Background: Electro music evolved from disco, funk, and Krautrock, especially Kraftwerk. There are generally two types of electro - soulful electro (Freeez, D-Train, and NYC Peech Boys) and the hip hop of electro-funk (Afrika Bambaataa, Freestyle, and Newcleus). Electro-funk was birthed by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force's 1982 track "Planet Rock". Electro music peaked from 1982 to 1985 and was revived again in the '90s with artists such as Drexciya, Anthony Rother, and Aux 88. A variant, electroclash, was born in the late '90s and early '00s with artists such as Tiga, Adult, Fischerspooner, and Little Computer People.
Criteria: The 100 greatest Electro records of all time. Songs are based on impact, influence, and popularity. Electro records that are more freestyle-oriented (such as Shannon's "Let the Music Play") are excluded.
Edited By: Jeff B.
Last Updated: 2007-08-21
Greatest Electro Dance Songs
1. Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force 2. The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five 3. Rockit - Herbie Hancock (with Grandmaster D. St.) 4. Looking For the Perfect Beat - Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force 5. White Lines (Don't Do It) - Grandmaster Melle Mel 7. Clear - Cybotron feat. Juan Atkins 8. Hip Hop, Be Bop (Don't Stop) - Man Parrish feat. The Freeze Force Crew 9. Situation - Yaz (Yazoo) 10. You're the One For Me - D-Train 11. Jam On It - Newcleus 12. Don't Make Me Wait (All Night) - NYC Peech Boys 13. Al-Naafiysh (The Soul) - Hashim 14. I.O.U. (And Sometimes Y) - Freeez feat. John Rocca 15. Don't Stop the Rock - Freestyle 16. Play At Your Own Risk - Planet Patrol 17. Egypt, Egypt - Egyptian Lover 18. Electric Kingdom - Twilight 22 19. The Smurf - Tyrone Brunson 20. Wild Style - Time Zone 21. Play That Beat Mr. DJ (Lesson 1: The Payoff Mix) - Double Dee & Steinski 22. The Show - Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew feat. Slick Rick 23. (You Make My) Love Come Down - Evelyn "Champagne" King 24. Jam On Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song) - Newcleus 25. Pack Jam (Look Out For the OVC) - Jonzun Crew 26. Body Mechanic - Quadrant Six 27. Nunk (New Wave Funk) - Warp 9 28. Roxanne Roxanne - U.T.F.O. 29. Buffalo Gals - Malcolm McLaren & The World Famous Supreme Team 30. One For the Treble (Fresh) - Davy DMX 31. No Sell Out - Malcolm X and Keith LeBlanc 32. The Party Scene - Russell Brothers 33. Beat Bop - Rammellzee vs K-Rob 34. Break Dancin' - Electric Boogie - West Street Mob 35. It's Like That - Run DMC 36. Walking on Sunshine - Rocker's Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin 37. One More Shot - C-Bank feat. Jenny Burton 38. Play That Beat Mr. DJ - G.L.O.B.E. & Whiz Kid 39. Breakin' & There's No Stoppin' Us - Ollie & Jerry 40. Freaks Come Out At Night - Whodini 41. Fresh Is the Word - Mantronix feat. MC Tee 42. World Destruction - Time Zone 43. Light Years Away - Warp 9 44. I Can't Live Without My Radio - L.L. Cool J. 45. The Real Roxanne - The Real Roxanne with U.T.F.O./Roxanne's Revenge - Roxanne Shante 46. The Show - Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew feat. Slick Rick- La Di Da Di 47. 808 Beats - Unknown DJ 48. Friends - Whodini 49. Bad Times (I Can't Stand it) - Captain Rapp 50. The Roof is on Fire - Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic Three 51. Boogie Down Bronx - Man Parrish 52. It's Yours - T. La Rock & Jazzy Jay 53. Scorpio - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five 54. Fix It In the Mix - "Pretty Tony" Butler 55. Electric Funky Drummer - Maurice Starr 56. Siberian Nights - Twilight 22 57. Set It Off - Strafe 58. Surgery - The Wreckin' Cru 59. King of the Beat - Pumpkin & The Profile Allstars 60. Breakin' In Space - Key-Matic 61. Rockin' It - Fearless 4 62. Magic's Wand - Whodini 63. Rockberry Jam - L.A. Dream Team 64. Breaker's Revenge - Arthur Baker 65. Change the Beat - Fab 5 Freddy 66. (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew - The Rocksteady Crew 67. Dial-A-Freak - Uncle Jam's Army 68. Double Dutch Bus - Frankie Smith 69. Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight - Dominatrix 70. Rumors - Timex Social Club 71. White Horse - Laid Back 72. Get Wet - C-Bank feat. Jenny Burton 73. Pop Goes My Love - Freeez feat. John Rocca 74. Beat Box - Art of Noise 75. (Nothing Serious) Just Buggin' - Whistle 76. Tour De France - Kraftwerk 77. In the Bottle - C.O.D. 78. Juice - The Wreckin' Cru 79. What People Do For Money - Divine Sounds 80. I'm the Packman (Eat Everything I Can) - The Packman 81. Computer Power - Jamie Jupitor 82. Return of Captain Rock - Captain Rock 83. 2, 3 Break - The B-Boys 84. Reckless - Chris "The Glove" Taylor and David Storrs with Ice T. 85. Confusion - New Order 86. Techno Scratch - Knights of the Turntables 87. Can You Feel It? - Original Concept 88. Freak-A-Zoid - Midnight Starr 89. Needle To the Groove - Mantronix 90. Street Dance - Break Machine 91. Cheap Thrills - Planet Patrol 92. Thanks To You - Sinnamon 93. I'm In Love - Evelyn "Champagne" King 94. Just Be Good To Me - S.O.S. Band 95. 19 - Paul Hardcastle 96. Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer 97. London Bridge Is Falling Down - Newtrament 98. Big Butt - Bobby Jimmy & The Critters 99. Strange Life - Arabian Prince 100. Beat Freak - Bobby Broom
Afrika Bambaataa
Grandmaster Flash
More Music Lists
Bubbling under:
Candy Girl - New Edition
Sucker DJs (I Will Survive) - Dimples D.
Din Daa Daa (Trommeltanz) - George Kranz
Rock the Planet - Megatrons
Honerable Mentions:
On a Journey (I Sing the Funk Electric) - Electrik Funk
Electrophonic Phunk - Shock
Top 5 Electro-Freestyle Records
*ranked on their impact/influence on electro music
1. Let the Music Play - Shannon
2. I Wonder If I Take You Home - Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam
3. When I Hear Music - Debbie Deb
4. Don't Stop the Rock - Freestyle
5. Lookout Weekend - Debbie Deb
6. Funky Little Beat - Connie
7. Give Me the Night - Shannon
8. On the Upside - Xena
9. Release Yourself - Aleem feat. LeRoy Burgess
10. All Night - Trinere
Top 5 Early Techno Electro Records
1. Clear - Cybotron feat. Juan Atkins
2. No U.F.O.s - Model 500
3. Technicolor - Channel One
4. Techno City - Cybotron
5. Off To Battle - Model 500
Crucial Neo-Electro Songs
Human Wreck - Adult
Red Light District - Anthony Rother
Superior Race- Aux 88 pres. Dopplereffekt
Satisfaction - Benny Benassi pres. The Biz
1, 2 Step - Ciara feat. Missy Elliott
Sandwiches - Detroit Grand Pubahs
Bubblemetropolis - Drexciya
Skin - Ectomorph
Silver Screen Shower Scene - Felix the Housecat feat. Miss Kittin
Emerge - Fischerspooner feat. Lizzy Yoder
Keynell I - Gescom
Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass (Alden Tyrell mix) - I-F
May the Funk Be With You - Jedi Knights
No More Lies - Michel'le
Lose Control - Missy Elliott feat. Ciara and Fatman Scoop
Fuck the Pain Away - Peaches
Comfortably Numb - Scissor Sisters
Sunglasses At Night - Tiga & Zyntherius
Electronic Warfare (Take Control mix) - Underground Resistance
Influential Records
1. Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk
2. I Feel Love - Donna Summer
3. Autobahn - Kraftwerk
4. Computer Games - Yellow Magic Orchestra
5. Numbers - Kraftwerk
6. Alleys of Your Mind - Cybotron
