Great Trance Music
Submitted by trancecritic on Mon, 08/21/2006 - 05:22
Tags:
- Trance music at it's best...a listing of some of the best trance songs of all time...this list is a must.
- NOTE: This list will continue to be updated
- Trance owes its roots to...
- Disco/Italo Disco
- Funk
- Industrial Rock/EBM
- Krautrock
- New Wave/synthpop
- Techno
- Belgian Nu-Beat
- NRG
- Electro
- Avant-garde classical/electronic classical
- 1. Age of Love- Age of Love (1990, 1992)
- Ever since its debut in early 1990, it has been regarded as one of the first trance tracks of all time. But none of the 1990 original mixes compare with 1992's "Jam & Spoon's Watch Out For Stella" mix - this is THE classic mix with its famous rising acid flurry. Check out the radio edit which features several syncopated drumbeat portions. This song has been re-released and remixed throughout the 90s and 00s.
- 2. Dance 2 Trance- We Came In Peace (1990)
- Another contender as the first trance song. Notice the rising acid squelch in the song - sort of reminds you of another early trance track...hmmmm. Rolf Ellmer and Dag Lerner would go on to release other classics such as "Hello San Francisco", "Take a Free Fall", and the UK Top 30 "P.Ower of A.merican N.Atives".
- 3. KLF- What Time Is Love? (Pure Trance Original) (1988)
- KLF are just legends, folks. They've placed singles on both the American pop and British pop charts (btw, check out "Justified and Ancient" which peaked at #11 in the states and featured country legend Tammy Wynette...how about that!). Back to "What Time Is Love", this song has also been called up as the first trance record. It does differ from the EBM and Belgian Nu-Beat of the late 80s...but then again, the first trance record may never be agreed upon.
- 4. Force Legato- System (1989)
- Techno-trance...acid techno...Early trance and (European) techno shared many similarities as trance was emerging, but it's safe to label this German record as one of the first trance tracks.
- 5. Orbital- Chime (1989)
- Ambient techno classic...or early trance classic...you pick. Orbital, Orb, KLF...anything ambient in the early 90s was pretty much an influence on both techno and trance. This is a sure-fire classic, not to be missed.
- 6. The Orb- Little Fluffy Clouds (1990)
- So it was released later in 1990...big deal. It's still up there with the other "first trance" records...we can safely call this a hybrid of techno and trance. Nevertheless, it played a hugely influential role in shaping up the music as well.
- 7. Future Sound of London- Papua New Guinea (1992)
- Okay, so this classic was released in 1992. Still, it definitely played an important role in trance music history as well as ambient techno's/ambient house's commercial success. Like the other ambient techno (e.g. "Little Fluffy Clouds") and ambient house (e.g. "808 State") records, it can be considered a hybrid and at least one of the first trance trailblazers.
- There we go...so pay respect to the first trance records...ON TO THE LIST...
- #
- 4 Strings- Sunrise
- 4 Strings- Into the Night
- 4 Strings- Daytime
- A
- Above & Beyond- No One On Earth (Gabriel & Dresden mix)
- Accadia- Into the Dawn
- Access Rhythm- Activate
- Agnelli & Nelson- El Nino (original, Matt Darey mix)
- Agnelli & Nelson- Every Day, Every Moment, Every Time (Lange mix)
- Albion- Air 2000 (Ferry Corsten Open Air mix)
- Altitude- Sunray
- Andain- Beautiful Things (Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged mix)
- Andain- Summer Calling (Josh Gabriel mix, Airwave mix)
- Ariel- Woman In Love (Plasmic Honey mix)
- Armin- Blue Fear
- Armin Van Buuren feat. Justine Suissa- Burned With Desire
- Arrakis- The Spice
- Art of Trance- Octopus
- Atlantis vs. Avatar- Fiji (Lange mix)
- Ascension- For a Lifetime
- Ascension- Someone (Slacker mix)
- Astral Projection- Mahadeva '99
- ATB vs Everything But the Girl- Until 9 PM is Missing (2000 white label)
- ATB- 9 PM (Till I Come)
- ATB- Don't Stop
- ATB- Underwater World
- Aurora Borealis- Aurora Borealis
- Ayla- Angelfalls (Elemental Force mix)
- Azzido Da Bass- Doom's Night (Timo Maas mix)
- B
- Baby D- Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Rank 1 mix)
- Banco De Gaia- Last Train To Lhasa
- BBE- Seven Days and One Week
- BBE vs Emmanuel Top- Orion (BBE mix)
- Bedrock- Heaven Scent
- Binary Finary- 1998 (Paul Van Dyk mix)
- Blank & Jones- Nightfly (DJ Jean mix)
- Blue Alphabet- Cybertrance
- Blue Amazon- And Then the Rain Falls
- Brainbug- Nightmare (Sinister Strings mix)
- Breeder- Tyrantanic (Slacker's Kingdom Come mix)
- Breeder- The Chain
- B.T. feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw- Dreaming (DJ Tiesto mix, Evolution mix)
- B.T. feat. Jan Johnston- Sunblind
- B.T.- Flaming June (B.T./PVD mix)
- B.T.- Godspeed
- B.T.- Embracing the Sunshine
- B.T. feat. Vincent Covello- Loving You More
- C
- Carlos- The Silmarillia
- Cass & Slide- Perception
- Cass & Slide- Opera
- Caunos- Herzsprung
- Chicane feat. Maire Brennan- Saltwater (Tomski vs Disco Citizens mix)
- Chicane feat. Bryan Adams- Don't Give Up (original, Disco Citizens vs Tomski mix)
- Chicane- Offshore
- CM- Sensation
- Commander Tom- The Vulcan
- Commander Tom- Are Am Eye?
