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Tim wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2026 10:53 am Not to rely on wiki too much but I'd think their acclaim score is higher than their AM ranking would indicate, def highly acclaimed among their rock/pop and electronic peers. Don't think them and Devo being ~70 spots apart would be terribly justified.

wiki wrote:Considered one of the most influential synth-pop acts in history, OMD have sold over 40 million records worldwide.[a] McCluskey and Humphreys represented Britain's first performing, two-piece synthesizer band and have been described as the "original synth-pop duo".[189] The A.V. Club identified OMD as "one of the earliest synthesizer-driven bands to break out of the post-punk scene and lead the charge toward the defining sound of the [1980s]."[5] PopMatters said the group "gave credibility to ambitious pop" and led to "the emergence of a generation of electronic bands", including Talk Talk, ABC, Blancmange, Simple Minds, and the Vince Clarke projects Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure.[2] Clarke agreed with critics who felt OMD were "ahead of their time", and credited their "really great tunes and ideas" with directly inspiring him to become an electronic musician.[c][193] The Pet Shop Boys bonded over their deep affection for OMD:[194] lead singer Neil Tennant named the group as "pioneers of electronic music"[195]—a viewpoint shared by multiple writers.[a] Some have dubbed McCluskey and Humphreys the "Lennon–McCartney of synth-pop".[5][137]

OMD impacted 1980s peers such as Howard Jones,[169][196] Kim Wilde,[197][198] Tears for Fears,[199][200] Frankie Goes to Hollywood,[201] A-ha,[202][203] China Crisis,[204] and Duran Duran, for whom "Electricity" (1979) was an early influence.[199][205] Alphaville's Marian Gold stated, "It wasn't Kraftwerk: it was OMD that really changed my life."[206] Within rock music, the group directly inspired ZZ Top's introduction of synthesizers and onstage dancing,[207][208] and helped foster New Order's emergence as an electronic act from 1983.[2][209] OMD were also influential on U2, whose bassist, Adam Clayton, was a contributor to the band's official 2018 biography.[210] OMD's impact extended to industrial musicians like Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor,[211][212] Skinny Puppy's Nivek Ogre,[213] Ministry's Al Jourgensen,[214] and Front Line Assembly's Rhys Fulber, who observed an "amazing" combination of "art, experimentation and pop".[215]

OMD are noted for their influence on dance music in the 1990s and beyond.[216] The group inspired performers including Orbital,[217][218] Paul van Dyk,[219] Mike "μ-Ziq" Paradinas,[220] David Guetta,[221] and Moby, who cited them as "heroes" and a decisive factor in his career choice.[185][222] OMD influenced a new generation of synth-pop artists such as La Roux and Crystal Castles,[17][223] and prompted the formation of indie band Nation of Language.[224] The group have also inspired rock and pop artists including No Doubt,[161][225] the Killers,[226][227] Barenaked Ladies,[228] MGMT,[229] AFI,[169][230] LCD Soundsystem,[226][231] Future Islands,[232] the Shins,[233] Low,[234] the Divine Comedy,[235] the xx,[226] Sharon Van Etten,[236] Robyn,[237] Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante,[238][239] Belle and Sebastian's Stevie Jackson,[240] and Take That's Gary Barlow.[29] Singer Anohni said of OMD's Architecture & Morality (1981) and Dazzle Ships (1983): "Those records, they really changed me when I was a kid. I'd never heard anything quite like it... this really scary, futuristic landscape."[241] The experimental Dazzle Ships has impacted artists such as Arcade Fire,[18] Radiohead,[18] Saint Etienne,[129] and producer Mark Ronson.[242][243]

The tribute albums Pretending to See the Future and Messages: Modern Synthpop Artists Cover OMD (both 2001) feature cover versions by acts including White Town, the Faint, Cosmicity, Mahogany and the Acid House Kings.[244][245] In 2020, singer Boy George streamed a cover of "The View from Here" (2017), adding that he wished he had written the track.[246] Elsewhere, OMD's songs have been interpreted or sampled by artists such as Moby,[247] Leftfield,[248][249] Hot Chip,[250] Xiu Xiu,[251] Angel Olsen,[252] NOFX,[253] Good Charlotte,[254] and John Foxx and the Maths,[255] as well as by the rappers Kid Cudi and Lushlife.[143][256] The group's influence extends to the metal bands Deftones and Type O Negative,[257][258] country duo Sugarland,[259] DJ Steve Lamacq,[260][261] actor/writer Scott Aukerman,[262] novelist Anna Smaill,[263] filmmaker Noah Baumbach,[264][265] physicist/musician Brian Cox,[169] and the songwriter/producers Steven Wilson and Richard X.[148][266] Wilson dubbed OMD a "wonderful collision of ideas", whose albums "stand up very, very well as experimental pop records with the most enjoyable kind of songwriting".[148] The group were inducted into the Goldmine Hall of Fame in 2014, described as "one of rock's most underrated and underappreciated bands".[3] Musician Gary Numan later credited OMD for "some of the best pop songs ever written".[267]