The Top House Music Songs of All Time
Contents
A definitive list of the best house music tracks of all time – from old school classics to the latest floorfillers.
Introduction
It is difficult to objectively say what the top house music songs of all time are. This is because the genre of house music is so vast and has been around for decades. There are countless songs that have been influential in the genre, and many of them are still beloved by fans today.
That being said, there are a few songs that stand out above the rest. These are the tunes that have defined house music and continue to be some of the most popular tracks in the genre. If you consider yourself a fan of house music, then these are the songs that you need to know.
The Evolution of House Music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in Midwest nightclubs and later spread to other parts of the United States and the world. The classic house sound is a combination of programmed drums, 808 bass drums, synthetic bass lines, and drum machine-generated sequences. House music often uses samples of older records, particularly soul and disco tracks.
The term “house music” first came into use in Chicago in 1985, referring to the style of music played in the Warehouse Club. The Warehouse was a club founded by DJ Frankie Knuckles, who is often considered to be the “godfather” of house music. The Warehouse sound was originally a mix of Chicago soul, disco, and electronic dance music.
By the early 1990s, house music had become quite popular in Europe as well, particularly in the United Kingdom. British DJs such as Paul Oakenfold and Pete Tong helped to popularize the sound by playing house music on mainstream radio stations. In 1992, Oakenfold’s remix of U2’s “Even Better Than the Real Thing” became a Top 10 hit in the UK, and Tong’s radio show Essential Mix became essential listening for many clubbers.
The commercial success of house music in the UK led to a rise in popularity for American producers and DJs such as David Morales, Junior Vasquez, and Danny Tenaglia. Morales’ remixes of tracks by Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson were particularly successful, while Tenaglia’s sets at New York club Twilo helped to solidify his reputation as one of the world’s top DJs.
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, house music had become one of the most popular genres of electronic dance music worldwide. Thanks to its popularity on radio and television, as well as its inclusion in films and commercials, house music reached a wider audience than ever before. In 2001, French DJ David Guetta released his debut album One Love, which featured several crossover hits including “Just a Little More Love” featuring Chris Willis and “Sexy Chick” featuring Akon. Guetta’s success helped to bring house music to even more people around the globe.
The Top House Music Songs of All Time
“Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic
“Pump Up the Jam” is a song by Belgian group Technotronic that was released as a single in 1989 and achieved international chart success. The song peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, number four in the United States Billboard Hot 100, and number one in Australia. The song was one of the first electronic dance songs to achieve mainstream popularity and its success helped propel the rise of house music as a mainstream genre.
“Rhythm is a Dancer” by Snap!
“Rhythm is a Dancer” is a song by the German group Snap!. It was released in July 1992 as the lead single from their second album, The Madman’s Return. The song was a hit in many countries, reaching number one in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.
“What is Love” by Haddaway
What is love? Baby, don’t hurt me Don’t hurt me no more What is love? Yeah Oh, I don’t know why you’re not there I give you all my love But you don’t care So what is right? And what is wrong? Gotta find a way To make you understand Never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down Never gonna run around and desert you Never gonna make you cry Never gonna say goodbye Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
“I Like to Move It” by Reel 2 Real
I Like to Move It is a 1993 house music song performed by Reel 2 Real (Erick Morillo) featuring The Mad Stuntman (Mark Quashie). It was released in April 1994 as the lead single fromReel 2 Real’s album Move It! The song reached number one in Belgium and the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top ten of several countries including Australia, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden. In the United States, it peaked at number 45 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in May 1994.
“Be My Lover” by La Bouche
“Be My Lover” is a song recorded by German group La Bouche. It was released in August 1995 as the lead single from their self-titled debut album. The song was a hit in many countries, reaching number one in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.
The song samples Queen’s 1977 hit single “We Will Rock You”.
Conclusion
After countless hours of research, we have compiled a list of what we believe to be the top house music songs of all time. This was no easy task, as there are literally thousands of great house tracks out there. We looked at a variety of factors, including overall popularity, critical acclaim, and personal preference, to come up with our final rankings.
The songs on our list range from classics that have been around for decades to more modern hits that are still making waves today. There is something for everyone here, so whether you’re a house music aficionado or just getting started, we hope you enjoy our list.