- Conjure One- Extraordinary Ways (Antillas mix)
- Conjure One feat. Sinead O'Connor- Tears From the Moon
- Connector- Interference
- Cosmic Baby- Loops of Infinity (Contemplating)
- Cosmic Baby- Cosmic Greets Florida
- Cosmic Gate- Back To Earth (instru.)
- Cosmic Gate- Exploration of Space (instru.)
- Cosmic Gate- Mental Atmosphere (instru.)
- Cosmosis- Afterglow
- Cybernaut- Hydrophonix
- Cygnus X- Superstring (Rank 1 mix)
- Cygnus X- Hypermetrical
- Cygnus X- The Orange Theme (Bervoets & De Goey mix, Moonman's Orange Juice mix)
- D
- Da Hool- Meet Her At the Love Parade 2001 (Hooligan mix)
- Dance 2 Trance- Hello San Francisco
- Dance 2 Trance- P.Ower of A.Merican N.Atives
- Dance 2 Trance- Take a Freefall
- Dance 2 Trance- Where is Dag?
- Dario G.- Sunchyme (Coloured Oxygen version)
- DaRude- Sandstorm
- Deep Dish feat. Anousheh Khalili- Say Hello (Paul Van Dyk mix)
- Deepsky- Stargazer
- Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan- Silence (DJ Tiesto ISOS mix)
- Delerium- Heaven's Earth (Matt Darey mix)
- Der Dritte Raum- Hale Bopp (Meteorism mix)
- DJ Cor Fijneman feat. Jan Johnston- Venus (Meant To Be Your Lover)
- DJ Jean- The Launch (Instant Double mix)
- DJ Manta- Holding On (Lange mix)
- DJ Misjah & DJ Tim- Access
- DJ Quicksilver- Bellisima
- DJ Sammy- Boys of Summer (Green Court mix)
- DJ Tiesto- Lethal Industry
- DJ Tiesto- Flught 643
- DJ Tiesto- Suburban Train
- DJ Tiesto- Adagio For Strings
- DJ Toxic- It's Killing Me
- Doof- Mars Needs Women
- Doof- Double Dragons
- Drax Ltd II- Amphetamine
- Dream Traveler- Time
- DuMonde- Tomorrow (Lange mix)
- DuMonde- Kalt
- E
- Emma Shaplin (with Opera Trance)- Spente Le Stelle
- Empirion- Narcotic Influence
- Energy 52- Cafe Del Mar (Three N One radio)
- Enigma- Push the Limits (ATB mix)
- Etnoscope- Sunrise
- F
- Faithless- We Come 1
- Faithless- Insomnia
- Faithless- God Is a DJ
- Faithless- Don't Leave (Euphoric mix)
- Fatboy Slim- Sunset (Bird of Prey)
- Ferry Corsten- Punk (original, Kid Vicious mix)
- Ferry Corsetn- It's Time
- Flutlicht- Icarus
- Fragma feat. Coco- Toca's Miracle
- Fragma feat. Damae- You Are Alive
- Frederick Portale- Deep Strings
- Freefall feat. Jan Johnston- Skydive (I Feel Wonderful)
- Future Sound of London- Cascade
- Fuzzy Logic- Obsession
- G
- Guardians of the Earth- Starchildren
- Ghostland feat. Sinead O'Connor- Guide Me God (Mr. Sam mix, Paul Van Dyk mix)
- Gouryella- Walhalla
- Gouryella- Gouryella
- Gouryella- Tenshi
- Gouryella- Ligaya (Paul van Dyk mix)
- Grace (Planet Perfecto pres.)- It's Not Over Yet '99 (original, Breeder's It Is Now mix, Matt Darey mix)
- GTR- Mistral
- Gus Gus- Purple (Sasha vs The Light mix)
- H
- Hallucinogen- LSD
- Hallucinogen- Shamanix
- Hardfloor- Acperience
- Hennes & Cold- The Second Trip (DJ Scot mix)
- Hi-Gate- Pitchin' (In Every Direction)
- Hi-Gate- I Can Hear Voices (Schizophrenic mix)
- Humate- Love Stimulation (Paul Van Dyk mix)
- Humate- 3.1/3.2
- Hybrid- Finished Symphony (Hybrid's Echoplex mix)
- I
- Iio- Rapture (Armin Van Buuren mix, Riva mix)
- Infected Mushroom feat. Xerox- Acid Killer
- J
- Jam & Spoon- Stella '99
- James Holden- One For You
- Jens Lissat- The Future
- Jens- Loops & Tings (Fruit Loops mix)
- Johnny Shaker feat. Serial Diva- Pearl River
- Three N One Reflect
- Jones & Stephenson- The First Rebirth
- Jose Amnesia- The Eternal
- Joy Kitikonti- Joyenergizer (Phisical mix)
- Jurgen Vries- The Theme
- K
- Katcha- Touched By God
- KayCee- Escape 2000
- Kayestone- The Warning
- L
- Lange feat. Skye- Drifting Away
- Laurent Garnier- Amphetamine
- Legend B.- The Spirit
- Legend B.- Lost In Love
- Libra pres. Taylor- Anomaly... (Granny's Epicure mix, Albion mix)
- Lightforce- Join Me
- Lost Tribe- Gamemaster
- Lost Witness- Red Sun Rising
- Lost Witness- Did I Dream? (Song To the Siren)
- Lost Witness- Happiness Happening (Lange mix)
- Lustral- Everytime (Nalin & Kane mix)
- M
- Madelyne- Beautiful Child (4 Strings mix)
- Malte & Marc De Clarq- No More Rain (Shane 54 Refill mix)
- Man With No Name- Vavoom!
- Man With No Name- Way Out West
- Man With No Name- Teleport
- Marc Et Claude- Tremble (CJ Stone mix)
- Marc Et Claude- I Need Your Lovin' (Like the Sunshine) (John Johnson mix)
- Marcel Woods vs SHOKK pres. Woodshokk- Tulips and Chocolate (G&M Project mix)
- Mario Piu- Communication (Yomanda mix)
- Mark Norman- Phantom Manner
- Markus Shulz- You Won't See Me Cry (Deepsky's Farewell Desert mix)
- Marmion- Schoneberg (Marmion mix)
- Mary Griffin- Perfect Moment (Rank 1 mix)
- Matt Darey- From Russia With Love
- Matt Darey- Liberation (Temptation- Fly Like An Angel) (Ferry Corsten mix)
- Mauro Picotto- Komodo (Alternative mix)
- Mauro Picotto- Iguana
- Mellow Trax- Outa Space
- Members of Mayday- 10 In 01
- Members of Mayday- Sonic Empire
- Michael Woods- Solex (instru.)
