The Top 10 Techno Songs of the ’90s

In this blog post, we’ll be countdown the top 10 techno songs of the ’90s. These songs defined the decade and continue to be popular today.

Introduction

Techno music first emerged in the early 1980s, and it quickly gained popularity among fans of electronic music. Techno is a type of electronic dance music that is characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat, staccato hi-hats, and synthesized basslines. The ’90s was a golden era for techno, with many iconic songs released during this decade.

In this article, we’ll be counting down the top 10 techno songs of the ’90s. These are the songs that defined the genre and continue to be popular among techno fans today.

#10- “The Only Way Is Up”- Yazz

“The Only Way Is Up” is a song co-written and recorded by British acid house musician Yazz. It was released in 1988 as the lead single from her debut album Wanted. The song topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks in September and October 1988. In 1989, the song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100.

#9- “No Limit”- 2 Unlimited

2 Unlimited was a Dutch dance group founded in 1991 by Belgian producers Jean-Paul De Coster and Phil Wilde. Originally a Eurodance act, the group shifted their sound towards techno and house in the mid-’90s. “No Limit” was released in 1993 as their third single from their second album No Limits! and became a significant hit throughout Europe, reaching number-one in Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Spain and Sweden. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number two.

#8- “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”- Whitney Houston

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her eponymous second studio album, released in 1987. It was written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam and produced by Narada Michael Walden. The song became Houston’s fourth number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1988, and her third consecutive number-one from the album.

#7- “Gonna Make You Sweat”- C+C Music Factory

This early-’90s club banger is one of the most propserous and well known techno songs of all time. It was the debut single release from American group C+C Music Factory’s album, Gonna Make You Sweat (1991). The song was a massive commercial success, topping Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for two weeks in February of 1991 and becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. It has since been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

#6- “What Is Love?”- Haddaway

This feel-good club hit was all over the radio in 1993 and to this day, its chorus of “what is love? / baby, don’t hurt me / don’t hurt me / no more” is instantly recognizable. The song went to number one in 13 countries and helped propel Haddaway’s debut album, The Album, to platinum status.

#5- “Can’t Touch This”- MC Hammer

“Can’t Touch This” is a 1990 song co-written, produced and performed by MC Hammer from his album Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em. The track is considered to be Hammer’s signature song and is his most successful single. Along with being his highest charting single, it was also the first hip-hop single to achieve diamond status in the United States. In 2008, it was ranked as the #7 greatest song of all time by VH1 and in 2010 it was ranked #1 on MTV’s list of the Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs of All Time.

#4- ” Rhythm Is a Dancer”- Snap!

“Rhythm Is a Dancer” is a song by German group Snap!. It was released in early 1992 as the lead single from their album The Madman’s Return. The vocals on the track are performed by rapper Turbo B, who co-wrote the song with Benjamin Harris and John Virgo Garrett III. The song topped the charts in various countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, “Rhythm Is a Dancer” peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart in July 1992.

#3- “Vogue”- Madonna

“Vogue” is a song by American singer Madonna from her second studio album, I’m Breathless (1990). It was released as the lead single from the album on March 26, 1990, by Sire Records. The song was included on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration (2009). “Vogue” is an uptempo pop and house song and set the trends of dance music in the 1990s. The song has been praised by music critics as an iconic dance track of the decade. Commercially, “Vogue” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, while topping the charts in Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and Spain.

In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it at number nine on their list of “The 100 Greatest Pop Songs of All Time”.

#2- “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”- Will Smith

If you didn’t already know, the ’90s was a massive decade for music. It gave us some of the greatest hits of all time, including this banger by Will Smith. “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” was Smith’s first solo single and it quickly shot to the top of the charts, becoming one of the most iconic songs of the ’90s. Even today, it’s still a party staple and always gets people on their feet.

#1- “Sandstorm”- Darude

“Sandstorm” is a techno song produced by Finnish DJ and producer Darude. It was released on November 18, 1999, in Finland and later in 2000 in other countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia. The song uses a synthesizer melody with a piano chord progression, accompanied by a pumping bassline and percussion. The song was a commercial success, reaching number one in Australia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, “Sandstorm” peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.