For the Masses

For the Masses is a 1998 tribute album to Depeche Mode. The opening track is The Smashing Pumpkins cover of "Never Let Me Down Again", which was originally released as a B-side on the "Rocket" single. Other artists featured include The Cure, GusGus, Deftones, Dishwalla, and Rammstein, among others.

The album charted in America and reached the Top 20 in Germany, making it the most successful Depeche Mode tribute album of all time. The album title is taken from Depeche Mode's 1987 album Music for the Masses.

Following the release of the compilation, Billy Corgan joined Depeche Mode to perform "Never Let Me Down Again" at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show on December 12, 1998.

Critical reception
The compilation received mixed reviews. AllMusic wrote that Depeche Mode songs are "difficult to cover without replicating the original arrangements" and that only a few bands succeeded in making the songs their own, singling out The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, GusGus, and Rammstein.

NME similarly states that this tribute album is "not about investigating Depeche Mode's legacy, but massaging swollen egos". The Smashing Pumpkins and The Cure are commended for attempting something different while the rest of the entries fail in adding their own twist to the songs and are hoping for "some controversy-free exposure".