10 Songs That Gave Dance Music a Bad Name

We're not saying "pity DAD," but it can be hard goddamn work defending dance music, especially in this day and age. And while we know everyone wants t

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Complex Original

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We're not saying "pity DAD," but it can be hard goddamn work defending dance music, especially in this day and age. And while we know everyone wants to make sure they're getting properly compensated for their work, we can't help but feel like EDM has shot itself in the foot a number of times over the years. Ravers might not care, as they're just looking for tracks to rage to, but there are songs that may have done well for themselves, but end up hurting the perception of the scene overall. Be it ubercheesey bubblegum tracks or songs that crossover to the point where you only associate them with what they're selling, these are songs that help reinforce the stigma that many have for dance music.

Aqua - "Barbie Girl"

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This has been voted as one of the most annoying, worst, and cheesiest songs of all time, and for good reason. The delivery of the vocals are too bright and bubblegum to be taken seriously (don't forget, this is supposed to be social commentary), and are exemplary of the '90s bros who actually fucked with this. Can you believe that this beast hit #7 on the Billboard US Hot 100 in 1997? Of course you can, people were obviously smoking that shit. And no one who still owns a copy of this CD maxi single can live it down. Just burn it and be done with it.

Avicii - "Levels"

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Do we hate "Levels?" Honestly, no. We've even said it's one of Avicii's best original songs. The problem with it is that it's too catchy, and hit at the right/wrong time. EDM's gaining steam, and something like this comes out and is so undeniably "hands in the air," standing on a table huge that everyone and their grandmother is tapping their feet and singing along. "Levels" was inescapable, and no matter how many raves it rocked, it got rinsed out and ended up turning too old too quickly, to the point where it's not the butt of a number of jokes, from fake Random Access Memories leaks to the one track that people who aren't into EDM single out when describing "that EDM shit."

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Rednex - "Cotton Eye Joe"

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It's what happens when you mix anything electronic with country: you get this awful high school dance number.

Basshunter - "All I Ever Wanted"

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Basshunter's "All I Ever Wanted" holds a special place in the Eurodance spectrum, but really? The autotuned vocal, the cheese-beyond-belief lyrics? Tracks like this ring off for the ravers in the club (or at least, it did at one time), but say a friend of your's wants to know what dance music was like. We're hoping you ease them into a song like this, and not bash them over the head with this block of gouda early on.

Scatman John - "Scatman"

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The late Scatman John (real name John Paul Larkin) was a popular Eurodance artist in the '90s, and this was his biggest hit. While it made a Good Humor commercial (which raised national attention to the song), you really can't help but cringe and think why it would have been a good idea in the first place.

Eiffel 65 - "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"

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This track perfectly describes Eurodance, and even won a Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2001. It used auto-tune back before people even know what it was, with a theme and lyrics that were both nonsensical and picked at random. There's something about that catchy throwback sample that's used, and the infectious melody throughout, but we imagine that once people start really listening to this, they're imagining molly'd up ravers, babbling to themselves in the corner while waiting for the drop.

Skrillex - "First of the Year (Equinox)"

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Again, we don't have a problem with Skrillex, but when those who know fuck all about dubstep want to talk shop and point fingers at a tune that destroyed what the Croydon massive built, they look right at this track. Twisted melodies, aggro bass, and a girl screaming for her life? Paired up with that insane video? There are a plethora of YouTubers who shocked their grandparents by introducing them to dubstep with this track, who then went on to spread that "dubstep is noisy" rumor, right?

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Haddaway - "What Is Love"

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This went from exemplifying that New York nightclub-hopping scene to perfectly describing the douchebags in the club who love to ski and rock muted suits. You know the type. Or maybe you don't; depends on when you were born. In any case, people don't hear this one and get emotional - they hear this and think "you? me? you? me? you? me?," followed by a sigh and an "oh, '90s."

DJ Sammy - "Heaven"

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Are we mad at DJ Sammy getting Do to help cover a Bryan Adams hit from the '80s? Not at all. No, this has more to do with walking through your local arcade (or at the movies) and seeing kids tapping their hearts out to Dance Dance Revolution. Any love we had for this song went out the window while seeing kids (and grown-ass adults) going ham in the Step Zone to this, especially when they start trying to knock out "rave moves," both in gest and in all seriousness. Just, no.

Vengaboys - "We Like to Party"

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We don't care how you feel about Eurodance, if you live in America, the only thing you see when you hear that hideous melody is some young guy dressed like an old man, dancing in a Six Flags commercial. If the track wasn't annoying already, that did it.

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