night, The Christmas Song, Bleak Midwinter, Blood On The Snow, Midnight Clear, White Christmas, Silver Bells

It's okay if you call me the 'Grinch', because I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of christ­mas. It's over hyped, the weath­er sucks and my blood pres­sure rises to infin­ity as soon as I have to listen to 'Last Christmas' by 'Wham!' for the thou­sandth time. Guess how much I would like to listen to an christ­mas album by 'Erasure'?

1. Bells Of Love (Isabelle's Of Love) 3
2. Gaudete 2.5
3. Make It Wonderful 3.5
4. Sleep Quietly 2
5. Silent Night 1.5
6. Loving Man 3
7. The Christmas Song 1.5
8. Bleak Midwinter 2
9. Blood On The Snow 2
10. There'll Be No Tomorrow! 2.5
11. Midnight Clear 1.5
12. White Christmas 1.5
13. Silver Bells 1.5

16. Day-Glo (Based On A True Story)

Release: 2022
Overall Rating: 2.2 ★★☆☆☆
Great tracks: (None)
Weak tracks: Based on a True Story, Bop Beat, Pin-Prick, The Conman, Now, Inside Out, The Shape of Things, The End

The album 'Day-Glo (Based On A True Story)' is in fact a recyc­ling of the leftover mater­i­al from the quite fant­ast­ic album 'The Neon' (2020). Unfortunately, most of it is instru­ment­al, which doesn't work for me in gen­er­al. Some pieces sound like techno or house exper­i­ments, like on the concept album 'Ssss' by the pro­ject 'VCMG'. For me, the album is more of an elec­tron­ic exper­i­ment and not a typ­ic­al Erasure album. The diehard fans will be happy, I per­son­ally don't need this album.

1. Based on a True Story 2
2. Bop Beat 2
3. Pin-Prick 2
4. The Conman 2
5. Now 2.5
6. Inside Out 2
7. Harbour of My Heart 3
8. 3 Strikes and You're Out 3
9. The Shape of Things 1.5
10. The End 2

15. Loveboat

Release: 2000
Overall Rating: 2.41 ★★☆☆☆
Great tracks: (None)
Weak tracks: Mad As We Are, Love Is The Rage

There is little I can say about the album except: A total fail­ure! Everything sounds like it was trans­mit­ted through cot­ton wool. Besides the, let's say, very spe­cial albums 'Snow Globe' and 'Day-Glo', for me per­son­ally 'Love Boat' is one of the worst Erasure albums of all time.

1. Freedom 3
2. Where In The World 2.5
3. Crying In The Rain 2.5
4. Perchance To Dream 2.5
5. Alien 2.5
6. Mad As We Are 2
7. Here In My Heart 2.5
8. Love Is The Rage 2
9. Catch 22 2.5
10. Moon And The Sky 2.5
11. Surreal 2

14. Wild

Release: 1989
Overall Rating: 3.14 ★★★☆☆
Great tracks: You Surround Me, Brother And Sister
Weak tracks: Piano Song (instru­ment­al), Piano Song

The album 'Wild' is just a mar­gin­al note for me. At the time of its release, I only noticed it cas­u­ally and it nev­er really took me with it.

1. Piano Song (Instrumental) 2
2. Blue Savannah 3
3. Drama! 3.5
4. How Many Times? 3
5. Star 3
6. La Gloria 3
7. You Surround Me 4
8. Brother And Sister 4
9. 2,000 Miles 3
10. Crown Of Thorns 3.5
11. Piano Song 2.5

13. Erasure

Release: 1995
Overall Rating: 3.18 ★★★☆☆
Great tracks: Rescue Me, Fingers And Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)
Weak tracks: Intro: Guess I'm Into Feeling

Only one year after the excel­lent album 'I Say I Say I Say', the self-titled album 'Erasure' is released. To be quite hon­est, I have to say that most of the tracks sound like unfin­ished b‑sides of the last pro­duc­tion to me. I think they wanted to forge the iron while it's still hot. A great gift for die-hard fans, but not high ranked in the best Erasure albums.

1. Intro: Guess I'm Into Feeling 2.5
2. Rescue Me 4
3. Sono Luminus 3
4. Fingers And Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day) 4
5. Rock Me Gently 3
6. Grace 3
7. Stay With Me 3
8. Love The Way You Do So 3
9. Angel 3.5
10. I Love You 3
11. A Long Goodbye 3

12. Wonderland

Release: 1986
Overall Rating: 3.18 ★★★☆☆
Great tracks: Who Need Love Like That, Reunion, Oh L'amour
Weak tracks: My Heart … So Blue

The debut album of 'Erasure' is without ques­tion a clas­sic in the his­tory of Electropop. Especially with such a strong single as "Oh L'amour", which nev­er made it into the big Top 10 charts. But who cares about the charts? Let's just say that it's a great debut album, but in the track by track rat­ing the album also has many weak to mid-range songs. That's why it didn't get a high pos­i­tion in this ranking.

