PEOPLE OF THE NATIONS, DANCING TOGETHER! It's the 1990s TOP 100 ELECTRONIC TRACKS poll results!

argh I hate making lists because I invariably forget something, like "Unfinished Sympathy" and "Pro-Gen"

I miss the days when trance was this evocative, cosmic dance music instead of the adolescent-car-window-rattling stuff (that Finnish clubbers call "wiener trance") that it later turned into. Jam & Spoon, Cosmic Baby, Sven Väth, Oliver Lieb, Marusha, Lazonby, that was my shit when I was 15.

of course, my favorite Väth song was his least trancey ("L'Esperanza")

L'Esperanza is pretty trancey! At least compared to the harpsichord tracks on Väth's debut album, or the stuff he does nowadays.

the single mix was way more progressive house in the vein of "Papau New Guineau"

Anyway, speaking of "wiener trance"...

51. Darude - Sandstorm (16 Inch Records, 1999)
436 points, 6 votes.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u641/Lixenixen/sandstorm_zpse3a3afd6.jpeg

http://youtu.be/XrlOyuVKzH4

it might come down to everyone getting their shallow simplicity kicks from different places, but I do believe that there are people out there who won't accept shallow simplicity kicks unless they have indie cred attached; personally, I prefer PROPER pop music, and dance music you can actually dance to. Like 'Sandstorm' by Darude.

― The Lex (The Lex), 26. heinäkuuta 2003 4:34

I rememeber one night when
I was supporting the lovely Jayne ( does the y stand for Yorkshire?) in the
horrible club Reds for her Nepal trip. Kirsty Cameron came in and we chatted
quite amiably. Then a rather small but muscular man started attempting to
break dance to some cheesy Ibiza tune like The Launch or Sandstorm by
Darude. I strated to laugh a little and lo andbehold, an hour later she was
snogging him in a corner and getting mighty carried away as well. I was
shocked, she was a sociologist!

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), 12. elokuuta 2004 15:44

I am utterly emotionally drained from Real Life stuff. I have 5 hours. I am theoretically on the home straight. This was not how I wanted this weekend to go. Fuck home straights. I am angrier, this time.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), 13. maaliskuuta 2005 5:08

Coffee brewing. When it hits I shall play hard house from Lex and see if I still feel this way. It may not be too late.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), 13. maaliskuuta 2005 5:17

SANDSTORM

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), 13. maaliskuuta 2005 6:53

Hahahahahaha greatest break ever! It just, like, goes quiet for a really long time.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), 13. maaliskuuta 2005 6:53

Sandstorm has saved my degree.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), 13. maaliskuuta 2005 7:00

I am so glad that "Sandstorm" helped!

Darude, enabling Oxford essays since 2001.

― The Lex (The Lex), 13. maaliskuuta 2005 23:34

yay!

The cat in "Charly" was Kenny Everett, by the way

hahahaha I never knew the name of this track (re: "Sandstorm")

it's fucking excellent

50. Cajmere - Coffee Pot (Percolator Mix) aka Percolator (Clubhouse Records, 1992)
437 point, 7 votes.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u641/Lixenixen/percolator_zpsf8f431d9.jpeg

http://youtu.be/2S-Ti1Aqx1c

"IT'S TIME FOR THE PERCOLATOR. IT'S TIME FOR THE PERCOLATOR."

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), 10. heinäkuuta 2003 22:34

I get angry when people play Percolator and it's clearly not yet time for the Percolator. By people, I mean my often DJ partner Mike. We did Mash-up Percolator and O Superman at the Coral Room once to great, yes suprisingly unappreciated, effect.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), 6. elokuuta 2004 10:20

I saw him a couple weeks ago in grant park. Don't walk, run to see him, etc. It was amazing, intense...like all of chicago came out to hear him play the percolator.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), 11. syyskuuta 2004 21:54

it's time for the percolator

YES.

How the hell did I forget to vote for this though?

49. Azzido da Bass - Doom's Night (Timo Maas Remix) (Club Tools, 1999)
437 points, 7 votes, two 1st place votes.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u641/Lixenixen/doomsnight_zps6f949033.jpeg

http://youtu.be/giwMVWR5ETA

Maybe it's not so much homogeneity as compulsive hybridisation creating a much more fluid continuum of musical styles. When Simon Reynolds enthuses about "Doom's Night" being lapped up by any number of different scenes (progressive, trance, breakbeat, garage, dancehall) it sounds a bit nostalgic but I also think it represents an increasing trend. How long will it be before a hip hop fan will basically be into house and drum & bass as well by implication?

― Tim, 2. elokuuta 2001 3:00

Maybe UK ga-RIDGE has a future in the U.S. after all: Saw a commercial last night featuring a computer-assisted infant hula-hooping with a Michelin tire to "Doom's Night." Very odd.

― scott p., 3. lokakuuta 2001 3:00

What's baffling about Maas is that his remix of "Doom's Night" is both the most popular *and* the most clever thing he's done, so why does none of his other material sound much like it? Burbly bass + slippery beats = better schtick than most. He should, heh, schtick with it (sorry).

