The Best Electronic Music Albums of All Time
Contents
- Daft Punk – Homework
- The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land
- The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole
- Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
- The Crystal Method – Vegas
- The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation
- The Chemical Brothers – Surrender
- Fatboy Slim – Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
- The Crystal Method – Tweekend
- The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
From Kraftwerk to Aphex Twin, these are the albums that changed the course of electronic music.
Daft Punk – Homework
Daft Punk’s debut album, Homework, is often cited as one of the best electronic music albums of all time. Released in 1997, the album helped to popularize the French house genre and launched the duo’s career. Daft Punk’s subsequent albums, Discovery and Human After All, would also be highly influential, but it is Homework that remains their most iconic release.
The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land
The Prodigy’s third album, The Fat of the Land, is often hailed as one of the greatest electronic albums of all time. Released in 1997, the album saw the group move away from their rave roots and experimenting with more aggressive styles of dance music. The result was a commercial and critical success, with the album debuting at number one in over 20 countries and selling over 10 million copies worldwide.
The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers’ 1997 album, Dig Your Own Hole, is often cited as one of the best electronic music albums of all time. The album was a critical and commercial success, reaching #1 on the UK charts and spawning the hit singles “Block Rockin’ Beats” and “Setting Sun”. Dig Your Own Hole is a landmark album that helped to define the sound of electronic music in the late 1990s.
Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
Released in 1998, Fatboy Slim’s second album was a critical and commercial success, selling over three million copies worldwide and spawning the hit singles “Praise You” and “The Rockafeller Skank”. You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby is a perfect example of the big beat genre that was popular in the late 1990s, and it remains one of the most influential electronic albums of all time.
The Crystal Method – Vegas
The Crystal Method’s debut album Vegas was released in 1997 to critical acclaim. The album blends dark, breakbeat-heavy club mixes with lighter, more melodic tracks, and features guest vocalists including Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots fame. Vegas was a commercial success, reaching #3 on the Billboard 200 chart and selling more than 1 million copies worldwide. In 1998, the album won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation
Released in 1994, The Prodigy’s second album was a game-changer for electronic music. With its mix of hardcore breakbeats, techno, electro and samples from films like The Terminator, it was a furious and uncompromising record that captured the mood of a nation of disaffected youth. It was also a commercial success, reaching number one in the UK album charts and selling over three million copies worldwide. In many ways, it laid the groundwork for the explosion of drum & bass and jungle in the mid-1990s.
The Chemical Brothers – Surrender
In 1999, The Chemical Brothers released their third album, Surrender. The album saw the band experimenting with different genres, including disco and psychedelia. The result was an electrifying record that featured some of the duo’s biggest hits, including “Block Rockin’ Beats” and “Let Forever Be.”
Fatboy Slim – Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
Released in 2000, Fatboy Slim’s third album marked a change in direction from the big beat sound that had defined his earlier work. Instead, he moved towards a more stripped-down and house-influenced sound, with the result being an album that was both more danceable and more personal.
Featuring the singles “Weapon of Choice”, “Star69” and “Ya Mama”, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars is an essential album for anyone interested in electronic music, and a high point in Fatboy Slim’s illustrious career.
The Crystal Method – Tweekend
The Crystal Method’s Tweekend is not only one of the best electronic albums of all time, but also one of the most timeless. Released in 2001, the album still sounds as fresh today as it did over 15 years ago. Tweekend is packed with floor-filling classics like ‘Name of the Game’, ‘Murder’ and ‘Blowout’, but it’s the album’s slower moments that make it truly special. Tracks like ‘Trip Like I Do’ and ‘She ate my college Homework’ are both beautifully atmospheric and perfect for chilled-out listening. If you’re a fan of electronic music, then Tweekend is an essential purchase.
The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
The Prodigy’sInvaders Must Dieis one of the best electronic music albums of all time. The album, released in 2009, is a perfect example of the group’s signature sound: a mix of breakbeat, rave, and techno that is as intense as it is catchy. While the album is not without its detractors, its lasting impact on the electronic music scene is undeniable.