It's All Gone Pete Tong
March 23, 2011 7:57 AM   Subscribe

The top 50 dance records of the past 20 years. -- as selected by BBC radio DJs and 'industry leaders' and mixed by Jaguar Skills.
posted by empath (98 comments total) 93 users marked this as a favorite
 
So who's gonna take one for the team and make a grooveshark/spotify playlist?
posted by palbo at 8:08 AM on March 23, 2011 [5 favorites]


i'm at work, *ehem*
posted by palbo at 8:09 AM on March 23, 2011


BOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOM-I GOT THE POWAH!-BOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOM-I GOT THE POWAH!-
BOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOM-I GOT THE POWAH!-BOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOM-I GOT THE POWAH!-
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:10 AM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


No "Toxic Waltz?" Pheh.
posted by jonmc at 8:11 AM on March 23, 2011








Wot no Barbie Girl feh
posted by unSane at 8:25 AM on March 23, 2011




Very excited to check this out, especially the youtube links. Thanks, empath!
posted by immlass at 8:29 AM on March 23, 2011


It'd be lovely if they had made a full-length, "proper" mix of all them.

Now empath's links are gonna keep me groovin today.
posted by Bovine Love at 8:30 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


That the songs are enumerated without fuss on a single page automatically makes this one of the best list-o'-cultural-items-published-by-a-traditional-media-entity in the history of the Internet. The comprehensive mp3 mix is almost too much.
posted by Iridic at 8:30 AM on March 23, 2011 [5 favorites]


No Nirvana?

Worthless.
posted by oddman at 8:31 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]




It'd be lovely if they had made a full-length, "proper" mix of all them.

This is planned for the eventual top 20, I think. You can vote here.
posted by empath at 8:32 AM on March 23, 2011


Can't wait to check this out later. Thanks for the post empath.
posted by daHIFI at 8:37 AM on March 23, 2011


I'm genuinely surprised that The Rockafeller Skank isn't somewhere on that list.

When I first started working at a club, I swear the DJs played that song at least twice every night. One night I counted four times. I loathed that song. I wrote "BRING ME THE HEAD OF THE FUNK SOUL BROTHER" on the bathroom mirror in Sharpie.

But damned if it didn't pack the floor.

Now... I kinda like it.
posted by louche mustachio at 8:38 AM on March 23, 2011 [5 favorites]


In fact, not a single Fatboy Slim or Moby song, which seems incredible.
posted by empath at 8:41 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


no Binary Finary? No Moby?
posted by xbonesgt at 8:42 AM on March 23, 2011


Wow, forgot about Timeless. What a tight track.
posted by everichon at 8:46 AM on March 23, 2011


(at least one of these songs is primarily constructed from a drum loop from one of the others... i wonder how many more of them sampled each other)
posted by empath at 8:46 AM on March 23, 2011


What a boring list! There are many much better songs out there ... but they are older than 20 years ... bah!

C & C Music Factory Freedom Williams- Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)

Snap - The Power
posted by homodigitalis at 8:50 AM on March 23, 2011 [4 favorites]


I could come up with 50 better songs from the past 5 years, tbh. But these are all good songs. It's definitely got a bias for more underground stuff and less 'pop music', though.

Like, I don't think Bassment Jaxx - Flylife was ever a radio track, and it's definitely not one of their more popular records, but goddamn if that record doesn't destroy dancefloors.
posted by empath at 8:52 AM on March 23, 2011


I'll admit to an affinity for Basement Jaxx, since they've had Lisa kekaula from my beloved BellRays do vocals on a few tracks.
posted by jonmc at 8:58 AM on March 23, 2011


REV UP THE GRAR!
posted by Theta States at 9:02 AM on March 23, 2011


Is my iPhone not loading the link right, or is this actually 50 tracks done in under 7 minutes?
posted by rollbiz at 9:02 AM on March 23, 2011


It's really 50 tracks in 7 minutes :)
posted by empath at 9:03 AM on March 23, 2011


No Lenny Dee - Forgotten Moments? cammaaaan....
posted by Theta States at 9:04 AM on March 23, 2011


It's really 50 tracks in 7 minutes :)

I'm a couple minutes in now and it's mixed really well, but I was kind of hoping I'd just found a sweet mix to spend the next 70 or so minutes with...