1. Who Needs Love Like That 4
2. Reunion 4
3. Cry So Easy 3.5
4. Push Me Shove Me 3
5. Heavenly Action 3
6. Say What 3
7. Love Is A Loser 3
8. Senseless 3.5
9. My Heart … So Blue 2.5
10. Oh L'amour 5
11. Pistol 3.5

11. Cowboy

Release: 1997
Overall Rating: 3.54 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: In My Arms, Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me
Weak tracks: (None)

The album 'Cowboy' is, I think, pretty much the most aver­age album by 'Erasure'. Neither fish nor fowl, almost all songs are neither good nor bad. In con­trast to the pre­vi­ous album 'Erasure', which almost made you fall asleep with its super long song lengths, here the tracks are pro­duced in pleas­ant lengths suit­able for radio. I have the feel­ing of an A/B test that Erasure has car­ried out here on a large scale. We will prob­ably nev­er know the details. By the way, I think the album art­work is terrible!

1. Rain 3.5
2. Worlds On Fire 3.5
3. Reach Out 3.5
4. In My Arms 4
5. Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me 4
6. Precious 3.5
7. Treasure 3.5
8. Boy 3.5
9. How Can I Say 3.5
10. Save Me Darling 3
11. Love Affair 3.5

10. Light At The End Of The World

Release: 2007
Overall Rating: 3.68 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: I Could Fall In Love With You, Sunday Girl, How My Eyes Adore You
Weak tracks: (None)

The album 'Light At The End Of The World' has no major mis­fires and stays well in the mid­field in terms of song qual­ity and vari­ety. If 'Cowboy' has the worst album art­work of any Erasure album, then the title for the chees­iest, the album 'Light At The End Of The World' is safe.

1. Sunday Girl 4
2. I Could Fall In Love With You 4.5
3. Sucker For Love 3.5
4. Storm In A Teacup 3
5. Fly Away 3.5
6. Golden Heart 4
7. How My Eyes Adore You 4
8. Darlene 3.5
9. Glass Angel 3.5
10. Be My Baby 3.5
11. I Don't Know Why 3.5

9. Nightbird

Release: 2004
Overall Rating: 3.73 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: Here I Go Impossible Again, I'll Be There, All This Time Still Falling Out Of Love
Weak tracks: (None)

'Nightbird' is a sol­id Synth Pop release in the dis­co­graphy of 'Erasure'. Is it an album I listen to often? No, cer­tainly not, but there are a few high­lights that I really like.

1. No Doubt 3.5
2. Here I Go Impossible Again 4
3. Let's Take One More Rocket To The Moon 3.5
4. Breathe 3.5
5. I'll Be There 4
6. Because Our Love Is Real 3.5
7. Don't Say You Love Me 3.5
8. All This Time Still Falling Out Of Love 4
9. I Broke It All In Two 4
10. Sweet Surrender 4
11. I Bet You're Mad At Me 3.5

8. Chorus

Release: 1991
Overall Rating: 3.85 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: Chorus, Love To Hate You
Weak tracks: (None)

'Chorus' is a must-have in every well-stocked Synth Pop col­lec­tion, simply because of the uber-hit 'Love To Hate You'. But also oth­er­wise the album is solidly pro­duced and con­tains a lot of fant­ast­ic songs besides the already men­tioned hit.

1. Chorus 4.5
2. Waiting For The Day 4
3. Joan 3.5
4. Breath Of Life 4
5. Am I Right? 3.5
6. Love To Hate You 5
7. Turns The Love To Anger 3.5
8. Siren Song 3
9. Perfect Stranger 3.5
10. Home 4

7. The Circus

Release: 1987
Overall Rating: 3.9 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: It Doesn't Have To Be, Victim Of Love, Sometimes, The Circus
Weak tracks: (None)

With the second album 'Erasure' have really taken off. The album 'The Circus' received a proud 3.9 stars in the track by track rat­ing. The hit 'Sometimes' alone has made Erasure a con­stant in the scene.

1. It Doesn't Have To Be 4.5
2. Hideaway 3.5
3. Don't Dance 3.5
4. If I Could 3
5. Sexuality 3
6. Victim Of Love 5
7. Leave Me To Bleed 3.5
8. Sometimes 5
9. The Circus 5
10. Spiralling 3

6. The Innocents

Release: 1988
Overall Rating: 4.05 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: A Little Respect, Ship Of Fools, Chains Of Love
Weak tracks: Sixty-five Thousand

I guess the album 'The Innocents' by 'Erasure' is to die-hard fans what 'Black Celebration' is to 'Depeche Mode' fans. There's not much to shake about it.

