At the start of this year penned a Mixmag column titled, celebrating songs that raise spirits on the dancefloor with glorious choral turns and simultaneously hitting out at the detractors.It got us thinking about all the massive vocal house bangers out there and we quickly concluded that vocal house is one of the most powerful energies in the universe. There’s few experiences quite like getting swept up in the collective ecstasy of belting out lyrics that ascend with supernatural force above a backdrop of spine-tingling production. And so we decided to compile a selection of the greatest vocal house songs ever and inject a fat measure of joy into the life of anyone who comes across it.Vocal house isn't a defined genre as such so when making our picks we set out some boundaries.
All tracks must feature an original vocal or be an official remix of a house track with an original vocal. House tracks with only vocal samples don't count (although we'd like to extend an honourable mention here to for providing the vocal for about a million house tracks over the years). And we’re looking for proper, strapping vocals with verses and choruses rather than short refrains, ruling out the likes of.So now you're up to speed, enjoy the list below. It took over two years for the true crossover success of ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’ to infiltrate the mainstream, but it deservedly got there in the end.
Jan 09, 2012 Patt (Party All the Time). Sharam (Artist) Format: Audio CD. 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 rating. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. Price New from Used from Vinyl, Single, February 24, 2009 'Please retry'. 'Party All the Time' is a 1985 single by comedian and actor Eddie Murphy, written and produced by Rick James.It was the lead single from Murphy's debut musical album How Could It Be.The single was recorded at James' home studio in Buffalo, New York.It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, behind 'Say You, Say Me' by Lionel Richie. Rick James also provided.
Peaking at Number 76 upon its first release on Production House Records in 1992, a reissue of the hardcore-informed house anthem in November 1994 saw its popularity grow exponentially. It entered the chart at Number 3, before securing and holding the Number 1 spot for the following fortnight. It’s the kind of track that’s tailor-made for life-affirming moments like the shutters opening in Panorama Bar. Naturally it landed a coveted place on our '100 Greatest Dance Singles Of All Time' list in 1996, and the accompanying description said it all: A sneaky paen to disguised as a love song - perhaps the most commercial tune that the hardcore scene ever produced. Massive pianos, crunching breaks and a rave-along chorus meant its appeal spread wider than white gloved Vicks sniffers. Co-written with and Lem Springsteen and produced by Louie Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez, ‘Beautiful People’ is a wonderfully crafted track.
The fleet-fingered organ line and snares that hit like hand claps give it a rapturous gospel feel, packing the production full of soul. And Barabara Tucker takes this feeling to another level with her peerless vocal turn. She’s one of the most deified voices in house music and ‘Beautiful People’ is a shining example as to why.
Despite two legends on production, Tucker’s triumphant vocal is the star of the show. “When will we stop hurting and learn to love one another?” she belts out with moving emotional energy. Preach it, Barbs. Way before Bicep turned Dominica’s ‘Gotta Let You Go’ into 2015’s most rinsed track of the year, 20 years earlier the original cut was a certified club smash.
Its appeal is easy to see as well. It manages to blend slightly cheesy pop sensibility with a weighty kick and a dancefloor attitude. All this fire packed into one track is one thing but that’s before we’ve even go to the reason for the song’s inclusion in this list, the vocal. Dominica croons about having to break things off with her man.
She doesn’t want anymore sleepless nights and she needs someone to treat her right. She just wants someone to show her love and to be there for her, she’s not going to have heart broken anymore. This is the ultimate empowerment anthem and it’s an absolute blinder. Dominica, we hope you found your man because this track has found its way into the hearts of millions. Matthew Herbert has made all manner of weird and wonderful music in his time.
There was the ‘Bodily Functions’ album featuring an array of samples of noises from the body, the, and ‘One Pig’ which sampled the life of a pig, from birth to slaughter to consumption. ‘I Hadn’t Known (I Only Heard)’, a collaboration with American vocalist Dani Siciliano, is one of his more straightforward record, but also one of his best.
It’s seductive like a light breeze on a midsummer’s evening, or tracing your finger’s along freshly shaven skin. Pleasant with subtle hints of exhilaration.
The funk of that bassline kicking in a few seconds into this Kings of Tomorrow classic has been a guaranteed route to instantly whip a dancefloor into raptures since its release at the turn of the millennium. Julie McKnight’s voice carries over the track with assured power, elevating it to another realm of brilliant. The rapid-fire kicks segueing into the chorus where she really lets loose with her range is enough to get a dancefloor of thousands all clutching their chests and miming a passionate. Amazingly, ‘Lady (Hear Me Tonight)’ was only the song young French duo Modjo wrote together in the early 00s. It’s the kind of gold many artists strive their whole career to try and achieve, and there’s even plenty of legends out there who haven’t made anything so infectiously upbeat. The video depicts three teenagers with a special bond. They’re friends, perhaps lovers, involved in a love-friendship triangle that appears devoid of any insecurity or jealousy.
It’s a nice metaphor for this song’s ability to unify crowds into carefree collective bliss, with a chorus that rolls off the tongue sublimely. Originally released in 1990 by Champion Records, its success didn’t peak until '92 when it got the remix treatment from Swedish producers StoneBridge and Nick Nice.
The re-release took the mainstream charts by storm reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 6 in the UK Singles Chart. Most importantly, in both 1996 and it made its way onto two of Mixmag's 'Greatest Tracks' lists. The combination of soaring vocals and a magnificent synth line creates non-stop euphoria across its full run-time.
This track deserves to be shown all the love you can give. When it comes to sampling a Chaka Khan track, you’d expect most producers to plump for the Queen of Funk’s belting voice to enliven their track.
But using just a 2 second loop from the intro of Chaka Khan’s 1981 album cut ‘Fate’, Thomas Bangalter and Alan Braxe made a serotonin-soaked foundation to combine with Benjamin Diamond’s original vocal and create one of the most euphoric tracks of all time, kickstarting the French touch movement in the process. “I feel so good” sings Diamond, and countless listens down the line is bliss every time.
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