20 Miami anthems
Miami greats
Over the years some of the biggest tunes in dance music history have got their big break during the WMC and Miami Music Week. Here’s our selection of twenty of the greatest Miami anthems
1995
In the mid-90s Miami was all about the New York house scene and ‘The Bomb!’ by Kenny Gonzalez, half of Masters At Work, tore up South Beach and beyond with its bouncing horn.
1996
With its Method Man ‘How High’ sample, Miami was the perfect place to show off TFP’s pumping vibes, leading to a huge early hit for the Boston-born DJ.
1997
Louie Vega of Masters At Work was the first to break ‘Free’ to an unsuspecting audience at WMC that year after receiving an early promo. Incorporating elements of soul and disco into a house template, it remains a defining track of the 90s.
1998
The French house tune’s world domination began with its debut in the Magic City. The lone single from the Bangalter/Braxe/Diamond supergroup became one of the highest-selling tracks of the year.
1999
DJ Rolando’s ‘Knights Of The Jaguar’ with its tropical techno rhythms tapped into the Miami vibes perfectly. So successful, major label Sony put out an unauthorised version. Perhaps the ultimate Miami anthem.
2000
Named in honour of the Miami club (though some say it was to gain as much attention at WMC as possible), the funky house track with the cut-glass vocals of Sophie Ellis Bextor was huge, only Posh Spice keeping it off the No 1 spot.
2001
First dropped on the Space Terrace, Peter Black’s white label remix of the 80s classic didn’t take long to attract the attention of A&R men. A few months on it soared to No 5 in the UK singles chart.
2002
When Tim Deluxe combined these two cuts he not only created a summer masterpiece, but also one of the biggest tracks to ever define the WMC.
2002
These MMW regulars were playing merciless parties at Space, so it seemed like an unlikely pairing when they team up with Talking Heads’ singer David Byrne for this record – But ‘Lazy’ would go on to become their biggest ever hit.
2003
The Brazilian carnival blast of the Italian DJ’s hit single could only ever survive in the warmth of Miami and Ibiza, and from March until the end of the season it ruled the air-waves and shorelines, sending floors crazy again and again.
2004
An eventual UK No 1, ‘Lola’s Theme’ was another track that went on to pretty much own the White Isle. But, once again, it was Miami where the real buzz for its uplifting strings, horns and disco-tinged vocals started.
2005
When Barbara Tucker first took to the stage at WMC to perform ‘Most Precious Love’ it was an obvious standout. Copyright’s Spiritual Club Mix took it even higher.
2006
Slotting neatly into the sets of DJs from trance to techno, Paul Woolford guaranteed that no music fan would escape his aggressively noisy and minimal classic. This ensured it was unlikely to be forgotten once the city shut up shop.
2007
The‘Chromophobia’ album came out in February so ‘Beautiful Life’ and its driving rhythm were already an earworm for many before WMC, but by the time it rolled along the tune was a guaranteed pool party banger for the rest of the summer.
2008
This edit of the Stevie Wonder-featuring soul track gave it a brooding deep house bounce that helped it conquer Miami to become one of the week’s defining anthems, before going on to take over Ibiza.
2009
As so many had before him, Jamie Jones snuck into the hearts of MMW attendees with sunkissed vibes. While the vocal house tune fast became a summer anthem, he had crafted something a little moodier than the usual suspects.
2010
As the last note of the melody began to repeat it was clear this was a nailed-on banger, the success of which was high-lighted in follow-up ‘Miami 2 Ibiza’. It only took the vocals of Pharrell Williams to make it a global hit.
2011
A star was born as one of Miami’s home-grown talents made his name in the city with this track, which had Jamie Jones and Seth Troxler competing to see who’d play it first. With its wild, druggy bassline it’s easy to see why.
2013
Label bosses Claude VonStroke and Justin Martin first played this at the Dirtybird Players BBQ, and before Laidback Luke had chance to drop it during his set at Ultra Music Festival it had already become the anthem of the week.
2015
After a decade of bringing his 24-hour Crosstown Rebels party to Miami, the tech-house shaman’s live project ruled South Beach’s systems with the subtlety of ‘Vermillion’ and its various remixes.
