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Cover of Violator by Depeche Mode
Cover: Violator

Song · Depeche Mode

“Policy of Truth” by Depeche Mode

From the album Violator (1990)

“Policy of Truth” by Depeche Mode appears on 63 radio countdowns from 20 stations between 1990 and 2026. It was first released in 1990 on the album Violator. Its best result is #2 on the CFNY Top 90 Songs of 1990. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #13 alternative song of 1990, #215 alternative song of all time and #342 of the '90s.

63countdowns
20stations
#2best position
0#1 finishes
2top 10 finishes
1990–2026years charted

Watch

Depeche Mode - Policy of Truth (Official Video)

Video from YouTube (DepecheModeVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Policy of Truth" was the third single Depeche Mode took from Violator, their seventh studio album, in 1990, following "Enjoy the Silence" out the door on Mute. Martin Gore wrote it, words and music, and Dave Gahan sings it low and unhurried, a velvet-gloved croon sliding over a groove that slinks and struts rather than pounds.

François K mixed it, and everything sits exactly where it should: dark, sleek and cool to the touch, synth-pop dressed head to toe in black.

America took to it with unusual warmth. It went to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 against number 16 in the UK, the only time a Depeche Mode single did better in the States than at home, and it gave the band their second number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1990 13 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1990 107
1990 4 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1990 91
1990 63 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1990 105
1990 2 CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON CFNY Top 90 Songs of 1990 90

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1991 90 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 165 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 384 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 36 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 363 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 168 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 396 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 219 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 156 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 223 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 162 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1998 215 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 146 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 276 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 292 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 141 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 275 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 386 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 313 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 193 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 525 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 741 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 265 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 525 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 266 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 525 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 328 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 525 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 1075 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 64 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 91
2003 525 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 326 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 359 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 525 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 525 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 518 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2006 491 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2007 352 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 168 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 366 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 125 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 384 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 131 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 129 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 127 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 128 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 126 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2019 72 X96 X96's Top 100 Songs of the 90's 100
2019 752 WYEP WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 1017
2019 545 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2019 752 WYEP WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 1099
2021 421 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2022 722 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 209 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2022 1147 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022 603
2023 417 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 1007 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2024 411 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2026 781 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Policy Of Truth.

Charting alongside it in 1990

Best songs of 1990 →
  1. 1Nothing Compares 2 USinéad O'Connor
  2. 2The Only One I KnowThe Charlatans
  3. 3Blue Sky MineMidnight Oil
  4. 4Enjoy the SilenceDepeche Mode
  5. 5Here's Where The Story EndsThe Sundays
  6. 6The Emperor's New ClothesSinéad O'Connor

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