- Mike Koglin- The Silence (Tekara-Matt Darey mix)
- Mike Shiver feat. Xan- Feelings
- Minimalistix- Magic Fly
- Mirco De Govia & Ronski Speed- Asarja
- Moby- Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? (Ferry Corsten mix)
- Moon Project- Moments Are Forever
- Moonman- Don't Be Afraid
- Mory Kante- Ye Ke Ye Ke (Hard Floor mix)
- Mother's Pride- Learning To Fly (Mistral mix)Motorcycle- As the Rush Comes (Gabriel and Dresden Sweeping Strings mix)
- N
- Nalin & Kane- Beachball (original, DJ Icey Bass mix)
- Niagara- Cloudburst
- Nick Lunn & YOMC pres. Techno-Punk- Energize (Pyd mix)
- Nikolai- Ready To Flow
- Nu-NRG- Dreamland
- O
- Oceanlab feat. Justine Suissa- Clear Blue Water
- Oceanlab feat. Justine Suissa- Satellite
- Olive- You're Not Alone
- Opus III- It's a Fine Day
- Orbital- Halcyon
- Origene- Sanctuary
- Origene- Suddenly Silently (Smash N Grab mix)
- Origin- Wide Eyed Angel (Inversion mix)
- Orinoko- Mama Konda
- Orion vs Ayla- Eternity
- P
- Paragliders- Oasis
- Paul Oakenfold- Southern Sun (DJ Tiesto mix, original)
- Paul Van Dyk- Another Way
- Paul Van Dyk- Words (For Love)
- Paul Van Dyk- Avenue
- Paul Van Dyk- For An Angel (PVD E-Werk mix)
- Paul Van Dyk- Forbidden Fruit (original, East of Eden mix)
- Paul Van Dyk- Tell Me Why (original, Take a Break mix)
- Perpetuous Dreamer- The Sound of Goodbye (Above and Beyond mix)
- Peter Lazonby- Sacred Cycles
- Peter Lazonby- Wavespeech
- Petter- These Days
- Polartraxx vs Unicorn- Hero
- Poltergeist- Vicious Circles (Union Jack mix)
- PPK- Resurrection
- Pulsedriver- Your Spirit Is Shining (Frank-e & Mars mix)
- Push- Journey of Life
- Push- Strange World
- Push- Universal Nation (original, Ferry Corsten '99 mix)
- Q
- Quench- Dreams
- Quivver- Twist and Shout
- Quo Vadis- Sonic Boom (Life's Too Short) (Maximus mix)
- R
- R.O.O.S.- Instant Moments
- Rabbit In the Moon- Out of Body Experience
- Randy Katana- In Silence (Ron Van Den Beuken mix, Txitarro mix)
- Rank 1- Airwave (Breathing)
- Rank 1- Awakening
- Rank 1- Citrus Juicer
- Red Light District- Did You Hear Me?
- Redanka- Waves (E-Mission mix)
- Ridgewalkers feat. El- Find Me
- Rise- The Single (Goa Pyramid mix)
- Riva feat. Dannii Minogue- Who Do You Love Now? (Stringer)
- RMB- Redemption
- Robert Miles- Children (Dream mix)
- Roland Klinkenberg- Inner Laugh (James Holden mix)
- Rui Da Silva feat. Cassandra- Touch Me
- Safri Duo- Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)
- Salt Tank- Dimension (Voices of Reason mix)
