Talk about a collaboration that had to happen: Vince Clarke was the original songwriter for Depeche Mode, until he split over creative differences. While he racked up synth-pop hits with Yaz and Erasure, Martin Gore took over songwriting duties for Depeche Mode. So the long- awaited reunion is the New Wave equivalent of the Rocky/ Apollo rematch at the end of Rocky III. The two legends go for minimal electro – no lyrics, no pop hooks, just a stripped- down set of Nineties-style trans-Europe synth grooves. They revel in the dark-wave textures and autobahn beats of "Single Blip" and "Skip This Track" without any frills. For these guys, "Spock" isn't just a song title – it's an emotional stance.

Listen to VCMG's "Single Blip":

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• Photos: Random Notes

“Oh Sherrie”

Steve Perry's girlfriend Sherrie Swafford was actually in the studio when Perry began writing this song--his lone Top Ten hit as a solo act--with two co-writers. The trio began at midnight one night with just "Oh, Sherrie!" and "hold on, hold on." Three hours later, they had a complete song. Swafford, however, had to wait until the next day to hear it. "Sherrie actually got tired and went to bed," Perry said. She also appeared in the video, but their relationship did not hold on for long.