Looks like tonight, I'll have to make one!
posted by rollbiz at 9:06 AM on March 23, 2011


I take as a matter of pride that I haven't heard of any of the songs or artists in this list.
posted by Billiken at 9:06 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


It's definitely got a bias for more underground stuff and less 'pop music', though.
To be fair this is a list of the top 50 according to Radio 1's Dance programs... which have always had a concious brief to avoid the pop that fills the rest of Radio 1's schedule.

I'm actually staggered at home many of the tracks on the list I own, and I say that as someone who doesn't consider himself someone that buys music. Clearly I'm a very "mainstream" follower of "underground" music!
posted by samworm at 9:07 AM on March 23, 2011


Billiken: “I take as a matter of pride that I haven't heard of any of the songs or artists in this list.”

Oh, go back to your Tiny Tim playlist, old man.

This is great, empath - thanks.
posted by koeselitz at 9:09 AM on March 23, 2011 [4 favorites]


Notable absences:

Shannon - Let The Music Play
Raze - Break 4 Love
Ralphi Rosario - You Used To Hold Me
Robert Owens - I'll Be Your Friend
Frankie Knuckles - Whistle Song

Are you even shitting me with the lack of Masters At Work? What madness is this? (Yes, I know, the Bucketheads. BUT STILL.)
posted by elizardbits at 9:12 AM on March 23, 2011 [4 favorites]


Let the Music Play came out in like 1982
posted by empath at 9:14 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


math is hard before lunchtime okay
posted by elizardbits at 9:15 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


And the whistle song was early 1991, probably doesn't make the cut either (tho I'd include it just for awesome's sake)
posted by koeselitz at 9:16 AM on March 23, 2011


No N-Trance... fail
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:19 AM on March 23, 2011


Damn straight it's insane there's no Masters At Work in there. In fact I was thinking of putting a Masters at Work post together......

Also needs more Ashley Beedle.


Thanks Billikan for giving into your odd desire to brag about your lack of knowledge, yeah we all find that fascinating.
posted by the bricabrac man at 9:19 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Also Flat Beat and that fucking puppet can go fuck right off
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:20 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Gah, now I wish that all of the sites that used to have the old Essential Mixes hadn't gone away.

empath, you have aroused my appetite without bedding it down!
posted by rollbiz at 9:20 AM on March 23, 2011


Seconding the weirdness of Ashley Beedle's absence.
I mean no Black Science Orchestra?
posted by kaiseki at 9:22 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Ironic that they're looking for the 'best' dance music of the last 20 years, when some of the best dance music ever was just released a year earlier - 1990:

Guru Josh - Infinity
The Shamen - ProGen
C&C Music Factory - Gonna Make U Sweat
Snap - The Power
Stevie V - Dirty Cash
Beats International - Dub Be Good To Me
Suzanne Vega ft DNA - Tom's Diner
posted by metaxa at 9:23 AM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


I'm not disagreeing as such, but would have liked to have seen the following included:

Justice - † (Genesis is a boss track and the more popular D.A.N.C.E deserves a mention. The album is great.)
posted by slimepuppy at 9:25 AM on March 23, 2011 [3 favorites]


Also seems weird that there's no Bob Sinclar or Roger S, but this is overall a pretty satisfying list.
posted by elizardbits at 9:26 AM on March 23, 2011


BOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOM-I GOT THE POWAH!-BOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOM-I GOT THE POWAH!-
BOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOM-I GOT THE POWAH!-BOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOMtshckBOOM-I GOT THE POWAH!-


Woah ohhh ohhh OHHHHH .....
posted by blucevalo at 9:32 AM on March 23, 2011


If you want more of the BBC's dance music product, The Mixing Bowl is a good place to go.
posted by meehawl at 9:34 AM on March 23, 2011


A Tiny Tim dance mix could be interesting. Too bad he passed on, he would've been game for it, I bet.
posted by jonmc at 9:35 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


rollbiz: Gah, now I wish that all of the sites that used to have the old Essential Mixes hadn't gone away

I was going to point you to Mix Riot, but it seems they don't carry any Essential Mixes. Otherwise, seconding The Mixing Bowl (or FilesTube).
posted by filthy light thief at 9:45 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Justice is one of my current favorites. Though I would question it as "dance" for a large part.

I like the flat beat & the puppet.
posted by Bovine Love at 9:49 AM on March 23, 2011




I was going to point you to Mix Riot, but it seems they don't carry any Essential Mixes.

