Depeche Mode are a Synth/New Wave music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, UK. They have been one of the longest-lived and most successful bands to have emerged during the New Wave and New Romantic era, though they are more akin to what was known as the 'Futurist' scene; many of their videos have been in heavy rotation on MTV. As of 2006, it is estimated that Depeche Mode has sold over 73 million albums worldwide. They have influenced many of today's popular recording artists, in part due to their innovative work, recording techniques and use of sampling. Though massively influential in the modern electronic dance scene, they remain in the alternative genre.