― Tim, 22. tammikuuta 2002 3:00

Azzido Da Bass - Dooms Night (Timo Maas Remix)

Having Darude place where it did essentially destroys all credibility of this message board. Totally embarrassing result, imo. Call me elitist/rockist/whatever. Totally expect Scatman to finish Top 10 now.

48. Roy Davis Jr. feat. Pevin Everett - Gabrielle (also known as Gabriel) (Large Records, 1996)
438 points, 7 votes.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u641/Lixenixen/gabrielle_zpsf4234c54.jpeg

http://youtu.be/Y31vj4ft2Tw

Roy Davis Jrs Gabriel

(x-post)

Why diss Scatman??

oh there are plenty of reasons to diss Scatman

I kind of see the point even though I love that Darude track; if you're gonna go cheesy, you might as well go the Smart-E's/Alpha Team route, or The Movement

"Gabriel" and "Percolator" both untouchable.

I hadn't heard Gabrielle/Gabriel before, but it's an amazing tune, so deep and beautiful! Once I finished playing the Youtube I just had to buy it on Amazon immediately.

As for "Sandstorm", I'm not gonna defend that one; it might've had some minor novelty value once, but hearing that staccato riff a kazillion times has made me hate it deeply. And though the video is the only one in this countdown that was shot in my hometown, even that doesn't save it as it only shows touristy postcard locations.

But seriously: what are these reasons to diss Scatman?

As a fun, novelty dance track, there's nothing wrong with Scatman. Same with Sandstorm. However, on a countdown of top 100 electronic tracks, giving place to gross, cheesy, formulaic shit like Sandstorm is detrimental to the legitimacy of the entire list. Again, only my opinion. Maybe you're a big cheese lover and can't wait for the Haddaway and Stakka Bo tour to hit your town.

"detrimental to the legitimacy", you say.

Not really, but Haddaway and Stakka Bo both had tunes that I like ten times better than Sandstorm... Unless you hate Eurodance in general, I can't see why you would diss Haddaway either. His tunes were totally legitimate club music back in the day, not even novelty stuff, if that's what you don't like.

(xpost)

I DJ'd in the early/mid 90s and played all sorts of cheesy Eurodance. Scatman, Haddaway, Stax of Joy etc. There's nothing particularly wrong with it but it's shocking to me that the community that posts here rates Sandstorm above any one of the tracks that finished lower. Again, your opinions may vary.

Haddaway had a pretty "credible" comeback the other year, Wolfram feat. Haddaway 'Thing Called Love' (Legowelt Remix), if that's what concerns you.

It's probably for the best I didn't vote in this, I would have campaigned heavily for "Speed Racer"

still hoping to see "James Brown Is Dead" and "Dildo", too

I have been enjoying this thread immensely but finding out about PERCULATOR (how could I not know?) has taken this to some hitherto unknown level of awesomeness.

Far more peed off about Doom's Night's placing than Sandstorm's if I'm being honest.

… I probably wouldn't place Sandstorm in my Top 5000 though.

I have been enjoying this thread immensely but finding out about PERCULATOR (how could I not know?) has taken this to some hitherto unknown level of awesomeness.

have you gone down the Green Velvet rabbit hole yet?

In calumerio's house, it is now truly time for the Perculator.

Great producer, dubious taste in coffee brewing.

'stella' below 'sandstorm' is the wrongest thing i've seen all year.

The problem with Scatman is that it's kind of degrading to other Scatmen, is it not?

omg I'd never seen the video for Scatman, I may die of laughter

OK, let's all list some tracks we 'want' to see place..

Sunchyme?

Dur Dur Baby - Jordy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNDs571E9k4

I will be so hilariously proud of everyone who voted in this if "Speed Racer" by Alpha Team shows up

"Sandstorm" was the one thing the raver kids in HS listened to that managed to rub off on me just through sheer ubiquity. I dunno, it's cheesy in the best way.

it's marginally better than '9pm til i come'.

Xxposts have been on Green Velvet for a while - accidentally went HEE HEE HEE HA HA along to Flash while out Christmas shopping the other day - but somehow never went to THE PERCOLATOR.

I think, esp. on ILM, "Sandstorm" stands in for an idea of unabashed trance immediacy as much as anything else. While this may result in it being overrated slightly compared to alternative options (if I was gonna choose something from the second golden age of pop-trance I'd probably go for "Toca's Miracle" first, though obv that is much more cheesy), the idea that it besmirches this list in any way is total BS.

If anything the populism of this 90s list should be instructive vis a vis the rigorous middlebrowism of the 00s list.

w/ILM "at its best", immediacy is certainly in play.

it is clear to me that halfway through the list is, exactly, time for the percolator.

also that someone could change their name to cajumerio

Just so we're clear, ILM is happy to stand by Sandstorm being a better song than Inner City Life. I wouldn't have imagined that result. I don't have a problem with populist tracks placing, notice I said nothing about Rhythm of the Night, it's just this particular placement makes me want to call shenanigans. Maybe some people voted for it higher than they truly rate it in order to make a point.

Maybe some people like it more than you.

I'm certain that's true.