They got a takedown notice from the company that owns the rights.
posted by empath at 9:57 AM on March 23, 2011


Nice enough list, bit commercial though (by which I mean I could sing/hum you most of those tracks). I would have gone for different tracks by the Chems and the Prodigy ('Smack My Bitch Up' is misogynist rock trash as far as I'm concerned, but OTOH 'Voodoo People' or 'No Good' are quite wonderful). I'd have had Binary Finary's '1998' in there, but nice to see 'Cafe Del Mar' at least (now if you excuse me, I'm going to spend the next five minutes grinning to myself and remembering Brixton psy-clubs in the late 90s....)
posted by Infinite Jest at 10:02 AM on March 23, 2011


I am pleasantly surprised at how much of this stuff I've actually heard of. Thanks, empath!
posted by box at 10:02 AM on March 23, 2011




Surprised not to see Halcyon on this list. Apart from that, though, that's my afternoon playlist sorted out, then.
posted by jackflaps at 10:52 AM on March 23, 2011


Didn't know "Domino" was that huge. Great track.
posted by azarbayejani at 11:08 AM on March 23, 2011


No 'Groove Is In The Heart' by Dee-Lite? For shame BBC... for shame...
posted by PenDevil at 11:09 AM on March 23, 2011


1990
posted by empath at 11:11 AM on March 23, 2011


Fischerspooner - Emerge
Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir

And the line begins to blur into just plain dirty electro
Huoratron - $$ Troopers

posted by slimepuppy at 11:16 AM on March 23, 2011


No Voodoo Ray?
No Strings of Life?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 11:17 AM on March 23, 2011


1990

Baby Let Me Love You For Tonight was massive in 1988.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 11:20 AM on March 23, 2011


No Roni Size either. Fooey!
posted by Brocktoon at 11:32 AM on March 23, 2011


And April 8 is now marked on our home calendar - I know what we are doing that night (we live in the UK).
Thanks for posting!


If you're in the US, you can listen to radio1 over the internet.
posted by empath at 11:39 AM on March 23, 2011


PeterMcDermott: “No Voodoo Ray? No Strings of Life?”

“The top 50 dance records of the past 20 years.
posted by koeselitz at 11:40 AM on March 23, 2011


Thomas Bangalter is on this list four times under three different names.
posted by hellojed at 12:38 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Mextaxa, I've actually made a youtube playlist of nearly* all the songs from the Now That's What I Call Music 17 compilation (a 2 tape set I bought in Edinburgh in 1990 and still listen to!) It is full of awesome 21 year old dance music!


*left out of the playlist: Phil Collins, The Quireboys, Paula Abdul, and Tina Turner because I've always fast forwarded past those songs.
posted by vespabelle at 12:51 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Also Flat Beat and that fucking puppet can go fuck right off

You go to hell and you die!
posted by Theta States at 1:12 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


"BRING ME THE HEAD OF THE FUNK SOUL BROTHER" on the bathroom mirror in Sharpie.

Well, damn. For years I thought it was 'The Funk's Yo Brother'. Right up until I read the above, in fact. Great Towers of Ineluctible D'oh, I am so terminally unhep.
posted by Sparx at 1:14 PM on March 23, 2011


That just reminded me. There's an amazing Fatboy Slim vs Armand Van Helden live set from 1999 that includes a ton of these songs. They just take turn playing records for two hours.

Here it is.
posted by empath at 1:20 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Tracklisting for that:

http://dj-electrohouse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33742
posted by empath at 1:21 PM on March 23, 2011


Thanks empath! I should be getting ready for work, but am digging the delerium remix instead.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:31 PM on March 23, 2011


I take as a matter of pride that I haven't heard of any of the songs or artists in this list.

Is this something I'd need to own a television to understand?
posted by gene_machine at 3:05 PM on March 23, 2011


Songs I am quite surprised not to see on the list because I've only ever known them as massive floorfillers:

Jeff Mills - The Bells
Leftfield - Open Up
Utah Saints - Something Good
Praga Khan - Injected with a Poison

Songs I am a little bit surprised not to see on the list:

Orbital - Halcyon or possibly Satan
Vitalic - La Rock 01

Song I would not expect to be on the list despite the fact that it should be because it maximally fulfils the important criterion of kicking your ass so hard you'll be shitting shoes for a month and generally makes the bangingest of banging hard acid techno pale in comparison:

Solar Quest - Acid Air Raid

Somewhat overplayed songs which I am consequently glad are not on the list despite expecting to see them there:

Darude - Sandstorm
Satisfaction - Benny Benassi

I'm very glad to see Rez at the top of the list though!
posted by doop at 3:50 PM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


Previous commenters:
You have made my corner of the office the most happening place on campus.
posted by honeydew at 4:24 PM on March 23, 2011


Just while I'm here...It's All Gone Pete Tong is a fantastic movie.
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:09 PM on March 23, 2011


So Detroit techno was dead by the early 90s? The only Detroit label represented is Transmat for Aril Brikha, a European artist (whose name they couldn't even manage to spell right.

