House music is a genre that has substituted disco music, and I briefly explain how. Disco music lasted approximately from 1975 to 1987, and was a peculiar kind of dance music destined to nightclubs, where some professionals named “disc-jockeys” (the acronym is DJs) gradually took the place of live musical bands, by playing vinyl records instead of traditional musical instruments. Of course, the records industry started to produce a lot of products destined to nightclub DJs, and new ways of producing those records were adopted, even by acquiring the collaboration of some DJs. The earliest two DJs to work at recording studios were Walter Gibbons, and Tom Moulton. The two professionals were asked to intervene during the mixing of tapes, and performed the earliest “remixes”, sorts of modifications of tracks, for obtaining final products more easily employable at nightclubs. In the USA, disco music fell in a deep crisis, starting from the year 1979. However, pop and rock bands often decided to utilize the studio praxes of disco music, with the purpose of enlarging their audiences, and selling more records. In effect, in the 80’s other musical genres conquered the dance floors of nightclubs. The disco music artists started to name their dance records with different names, among which “soul”, “funky”, “rhythm & blues”, “hip-hop”, “electric boogie”, “breakdance”, and so on. In the meanwhile, a number of nightclub DJs acquired the stardom status, and produced records, almost all of them of white ethnicity. Around the year 1982, in Italy a new way of producing dance music records took place. It was the so-called “Italo-disco”, made of budget productions, sung in a grammatically incorrect English, very melodic, based on synthesizers, and published on small, independent record labels. Italo-disco was successful, even all-over US. Some American nightclub DJs, of black ethnicity, understood that there was a way for them of producing music, that consisted of recording the tapes at home, similarly to the Italian budget productions. When, in the year 1985, a popular nightclub DJ of black ethnicity in Chicago, Mr. Ron Hardy, crazily started to play the described home tapes at work, the crowds welcomed them enthusiastically, and thus house music was born. In summary, true house music was made of budget productions, recorded at home by outsiders, who had not enough of popularity to work for the record industry.
The first global success of house music was “Marrs – pump up the volume” (1987). After that, gradually, house music has become the only genre played at nightclubs. Naturally, the original notion of house music has completely changed. In the 90’s, house music included a lot of commercial pop. A prevalence of bands and record labels was back, and only a small number of nightclub DJs were asked to perform remixes at recording studios. Which reliable sources are indirectly saying that house music is dead? The major musical magazines in the world, that have published peculiar charts named “the top 25 (or top 50) house music records of history”. Are they right or not? In my opinion, they are completely right, even if excessively prudent. Well, house music is still very popular, but the original, true house music, recorded at home by outsiders, doesn’t live anymore at nightclubs. Now, the internet has generated the so-called “bedroom DJs”, such as me, who record unofficial mash-ups, that can’t legally be played at nightclubs. Consequently, I agree that is time to compile something like “the top 25 house music records of history”. The page serves to propose my “top 25”.
How have I selected my house music top charts? Even the most prestigious music magazines never publish in detail the criteria utilized for their “top 25”, or “top 50”. Differently, I briefly explain my criteria:
a) info and memories from the best nightclubs for VIPs, located in Barcelona, Brescia/Desenzano del Garda, Ibiza, London, Madrid, Milan, New York, Paris, Rimini/Riccione/Misano Alta, Rome, and Verona;
b) reaction of the crowds when the tracks were played;
c) the top house music charts of the magazines, above cited;
d) my tastes and preferences, especially in the matter of remixes;
e) tips and suggestions from web sites and blogs dedicated to the same topic;
f) I’ve intentionally omitted the scenes of Chicago and Detroit, except from the House Masters Boyz of Chicago, because the music produced in those cities has ever been thought for restricted groups of peculiar aficionados; the Inner City, from Detroit, deserved a mention, but not a position in the charts.
The 25 best house music tracks of history, selected by Max Look DJ
1) Felix – don’t you want me (original 12”)
2) Grace – not over yet (Brian Transeau mix)
3) Bump – I’m rushing (Martian mix)
4) Clivilles & Cole – a deeper love (Deeper Feeling mix)
5) Snap! – the power (original extended mix)
6) DJ Dado feat. Michelle Weeks – give me love (Antiqua Club mix)
7) Nightcrawlers – push the feeling on (MK’s Deep Dawn mix)
8) Robin S – show me love (extended mix)
9) Freak Power – turn on, tune in, cop out
10) Tori Amos – professional widow (Armand Van Helden remix)
11) Byron Stingily – get up (Mousse T extended mix)
12) Jamiroquai – space cowboy (David Morales classic club remix)
13) Reel 2 Real – raise your hands (Erick More mix)
14) Jam & Spoon – Stella (original mix)
15) Jaydee – plastic dreams (original mix)
16) Baby D – let me be your fantasy (original mix)
17) De’Lacy – hideaway (Deep Dish mix)
18) Everything but the Girl – missing (Todd Terry club mix)
19) Ultra Nat̩ Рfree (Mood II Swing extended vocal)
20) Robert Miles – children (original mix)
21) Guru Josh Project – infinity 2008 (Klaas vocal mix)
22) House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House – house nation
23) St. Germain – Alabama blues (original mix)
24) Spiller feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – groovejet (if this ain’t love) (original mix)
25) T-Empo – Saturday night, Sunday morning (T-Empo mix)
Naturally, the mix of the page contains my “top 25” house music charts. However, the playlist follows a different order, the decreasing amount of BPM per each track, for getting more fluid transitions between them. The length of the mix, of course, is the usual, near to the “ideal” value of 1 hour 19’ and 30”. For that, no song has been played for more than 3-4 minutes.
File name is “the top 25 house music charts of history, according to Max Look DJ (Sept 2026)”, about 1 hour and 23” of the best house music records.
House to the top, the playlist:
Robert Miles – children (original mix)
Baby D – let me be your fantasy (original mix)
St. Germain – Alabama blues (original mix))
Grace – not over yet (Brian Transeau mix)
Jam & Spoon – Stella (original mix)
Jaydee – plastic dreams (original mix)
Guru Josh Project – infinity 2008 (Klaas vocal mix)
Tori Amos – professional widow (Armand Van Helden remix)
Felix – don’t you want me (original 12”)
Byron Stingily – get up (Mousse T extended mix)
Reel 2 Real – raise your hands (Erick More mix)
Ultra Nat̩ Рfree (Mood II Swing extended vocal)
House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House – house nation
Everything but the Girl – missing (Todd Terry club mix)
Nightcrawlers – push the feeling on (MK’s Deep Dawn mix)
Spiller feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – groovejet (if this ain’t love)
De’Lacy – hideaway (Deep Dish mix)
DJ Dado feat. Michelle Weeks – give me love (Antiqua Club mix)
Clivilles & Cole – a deeper love (Deeper Feeling mix)
Robin S – show me love (extended mix)
Freak Power – turn on, tune in, cop out
Jamiroquai – space cowboy (David Morales classic club remix)
Bump – I’m rushing (Martian mix)
T-Empo – Saturday night, Sunday morning (T-Empo mix)
Snap! – the power (original extended mix)