1. A Little Respect 5
2. Ship Of Fools 5
3. Phantom Bride 4
4. Chains Of Love 5
5. Hallowed Ground 4
6. Sixty-five Thousand 2
7. Heart Of Stone 4
8. Yahoo! 4
9. Imagination 4
10. Witch In The Ditch 4
11. Weight Of The World 3.5

5. World Be Gone

Release: 2017
Overall Rating: 4.1 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: Love You To The Sky, Be Careful What You Wish For!
Weak tracks: (None)

What I love most about the album 'World Be Gone' is that Erasure prove that they can also make really gloomy music. Apart from excep­tions like 'Love You To The Sky', the album clearly shows the depress­ive mood of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. The album is def­in­itely a snap­shot of the pre­vail­ing zeit­geist at the time.

1. Love You To The Sky 5
2. Be Careful What You Wish For! 5
3. World Be Gone 4
4. A Bitter Parting 4
5. Still It's Not Over 4
6. Take Me Out Of Myself 3
7. Sweet Summer Loving 4
8. Oh What A World 4
9. Lousy Sum Of Nothing 4
10. Just A Little Love 4

4. Tomorrow's World

Release: 2011
Overall Rating: 4.2 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: Be With You, Fill Us With Fire, When I Start To (Break It All Down), I Lose Myself
Weak tracks: (None)

'Tomorrow's World' was the first Erasure album I reviewed for Electrozombies and I have to say, "Wow, what a record!". The stand­ard ver­sion fea­tures only nine songs, but all of them are excel­lently pro­duced to the point. Fresh new sounds and finally dance­able hits again.

1. Be With You 5
2. Fill Us With Fire 5
3. What Will I Say When You're Gone? 3.5
4. You've Got To Save Me Right Now 3.5
5. A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot 4
6. When I Start To (Break It All Down) 5
7. I Lose Myself 4
8. Then I Go Twisting 4
9. Just When I Thought It Was Ending 4

3. The Neon

Release: 2020
Overall Rating: 4.3 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling), Nerves Of Steel, Fallen Angel, Shot A Satellite, Diamond Lies
Weak tracks: (None)

The album 'The Neon' com­pletely con­vinced me the first time I listened to it. Crisp beats, catchy lyr­ics and no song lasts longer than it has to. Long intros or out­ros and gap fillers don't even occur here. After more than 30 years of band his­tory and the last great albums, you get the feel­ing that the duo have really grooved in.

1. Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling) 5
2. Nerves Of Steel 5
3. Fallen Angel 4.5
4. No Point In Tripping 4
5. Shot A Satellite 5
6. Tower Of Love 3.5
7. Diamond Lies 4.5
8. New Horizons 3.5
9. Careful What I Try To Do 4
10. Kid You're Not Alone 4

2. The Violet Flame

Release: 2014
Overall Rating: 4.4 ★★★★☆
Great tracks: Elevation, Reason, Sacred, Paradise
Weak tracks: (None)

'The Violet Flame' is a first class Synth Pop opus that seeks its equal. For me, the album has some­thing of a comeback album. Erasure plays to all the strengths on this album that I have missed since the album 'I Say I Say I Say'. I'm also super happy that I got the lim­ited edi­tion of The Violet Flame early. It's now one of my favour­ite collector's items.

1. Dead Of Night 4
2. Elevation 5
3. Reason 5
4. Promises 4
5. Be The One 4
6. Sacred 5
7. Under The Wave 4
8. Smoke And Mirrors 4
9. Paradise 5
10. Stayed A Little Late Tonight 4

1. I Say I Say I Say

Release: 1994
Overall Rating: 4.5 ★★★★★
Great tracks: Take Me Back, I Love Saterday, Run To The Sun, Always
Weak tracks: (None)

The album 'I Say I Say I Say' may not be the best-selling Erasure album, but it is the one with the highest chart pos­i­tions world­wide. And cer­tainly not without reas­on, because pretty much every single song has radio hit qual­it­ies and is out­stand­ing in terms of ori­gin­al­ity and catchi­ness. It's no won­der that I included the album in my list of '20 Synth Pop mile­stones and col­lec­tion must-haves'. If Electrozombies had already exis­ted in 1994, the album 'I Say I Say I Say' would have been 'Album of the Year' with a glor­i­ous 4.5 stars. Absolutely recommendable!

1. Take Me Back 5
2. I Love Saterday 5
3. Man In The Moon 4
4. So The Story Goes 4
5. Run To The Sun 5
6. Always 5
7. All Through The Years 4.5
8. Blues Away 4
9. Miracle 4
10. Because You're So Sweet 4.5

All Erasure albums in a chart overview

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• Which Erasure album do you like at most?
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Bonus – Electrozombies Erasure tribute compilation 'Love To Cover You'

To hon­our the band, we have released a trib­ute com­pil­a­tion in 2020. If you might have missed it, go and get it now: