Dancing Astronaut presents The 50 Best Songs of 2010: 21-30

Dancing Astronaut presents The 50 Best Songs of 2010: 21-301

Here it is! As the days count down to the new year, we get one step closer to finding out the bes

t track of 2010 on Dancing Astronaut. Sifting through the multitudinous assortment of hits from this year has not been an easy task, but these are the tracks that made it to spots 21-30. These singles are referred to in our vernacular as bangers, anthems, massive, and even some treasures, but popular nomenclature calls them what they really are: huge, huge hits. Enjoy the list, and don’t forget to check out 31-40 and 41-50 if you missed them!

21. Calvin Harris – You Used To Hold Me (Laidback Luke Remix)

I can’t believe this track came out this year – it’s been on every playlist for so long that by now it feels like a classic (it was released in February.) Following up on the success of his first album – I Created Disco in 2007 – the Scottish mastermind took a track from his newest, Ready For The Weekend, and gave us what was easily one of this year’s biggest hits. No new albums in 2010 definitely does not mean it was a slow year for Mr. Harris. Apart from massive touring playing with artists such as Afrojack, Tiesto, and Major Lazer, he released his L.E.D. Festival mix in July through Mixmag. He was also embroiled in controversy in October when it became apparent that Chris Brown had ripped off his hit single “I’m Not Alone” for Brown’s “Yeah 3x.” No need to worry, though: “I’m Not Alone” won Harris the Best Progressive House Track of the Year for 2010 on Beatport and he made his first appearance on DJ Mag’s Top 100 at #94. “You Used To Hold Me” itself climbed all the way to #4 on the UK Dance Chart, so you can tell that it’s quality.

22. Tiesto ft. Diplo – C’Mon (Original Mix)

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone to see either of these artists or this song on here. Tiesto and Diplo have two very different styles of music, but somehow they were able to come together to create a huge electro track that’s been tearing up the charts all year. This single has been played anywhere from festivals to dancefloors to sporting events here in the US to pump up the energy. And why not? Tiesto was voted in as the #3 DJ in the world this year by DJ Mag (though Diplo was, oddly enough, snubbed by the chart.) Needless to say, this collaboration has left us all hungry for the prospect of more team efforts between the two legendary artists.

23. Afrojack & David Guetta – Louder Than Words (Original Mix)

This is how you can tell it’s been a great year in House – Afrojack and Guetta’s hit collaboration is only clocking in at 23 in this year’s top 50 chart. For reference, Guetta made it to #2 on DJ Mag’s Top 100 and Afrojack stormed the chart by landing in spot #19 as a new entry. Asked about their collaboration on Louder Than Words, Guetta remarked “For me, the most exciting artist right now is Afrojack. He’s a fantastic producer, he has a sound that’s his sound — and he’s so young. I’m like, ‘What’s going to happen in 10 years, man?’ ” That’s a damn good question – hopefully over the next 10 years we’ll witness Afrojack continuing to reinvent himself as a house artist like he did this year, moving between his ‘boop boop’ sound and other experimental styles that have earned him a whole slew of singles and top tracks for the year.

24. Uffie feat. Pharrell – ADD SUV (Armand Van Helden Vocal Remix)

You have heard this song by now. Probably numerous times. Probably from all directions, all types of music outlets, in all formats. Uffie’s ADD SUV was a major hit when it came out, debuting in top spots across UK, France, and Luxembourg’s music charts and at #1 on The Hype Machine. Armand van Helden, who also had a huge year, sexified this song further with his amazing vocal remix. I’m still really at a loss for words with this track, but I guess the song says it all itself: Banger.

25. Tristan Garner & Gregori Klosman – Fuckin’ Down (Original Version)

This song was huge when it came out in March and it remains huge today. For reference, it’s been included in two of our podcasts, featured in spot #1 from Episode 13. This has not been a slow year for Tristan Garner; the French DJ came out with other huge hits such as “Fallin” (with a great dub mix) and remixes of Nadia Ali’s “Rapture” and Max Vangeli’s “Look Into Your Heart” that turned a lot of heads. Klosman himself has been busy cranking out singles such as “Freak,” “Space Banana,” and of course “Mutfakta,” his huge collaboration with Chuckie. It’s no wonder these two talented DJs share a top spot in our countdown of 2010 with their joint release.

26. Martin Solveig & Dragonette – Hello (Original Mix)

If anything, Solveig should win the award for longevity in the genre. His first single, “Satisfied,” was in 1996. That makes him almost a dinosaur in the fast-pace and quick-moving world of House. Since then, he’s had on average one or two singles a year – for 14 consecutive years. “Hello,” his newest gift to all EDM lovers, even came packaged with an awesome video, featuring a tennis match for the ages between Solveig and Bob Sinclar, and with a cameo from the greatest tennis player to ever live, Novak Djokovic. If you missed it, Solveig also now has his own mini-series, Smash, chronicling the tumultuous trials of the start DJ/tennis pro. And yes, if you’re still not convinced that “Hello” was one of the best tracks of 2010, let me qualify it by adding that it helped Solveig land spot #55 on the all-mighty DJ Mag Top 100 that I keep invoking.

27. Wolfgang Gartner & Deadmau5 – Animal Rights (Original Mix)

The jury is still out on whether Wolfgang Gartner is the greatest or second-greatest Wolfgang in the history of music (apparently some Austrian guy named Mozart who relies too heavily on keyboard drops is challenging him.) Regardless, “Animal Rights” made a huge splash when it dropped (as did the subsequent Kids At The Bar Edit.) Gartner, who debuted at #70 on the DJ Mag Top 100, has had a huge year on his own with other huge singles (some of which may or may not be yet to come on this list). His collaboration with Deadmau5, however, really showcases both artists at the height of their creative powers.

28. Miike Snow – Silvia (Sebastian Ingrosso & Dirty South Remix)

Were you aware that there is nobody in the group Miike Snow named Mike (or Snow)? Anyway, the Swedish group released Silvia this year to critical acclaim, as it made its way all the way up to #16 on the UK Dance Chart. With a little help from Ingrosso and Dirty South – you remember, they made that little single “How Soon Is Now?”, which paved the way for the formation of Swedish House Mafia – this track became an instant classic.

29. Afrojack – Pacha On Acid (Original Mix)

Yes, we do have another Afrojack song on the list. And something tells me that this won’t be the last. As Calvin Harris told MTV news this year: “Afrojack is really killing it at the moment — any number of his tunes can be a huge tune.” In China this may be the Year of the Tiger, but here at Dancing Astronaut this is definitely the Year of Dirty Dutch, with Afrojack leading the way.

30. Deadmau5 – Some Chords (Original Mix)

I’ve got a feeling this won’t be the last time you see Deadmau5 on this list either. A quick refresher on the year in Deadmau5’s world: he was named the most influential, relevant, and forward-thinking artist (aka the best DJ) of 2010 by Beatport Music Awards, earned the #4 spot in DJ Mag’s Top 100, and released his huge new album, 4×4=12, which was leaking more over the past year than a sinking ship. Here’s one of the biggest singles off of that album, which should hopefully be a part of your arsenal by now. Wobble wobble wobble.

Nik’s Top 50 Snubs:

Following Senthil’s lead, I need to mention a couple more huge releases this year that should have been featured on this list. Developing a carefully prepared top-50 list is a delicate feat, but one that often leaves certain notable entries without any recognition. Two tracks stand out in my mind when it comes to unforgivable snubs from the top 50:

Hagenaar & Albrecht – Won’t Let You Down

You remember that scene in E.T. when he and Elliott fly a bike through the sky? I don’t because I never saw the movie, but it was named one of the most magical moments in cinema. If there were a house version of that scene, it would be this song. I would venture a guess that if Shakespeare were alive today he would slap himself for failing to write something this good. Rumor also has it that an early leak of this song singlehandedly ended the 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka. Leaving it off the top-50 list is like calling David Copperfield’s magic simply ‘tricks’ – the man performs illusions; tricks are something a whore does for money. And this song is too damn good to be left out.

Mark Ronson and the Business INTL – Bang Bang Bang (The Count & Sinden Tribal Horn Remix)

This song made it onto Rolling Stone’s “50 Best Songs of 2010” list too – at number 12. It was the only house song to even make the list. Just listen to this track – how could it not be a top 50 song? I could watch Schindler’s List, The Green Mile, Life Is Beautiful, and The Notebook (nah) all back to back, then turn this song on and feel like I’m on top of the world. That’s just how good it is.

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