Although Andrew Eldritch has often been called the “godfather of goth” thanks to his status as frontman of The Sisters of Mercy, it’s a label that he rejects. Indeed, for all of their gloom and doom, the Sisters often seemed to be taking the piss.

For evidence of this, look no further than the video for “Black Planet” — a song that describes a post-apocalyptic world awash in acid rain — which features Eldtrich and his bandmates cruising through California in, ahem, the Monkees’ “Monkeemobile.”

Still, “Black Planet” is no less a goth anthem thanks to Eldtritch’s sepulchral vocals and vivid lyrics, Wayne Hussey’s swirling guitars, and David M. Allen’s production. The Sisters of Mercy’s First and Last and Always was one of the first goth albums I ever heard, thanks to my friend Kevin back in high school, and there’s something vast and cinematic about “Black Planet” that has stuck with me ever since.