- Salt Tank- Eugina (Michael Woods mix)
- Salt Tank- Angels Landing
- Salt Tank- Eugina (Pacific Diva)
- Sandstorm- The Return of Nothing (Evolution mix)
- Sarah McLachlan- I Love You (The B.T. mix)
- Sarah McLachlan- Sweet Surrender (DJ Tiesto mix)
- Sash!- Encore Une Fois (Future Breeze mix)
- Sasha and Emerson- Scorchio
- Sasha and Maria Nayler- Be As One
- Sasha- Wavy Gravy
- Sasha- Xpander
- Sauna- Mirage
- Schiller- Das Glockenspiel
- Shane- C'est Musique
- Shpongle- Divine Moments of Truth
- Shrink- Nervous Breakdown
- Sinead O'Connor- Troy (Push mix, Schiller mix)
- Sister Bliss- Sister Bliss (Shining mix)
- Solar Stone- Seven Cities (Solar Stone Atlantis mix, Armin Van Buuren mix)
- Solid Globe- North Pole
- Solid Globe- Sahara
- Solid Sleep- Club Attack (Paul Van Dyk mix)
- Sonique- It Feels So Good (Breakbeat club, En-Motion mix)
- Sosa- The Wave
- Spicelab- Amorph
- Storm- Huri-Khan
- Storm- Time To Burn
- SuReal- You Take My Breath Away (Lange mix, DJ Tiesto mix)
- Sven Vath- L'Esperanza
- Sven Vath- The Robot
- Sven Vath- Ritual of Life
- Sylver- Turn the Tide (CJ Stone mix)
- Sync Inc.- Silent Breed
- System F.- Out of the Blue
- System F.- Dance Valley Theme 2001
- T
- Taste X-Perience feat. Natasha Pearl- Summersault
- Taste X-Perience- Tantrix
- Taucher- Miracle (Phase 2)
- Taucher- Waters
- Tenth Planet- Ghosts (original, Vincent De Moor mix)
- Terra Ferma- Floating
- Terra Ferma- Lunar Sunrise
- Terra Ferma- Spiritual Being
- Terry Bones vs Fred Baker pres. Water Planet- Return To Innocence
- Three Drives On a Vinyl- Greece 2000
- Thrillseekers feat. Sheryl Deane- Synaesthesia (Thrillseekers mix, Paul Van Dyk mix)
- Tilt- Invisible (Lost Tribe Vocal mix)
- Tilt vs Paul Van Dyk- Rendezvous (Quadrophonic mix)
- Timo Maas- Ubik (The Dance)
- Tomcraft- The Circle
- Tomski feat. Jan Johnston- Love Will Come
- Transa- Enervate
- Transa- Outlander
- Transa- Supernova
- U
- Underworld- Dinosaur Adventure 3D
- Underworld- Two Months Off
- Underworld- Born Slippy (Paul Oakenfold mix)
- Union Jack- Cactus
- Union Jack- Red Herring
- Union Jack- Two Full Moons and a Trout
- U.S.U.R.A.- Open Your Mind
- U.S.U.R.A.- Trance Emotions
- V
- Veracocha- Carte Blanche
- Vernon's Wonderland- Vernon's Wonderland (Hiver/Hammer mix)
- Vimana- We Came
- Vimana- Dreamtime
- Vincent De Moor pres. Emerald- Fly Away (Thrillseekers mix)
- Vincent De Moore- Shamu (Armin Van Buuren mix)
- Vincent De Moore- Flowtation
- Visions of Shiva- Perfect Day
- Visions of Shiva- How Much Can You Take?
