It is actually rather difficult to fathom that it is already 2017, the second decade of the twenty first century is already starting to wrap up. Dance music has changed a lot over the years. In many people's opinion we passed the golden age of electronic dance music a long time ago. We could definitely argue about that statement, as good quality, original dance music is constantly coming out, but it is hard to have a realistic debate when we look at a list like the one below. We took a look back to highlight some of the most incredible and downright iconic albums that are turning 10 this year. If you wanted to feel super old…just check these out.
Calvin Harris – I Created Disco 2007
There was a time when Calvin Harris was considered incredibly indie. About a decade ago a young kid released his first LP, called ‘I Created Disco‘. It was one of the most catchy, well produced and unique dance music album to hit the scene in quite some time. Calvin of course continued his success gaining a lot of mainstream notoriety with his sophomore effort ‘Ready for the Weekend' and eventually superstar status with '18 Months'.
Justice – Cross
‘Cross' was a masterful album. It managed to reroute the path house music as a whole was heading down. Tracks ranged from the jubilant ‘D.A.N.C.E.' to the dark and gnarly ‘Phantom'. The album was the first full scale work that the duo put out and it quickly became a golden example of what solid, original electronic dance music should sound like. ‘Cross' solidified that Justice would go down as Ed Banger's most successful artists of all time.
Bassnectar – Underground Communication
It might come to a shock to many people that Bassnectar was even active back in 2007. Shockingly enough the leader of the bassheads was making music when most of his fans were just twinkles in their parent's eyes. Underground Communication gave life to the Bassnectar classic ‘Verbing the Noun' which to this day still drives crowds absolutely wild. It was the 4th studio album put out and was the beginning of his explosion in the underground dance music scene.
David Guetta – Pop Life
David Guetta is one of the absolute legends of dance music. He has lately become more of a living meme, which is honestly unfortunate because those who arrived to the world of EDM after his peak have no idea what he is truly responsible for. David Guetta's landmark album ‘Pop Life' launched him into the mainstream spotlight. Featuring tracks such as ‘Love is Gone' and ‘World Is Mine' the LP was one of the first to bridge the gap between the world of dance music and the general public.
Tiesto – Elements of Life
‘Elements of Life' is a beautiful album. It happened to be Tiesto's last pure trance effort before he started to gravitate towards pop with his next release ‘Kaleidoscope‘. ‘Elements of Life' is full of strong atmospheric tracks such as ‘Ten Seconds Before Sunrise', ‘Carpe Noctum' and his legendary remix of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme – ‘Hes a Pirate'. The album is frequently associated with his legendary concert in Copenhagen that would go on to be a fan favorite.
Daft Punk – Alive 2007
This one is probably obvious to most people as the rumor mill has been churning consistently since this album is turning 10 this year. While Alive 2007 in a way did not release any new songs, it did release Daft Punk‘s entirely library in a way that fans had never heard before. The cultural impact of Alive 2007 is one that is still being seen today. From their legendary pyramid to the profound way they remixed all of their tracks together – ‘Alive 2007' continues to blow listeners away today.
The Chemical Brothers – We Are The Night
It is funny to think that when this album was released The Chemical Brothers received an incredible amount of criticism for shying away from the sound that made them legendary in the first place. Oh how those same critics must be rolling over in their graves 10 years later. ‘We Are The Night' may not have been in the duo's usual fashion but still had a number of hits such as ‘The Salmon Dance'. The album would serve as a greater metaphor for legendary artists starting to change their styles in hopes of staying fresh in an every changing environment.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF2EF3DD45265E50B
Chromeo – Fancy Footwork
Chromeo has made a huge resurgence the past few years after the success of their last album. It is truly insane to think that their first main stream hit ‘Fancy Footwork' and the album of the same name are now 10 years old. The duo from Canada showed their range on the 8 track effort and mixed both dance and funk into a winning formula. While it may not be as well known as the other albums on this list, it without a doubt deserves a spot.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhrglt2nmIGihf-yr-jN2pCaJ0Ea8Nw43
