In the mid-1980s, Vince Clarke placed an advertisement in Melody Maker, looking for a vocalist for a new musical project. He selected Andy Bell, who was the 43rd to audition.

Erasure's first three singles were commercial failures in the UK, although the third, "Oh L'amour", charted well in Australia and some European countries (especially in France, where it still remains Erasure's only hit to date). Their fourth single, "Sometimes", peaked at number 2 and spent many weeks in the UK Top 40.

The album The Circus, turned platinum in the UK with three additional hit singles, "It Doesn't Have To Be", "Victim of Love" and "The Circus". It remained on the charts for over a year.

The third album, The Innocents, was released in 1988. Preceded by the Top 10 single "Ship of Fools", the album hit number one in the UK on its initial release and returned to popularity a year later, eventually going triple platinum. It also turned platinum in the U.S., generating two Top 20 hits in "Chains of Love" and "A Little Respect".

The Innocents was the first of five consecutive number one albums for Erasure in the UK, an achievement unmatched by any of their contemporaries.Wild! in 1989 and Chorus in 1991 both contained four Top 20 singles.

In late 1988, an EP, Crackers International, led by the song "Stop!", hit number two in the UK singles chart. This was bettered in 1992 by another EP, Abba-esque, covering four ABBA hits, which became Erasure's first number one in the UK Singles Chart. Later that year, a singles compilation, Pop! - the First 20 Hits, also hit number one and went triple platinum.

In 1994, Erasure released I Say I Say I Say, their fifth consecutive number one in the UK Albums Chart. Its first single "Always" became the band's third Top 20 hit in the United States.

The 1995 release of the album Erasure marked a determined shift away from their signature three minute synth-pop to a more introspective sound.

In spite of a return to three minute pop songs, the 1997 album Cowboy did not restore the success of their 1986-1994 era. Cowboy enjoyed a short-lived success, peaking at number ten in the UK but lasted only two weeks on the UK Top 40. In 2000, the album Loveboat was released, peaking at number 45.

The 2003 release Other People's Songs was a collection of cover versions such as the first single from the album, Peter Gabriel's song "Solsbury Hill" which reached number ten in the UK Singles Chart. Erasure were invited to perform on Top of the Pops for the first time since March 1997.