- Voodoo & Serano- Blood Is Pumpin'
- W
- Warrior- Warrior
- Watergate- Heart of Asia
- Way Out West feat. Joanna Law- The Gift
- William Orbit- Barber's Adagio For Strings (Ferry Cortsen mix)
- William Orbit- Water From a Vine Leaf
- X
- X-Cabs- Neuro
- Y
- York- The Awakening (Mellow mix, original)
- York feat. Ayla- Cover Me
- York- OTB (On the Beach) (CJ Stone mix)
- York feat. Jamila- Jastamba
- Yves Deruyter- Animal
- Z
- Zombie Nation- Kernkraft 400
- Zyon- No Fate
- More coming soon...
- Charts coming soon!!!
- Guilty Pleasure Mainstream Honorable Mentions
- Alice DeeJay vs Rozalla- Everybody's Free
- ATB feat. The Wild Strawberries- Let U Go
- Ayla- Ayla (Parts I and II)
- Bob Marley vs Funk Star Deluxe- Sun is Shining (ATB mix)
- DaRude- I Feel the Beat
- DaRude vs Robert Miles- Children of the Sandstorm
- DJ Encore feat. Engelina- I See Right Through To You (Unidentified mix)
- DJ Jurgen feat. Karen- Higher and Higher
- Dreamcatcher- I Don't Wanna Lose My Way
- Eva Luna- Tell Me Lies
- Foggy- Come Into My Dream
- Fragma- Toca Megamix (Guy Garrett)
- Fragma feat. Maria Rubia- Everytime You Need Me
- Ian Van Dahl feat. Marsha- Castles In the Sky
- Lazard feat. Beverly Craven- 4 O’Clock in the Morning (DJs @ Work mix)
- LEX Project feat. Nadia- Heaven
- Madonna- What It Feels Like for a Girl (Above & Beyond mix)
- Mario Lopez- The Sound of Nature
- Milk Inc.- My Eyes (DJ Philip mix)
- Miss Jane- Fine Day (ATB mix)
- Miss Peppermint- Day By Day
- Plummet- Damaged (Ford's Trancendental mix)
- Public Domain- Operation Blade
- Sonique- Sky
- Terra Skye- Is This Love?
- Tin Tin Out- Strings For Jasmin
- U2- Lemon (Perfecto mix)
- York feat. Alaska- Yesterday (The Silence)
Most of those tracks are NOT critically acclaimed.
OK, gotcha. "Great Trance Music" really suits this list much better than "Critically Acclaimed Trance Music."
Anyways, great list. I reccomend adding Manuel Gottsching's E2-E4 to your "definitive trance records" list. It's a 1981 track/album, but if you played it to me without telling me the date I probably would've said 1991, at least.
Wow. Amazing list. One error i spotted:
It's Astral Projection -Aurora Borealis, not
Aurora Borealis - Aurora Borealis
There's a lot of commercial stuff on here, but you got most of the good ones
On your top 7, only 2 are pure trance...
To much commercial Trance, not enough of the evocative Trance like
Love Stimulation (Paul van Dyk Love Mix) - Humate
Anomaly Calling Your Name (Granny's Epicure Remix) - Libra & Taylor
Coming On Strong - Signum
Wizards of the Sonic (Matt Darey Mix) - Westbam vs. Red Jerry
Sunrise (Here I Am) [Club Mix] - Ratty
Stella - Jam & Spoon
Solarcoaster - Solar Stone
You're trying to put up a lot of Trance songs, and i respect that, but make sure you only put up ones that deserve to be called 'Great Trance Music'