Fact: the first three Wire albums are unimpeachable and if they had stayed broken up after releasing 154 in 1979, their place in music history would still be assured. But they didn’t stay broken up, and it shouldn’t be overlooked that their musical output since reuniting in 1987 is also very, very, very good.

Their 1987 comeback record The Ideal Copy was the first of five albums over four years for Mute Records before they split again. And while they may not have been as groundbreaking as their first act – really, how could they – and their incorporation of electronic textures and might not have gone over with everyone, there was no denying their creative drive was intact and the era yielded some really great tunes.

Case in point, their first single from The Ideal Copy, “Ahead”, came with a promo video, just like all the kids were making. This was Wire ready for the MTV era. No, the song did not chart.