The Best 90s House Music Songs
From club anthems to underground hits, these are the best 90s house music songs that defined the genre and still stand the test of time.
Introduction
Before we get to the list, let’s give a little background on what house music is. House music is a genre of electronic dance music that was developed in the 1980s in Chicago. It became popular in the early 1990s and has since spread to other parts of the world. The style is characterized by a repeated 4/4 beat, often with a thumping bassline, and a soulful vocal style.
The best 90s house songs are:
1. “The Difference” by Oceanic
2. “Can You Feel It” by Mr. Fingers
3. “Promised Land” by Joe Smooth
4. “Inner City Life” by Goldie
5. “French Kiss” by Lil Louis
What made 90s house music so great?
House music first became popular in the mid-80s, but it was the 90s where it really took off. House music is a genre of electronic dance music that was created by DJs and producers in the Chicago area in the early 80s. The 90s saw house music become more mainstream, with hits like “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston and “Everybody Dance Now” by C+C Music Factory. But what made 90s house music so great?
The influence of Chicago house
Chicago house is a style of house music that was developed in the city of Chicago in the early 1980s. The style is characterized by a heavy use of synthesizers and drum machines, as well as sampling from disco and funk records. Chicago house often has a driving, danceable beat and is often associated with the club culture of the 1980s.
The style was initially developed by DJs such as Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy, who played at clubs such as the Warehouse and the Music Box. These DJs began to experiment with new ways of manipulating disco records, using techniques such as looping and blending. They also began to incorporate elements from other genres, such as funk and soul. As the sound developed, it became increasingly popular with clubgoers in Chicago and beyond.
The popularity of Chicago house coincided with the rise of acid house, a related style that originated in the UK. Acid house typically features more psychedelic or trippy soundscapes than Chicago house, but both styles share a focus on creating a hypnotic, danceable groove.
Chicago house and acid house were both hugely influential in the development of electronic dance music (EDM), which went on to become one of the most popular genres in the world in the 1990s and 2000s. Many of the biggest EDM hits of all time, such as The Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” and Daft Punk’s “Around The World,” were heavily influenced by Chicago house and acid house.
The rise of UK garage
In the early 1990s, a new style of music emerged in the UK that combined elements of house, hip hop and R&B. This new style, which came to be known as UK garage, was pioneered by DJs and producers such as Grant Nelson and MJ Cole.
UK garage soon began to influence the sound of mainstream pop music, with artists such as Deee-Lite and The KLF incorporating elements of the genre into their chart-topping hits. By the mid-1990s, UK garage had become one of the most popular genres in the UK, with hits by artists like garage duo So Solid Crew and singer Craig David topping the charts.
The popularity of UK garage continued into the early 2000s, with singers like Ms. Dynamite and So Solid Crew member Lisa Maffia achieving success with their blend of R&B and garage. However, by the mid-2000s, UK garage had begun to decline in popularity, as newer genres like grime and dubstep began to emerge.
The popularity of techno
The early 1990s saw the rise of techno music, and house music became increasingly popular as well. By the mid-1990s, a new style of house music had emerged that was characterized by a more blissful and uplifting sound. This “happy house” style became very popular, and many of the best 90s house songs are in this vein.
The best 90s house music songs
The 90s was a great decade for house music. There were so many catchy, well-produced songs released during that time. It’s hard to narrow it down to just a few, but we’ve compiled a list of what we think are the best 90s house music songs.
“Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic
“Pump Up the Jam” is a song by Belgian dance act Technotronic. It was released in October 1989 as the lead single from their album Pump Up the Jam: The Album. The song was a worldwide hit, reaching number two in Belgium, number three in France and number seven in the United States.
“Rhythm is a Dancer” by Snap!
“Rhythm is a Dancer” is a song by German group Snap!. It was released in June 1992 as the lead single from their second album, The Madman’s Return. The song reached number one in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand. In the United States, it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Michael Münzing and Luca Anteriori, and produced by SNAP!.
“No Limit” by 2 Unlimited
No Limit” is a song recorded by Dutch Eurodance act 2 Unlimited. It was released in May 1993 as the lead single from their second album, No Limits!. The song was written by Jean-Paul de Coster, Phil Wilde andUU. Unlimited members Ray Slijngaard and Anita Doth. The single reached number one in at least 13 countries and is one of the best-selling singles of all time. In 1996, “No Limit” was included in the Guinness World Records as “the most successful dance single of all time”.
“Tribal Dance” by 2 Unlimited
2 Unlimited was a Dutch Eurodance group founded in 1991 by Belgian producers Jean-Paul De Coster and Phil Wilde. Based in the Netherlands, the act scored a number of hit singles between 1992 and 1996.
“Tribal Dance” was released in 1993 as the third single from their album No Limits! The song topped the charts in various European countries and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.
“Insomnia” by Faithless
Insomnia by Faithless is a 1995 dance track that was a club hit around the world and is widely considered one of the best club tracks of the 1990s. The song features the vocals of Maxi Jazz over a deep house beat with elements of techno and ambient music. The lyrics deal with the theme of insomnia and the difficulties of falling asleep, which is something that many people can relate to.
Conclusion
After much consideration, we have compiled a list of what we believe to be the best 90s house music songs. We hope you enjoy listening to them as much as we did.
If you have any suggestions for songs that you think should be on this list, please feel free to share them with us in the comments section below.
