Authored by Phil Dotree in Music
Published on 11-22-2009

Techno music has combined unique synthesizers with the dance heavy beats of disco for years. There have been many different styles of techno to emerge, and contrary to popular belief they’re at times starkly different. Here’s a look at a few of the greatest techno songs ever made. All of these are great choices for a techno dance mix, by the way.

1.Michael Mind – Ride Like The Wind – This is a great dance tune that takes the strongest points of techno and combines them with silky smooth singing. Michael Mind knows how to make a song catchy and touching. His phrasing is fairly impeccable. One of the greatest recent techno songs.

2. Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger – Famously sampled by Kanye, this hit can be heard at just about any dance club. It’s on the line between techno and pop. However you classify it, it’s a perfect example of a great dance song. Daft Punk is arguably the most popular techno influenced band in the world.

3. DJ Italian Sensation – Starkiller – A great, sexy beat with incredible bass and good use of a disco influenced melody. Great fun, whether you’re in a club or simply driving down the road.

4. Basshunter – I Can Walk On Water – Basshunter combines heavy use of (sometimes vocoded) vocals with hip, disco influenced beats. This song is a great entrance point for many mainstream music fans looking to get into techno music.

5. Scooter – When I Was Young – This track has intricate arpeggios, a catchy melody, and unusual lyrics for a techno song. Whether or not you dig this techno song will largely depend on how you feel about sped up vocals. If you can get past the effect, it’s a pretty pulse pounding tune from Scooter.

6. DJ Mangoo – Freedom – Mangoo often uses untraditional techno beats and chord changes. This tune pairs those techniques with an almost overbearing synth line. It’s very uplifting, and almost sad at points..

7. Neimer – Two Hearts Together – Modern techno still has enough great tunes to keep the genre alive and kicking. Here’s a great trance techno tune from Neimer, which focuses on unconventional synth voices. It’s almost jarring, but always fun.

8. Daft Punk – One More Time – Yes, another Daft Punk song. This dance tune brought techno to the masses for a huge revival in the early 2000’s. It was their biggest hit of the time, and many feel that it’s one of the best techno songs ever produced.

9. Prodigy – Smack My B*tch Up – You might not dig the title of this song. That’s understandable, but you can’t argue with the awesome effects and cool beats laid out in this techno masterpiece. It’s one of the most popular techno influenced songs of all time. Not only that, but it’s been in scores of movies and television shows.

10. Pendulum – Slam – Techno can rock, as this classic track proves. This is another great entrance point for new techno fans. It features overdriven, heavy synth lines and fun samples throughout. Pendulum makes a lot of very cool, in depth stuff.

What are your favorite techno songs? Post in the comments section below this article.