Maybe not top 10 material, but I think Detroit was still a sizable force with the 2nd and 3rd waves into the mid and late 90s. Some hits and favorites: Jeff Mills - The Bells, DBX - Losing Control, Paperclip People - Throw, Fix - Flash, DJ Rolando - Knights of the Jaguar, Plastikman - Spastik (technically Windsor, not Detroit) , Inner City - Ahnongay, Convextion - Miranda, Octave One - Blackwater, Drexciya - Wavejumper, Rob Hood, Kenny Larkin, E-Dancer, etc.
posted by p3t3 at 6:05 PM on March 23, 2011 [3 favorites]


Damn straight it's insane there's no Masters At Work in there.

Harddrive - Deep Inside is Masters At Work (with the wonderful Barbara Tucker)

At the risk of sounding like a sad old ted – this list just emphasises how much good stuff came out in the five years before this. If this was a best of 25 years you could probably lose at least half of those.

In fact many in that list were big during earlier 'Acid' House/Warehouse party' times and only get in because they were re-released - It's along time ago but I'm pretty sure Alison Limerick, Kariya, Robin S, Massive Attack and Jaydee were all first out more than 20 years ago.
posted by niceness at 7:14 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


At the risk of sounding like a sad old ted – this list just emphasises how much good stuff came out in the five years before this. If this was a best of 25 years you could probably lose at least half of those.

The best dance records were always released the first couple of years that you were going to raves, in my experience. Honestly, if I were doing my top personal 50, every one of them would have come out between 1999 and 2004.
posted by empath at 7:19 PM on March 23, 2011


... every one of them would have come out between 1999...

Yeah, that's they year everybody partied like it was, cause, hey, it was.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:21 PM on March 23, 2011


I'd never hear the Kariya track before -- sounds like Faithless lifted the melody for Insomnia, doesn't it?
posted by empath at 7:22 PM on March 23, 2011


I like the stuff from when I went to raves in the mid-90s, but I probably ended up liking early (88-94) house and techno more.

More top 50 contenders: Cajmere - Percolator was '92, as was Hardfloor - Acperience. And no Aphex Twin; I thought Window Licker was pretty huge for a while.
posted by p3t3 at 7:33 PM on March 23, 2011


That just reminded me. There's an amazing Fatboy Slim vs Armand Van Helden live set from 1999 that includes a ton of these songs. They just take turn playing records for two hours.

Here it is.


Don't do what I almost did, download this, start it playing, and almost give up on it because there's chatter and cut-off tracks at the beginning. Stick with it.

It's set up like a battle, so there's lots of clips and hype and smack talk in the beginning, but once the sets start HOLY CRAP IT IS GOOD.
posted by rollbiz at 8:01 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


p3t3, Convextion (Gerard Hansen) is actually from Dallas. Here's him playing at a local Laptop Deathmatch in 2008.

But yeah, totally with you - too bad Underground Resistance's Final Frontier came out in 1990, surely this would've been in the list? Equally pissed they misspelled Aril's name. He's an underground legend.

And for the puppet/Flat Eric/Flat Beat haters, perhaps M-Seq will convert you to being a Mr. Oizo fan? A far, far superior track, IMHO.

Also can't believe Dopplereffekt's Satellites isn't here, but then again, not mainstream enough, maybe? 1995.

No Autechre. No Derrick Carter (Where You At?) - seriously, where is Derrick Carter on this list? Insane. Literally, one of the biggest producers and DJs of all time, totally missing. At least his remix of Blaze's My Beat should be on there, who hasn't heard that?

But... no Higher Than the Sun by Primal Scream? Ultimate sunrise track after Halcyon + On by Orbital, in my mind. 1991, too.

And what the hell, Resident Advisor voted Metro Area's Miura "track of the decade" in 2002. Why isn't it on this list?

No Green Velvet, either - and I'd have nominated both La La Land and Flash.

