Music
10 underrated dance songs from the 1990s that still sound amazing
Forget Moby, The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers - these are the dance tunes that still sound fresh
For music fans of a certain generation, the '90s hold a particular fondness that is (admittedly) based almost entirely on nostalgia.
While pop and grunge may have had their moment, dance music also reigned supreme over the course of the decade, with many dance acts crossing over to mainstream success.
The likes of Moby, Faithless, The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers all became household names, but that's not what we're interested in here. Instead, we've put together a list of ten underrated (but not necessarily obscure, either) dance tracks that still sound fresh in 2020.
1. OLIVE – 'You're Not Alone'
You know the mark of a good song when it's been covered numerous times since it first came out. Originally released in 1996, it was the 1997 remix of this brilliant track that hit big for the London trip-hop group, and it still sounds fantastic. Trance DJ ATB covered it in 2002 and Scotty Boy & Lizzie Curious in 2017 – but the original remains unsurpassed.
2. SASH! – 'Ecuador'
Yeah, yeah – we know that 'Encore Une Fois' is Sash!'s most iconic song, but this follow-up – also released in the German duo's breakthrough year of 1997 – is every bit as good. Like its mega-selling predecessor, it didn't matter that you hadn't a clue what the lyrics were: that dinky little trance-pop riff was all you needed.
3. DARIO G – 'Carnaval de Paris'
This one will bring back memories for anyone who was glued to World Cup '98 – and even if you weren't, it remains a total banger. Dario G's 'Sunchyme' remains the English production trio's most enduring song, but it's at the expense of this gem. Weaving a well-known football melody into a glorious anthemic celebration that incorporates sounds from world music, accordions have simply never sounded so cool.
4. DAVID MORALES – 'Needin' U'
If you were one of those kids/teenagers who basically spent the 1990s trawling MTV and every other music channel, you'll be aware of this song by New York DJ David Morales. Strangely, it seems to be massively overlooked anytime there's an appraisal of the decade in music, but just listen to it: the ebb and flow, the build and the melody are all superb.
5. GRACE – 'Not Over Yet'
Sometimes, you just want a big hands-in-the-air singalong. That's where this trancey pop dinger comes in. Grace was a group comprised of DJs Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osbourne, while the vocals on this – their 1993 debut single – were by Patti Low. What. A. Tune.
6. MORY KANTÉ – 'Yeke Yeke'
You may not have heard of Mory Kanté before 1994, and you probably haven't heard of him since – but you'll know this song if you were a dance fan or clubber in the 1990s. The Guinean musician's biggest hit (originally released in 1988) was remixed by German duo Hardfloor in '94, turning it into a seriously euphoric house song.
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7. SAGAT – '(Why Is It?) Funk Dat'
You want a '90s song with attitude? You got it. Baltimore rapper Sagat's ponderings on the workings of the world over a dinky little breakbeat riff is packed with humour and cynicism - and the line “Why is it that every time I turn on the radio I hear the same five songs, fifteen times a day for three months” is still valid. It's so '90s it hurts – but it's still a tune.
8. FRAGMA – 'Toca Me'
It was later remixed into a mash-up with Coco's 'I Need a Miracle' in 2000, but the 1996 original by German trance production group Fragma is so damned pure that it's impossible to resist. That blissful build-up, the breathy vocals, even the video: this is the epitome of summer holidays in one song.
9. BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE – 'Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out'
Let's take a moment to appreciate the genius of this song, which has been sampled and used on TV and film soundtracks and numerous adverts – yet still doesn't get its dues. It out-Avalanches the Avalanches and the Birmingham duo were one of the most underrated acts of the big beat scene. This song is still the business.
10. STARDUST – 'Music Sounds Better With You'
Now, this is what you call an absolute masterpiece of a dance tune. French house duo Stardust – led by one Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk – may have only released one song, but it has endured for the past 22 years. Sampling Chaka Khan's 'Fate', it's 100% capable of filling a dance floor in 2020.
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