I have picked out, in my opinion, the 5 Best Techno Songs from 1990 to 1995. I enjoy a wide variety of electronic music, so some of these picks might be better classified as Rave, Electronic Dance, Trance, Eurodance, Electronica or maybe even House. Genres are getting a little too specific anyway, and there are way too many different classifications. So, if the song was at least partly synthetic, and had a good enough beat to dance to it, then it made my list. Techno songs usually have several different mixes of the same song, so if there is a specific version that I like it will be noted after the song title.
Here are my top 5 picks, in chronological order…
1. Get Ready for This (Orchestral Mix) by 2 Unlimited, 1991
This is a staple for every basketball game. If you’ve never heard this song I’ll be surprised. I always envision cheerleaders dancing around whenever I hear it. Ten years later and it’s still being played. That’s quite the compliment, and I definitely agree. This is a great song, especially the Orchestral Mix.
2. O Fortuna (Apocalypse Chorus Mix) by Apotheosis, 1992
The original classical song O Fortuna is the main theme to Carl Orff’s famous oratorio Carmina Burana. There is another song by Apotheosis called Obumbrata (a word from the original lyrics meaning shadowed in Latin), which is just another variation of this song. In fact, on my Radikal Techno CD this version of the song was incorrectly labeled as Obumbrata. No matter what it’s called, it’s an amazing synthetic arrangement of an already amazing classical piece.
3. Swamp Thing (Radio Mix) by The Grid, 1993
I’ve always loved banjo music. Especially songs like this and Dueling Banjos where there are a lot of fast notes played. You don’t normally get to hear something like this in dance music, so when you do it’s a real treat.
4. Da Funk by Daft Punk, 1995
Da Funk was originally released as single first, and then it later appeared on Daft Punk’s album Homework. The music video is about a guy with a dog’s head, and a cast on his leg, who walks around New York City on crutches with a boombox playing this song. It’s a nice little story, and is worth seeing at least once. It’s definitely Daft Punk’s best song.
5. Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex, 1995
I’ve danced to this song many times. I was never really a big fan of country music, but this definitely bridges the gap. I love the mixture of synthetics with traditional folk instruments like the banjo and fiddle. Then again, I’ve always loved the mixture of live instruments with synthetics.
A few others I considered for the list were: Sesame’s Treet by Smart E’s 1992 & The Sign by Ace of Base 1994.
Whether you agree with my picks or not, there is no disputing that Techno music is one of the most influential genres out there, and a dance is not a dance without it.