OK, I'll stop now, there are a million other WTFs but I'm glad to see Roy Davis, Jr. on this list - but I think Rock Shock's the better track.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:09 PM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


Thanks Unicorn, I think I did know Convextion was from somewhere out west. A bit of a stretch, but that record was on Sean Deason's Matrix label and was a huge local favorite in Detroit, played by Juan and Derrick a lot. When I DJ'ed in Detroit/Chicago for a bit, that one always got cheers ;)
posted by p3t3 at 9:19 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


It's set up like a battle, so there's lots of clips and hype and smack talk in the beginning, but once the sets start HOLY CRAP IT IS GOOD.

Oh yeah, jump to 25 minutes in for the actual sets. And yes, it's amazing.
posted by empath at 9:35 PM on March 23, 2011


I didn't hate this list as much as I thought I would. Some definite omissions ( as expected of anyone who clicked the links... ).

I'd had linked most that p3t3 did.

Kinda weird that they put dooms night on there ( yeah yeah, it was a massive crossover hit ) but I'd say that Wink's "How's Your Evening So Far" was an even more massive crossover hit and should replace that one.
posted by cloax at 10:45 PM on March 23, 2011


MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice remix)


VERY COOL.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 1:10 AM on March 24, 2011


Kinda weird that they put dooms night on there ( yeah yeah, it was a massive crossover hit )

More than that, it was a big influence on early 2-step garage, and I don't think Dubstep would have happened without it.
posted by empath at 5:18 AM on March 24, 2011


(ps, i once tried to score weed for timo maas at an afterparty, but he bailed for the hotel like 2 minutes before my friend showed up at 6am to deliver. I think still to this day he doesn't believe that Timo was ever there)
posted by empath at 5:20 AM on March 24, 2011




If no one else gives it a go, I may be spending a rainy weekend trying to make a mix outta the top 50, then everyone else's suggestions.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:02 AM on March 24, 2011


Pacific State was 89, Sutekh. I don't get everyone's love for 'You're Not Alone', either...some good suggestions there though, will have to check out the ones I don't know.
posted by Infinite Jest at 7:43 AM on March 24, 2011


If no one else gives it a go, I may be spending a rainy weekend trying to make a mix outta the top 50, then everyone else's suggestions.

I've actually been working on a pre-1994 breakbeat hardcore mix off and on for the past couple of weeks, myself.
posted by empath at 7:58 AM on March 24, 2011


It is funny to think that 1991 was twenty years ago. So much has changed since then, I wonder where dance music would be if we could share music as easily then as we can now.

I haven't thought about some of those tunes in a while! Your Love is probably my favourite Prodigy track. Naturally I could construct a list of this nature including none of these tunes in a selection of genres of dance music and it would be full of SUPREME ULTIMATE POWER and blah blah blah aren't I underground. I am sure there are five equally good tunes in the same genre for each one on their list. That's one of the things I love about dance music, the infinite number of sub-genres.

Anyway, here's a good one for jumping about to, Acen Trip II The Moon Part 2. Previous craziness with Jim Morrison and Beatles samples.

Unfamous B-side to fun rave A.

Here are a few West Coast psychedelic breaks from 1994 for the other side of the coin, empath.

Metro LA - To a nation rockin

Rabbit in the Moon - Out of body experience


Hawke - 3 nudes having sax on acid

Freaky Chakra - Halucifuge
posted by asok at 9:11 AM on March 24, 2011




Now all I need is a quantum device to split myself into an infinite number of universes so that I can listen to them all!
posted by asok at 9:35 AM on March 24, 2011


If you're going to listen to just one, listen to Fever 8. It's my favorite.
posted by empath at 9:44 AM on March 24, 2011


the top 20 list went up over the weekend:

Energy 52 - Cafe del Mar
Underworld - Born Slippy
Sasha - Xpander
Daft Punk - One More Time
Stardust - Music Sounds Better
Robin S - Show Me Love
Daft Punk - Around the World
Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up
Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
Eric Prydz- PjanooFind
Groove Armada - Superstylin'
Laurent Garnier - Man with the Red Face
Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy Hey Girl
Gat Décor - Passion
Josh Wink - Higher State of Consciousness
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Armand Van Helden - You Don't Know Me
La Roux - In for the Kill (Skream remix)
Underworld - Rez / Cowgirl
Diss Reaction - Jieehaaa
posted by empath at 6:54 AM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]


« Older RIP Elizabeth Taylor   |   A Massage from President Director Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments