Great, unforgettable tracks from the past - part four

A track that has one of the more, if not the most, memorable lines in modern music regardless of genre and a mood that emphasizes those very same lyrics that stick in your head. It was once coined as "there has never been a more powerful expression of emotional and sexual longing in pop music than that at the core of Missing" (Bill Lamb) and we can not argue with that.

Released in 1983 along with a very odd, yet fun video featuring a lot of cows and a wide variety of close-ups of eyes together with the stomp of the synthesizers. A track that some think is all about S&M and sex yet has nothing to do with it, according to vocalist Annie Lennox. Nevertheless, it's one of the 1980s most iconic tracks that have been remixed again and again into new versions by various artists and with various degrees of success. The original is still the best.

Sung entirely in French, the song transcended the language barrier on the music charts and became a huge international success between 1986 and 1988, reaching the top position in more than 10 countries across Europe. There is something about it that sticks in your head, may it be the video made by Bettina Rheims or the vocals by Claudie Fritsch-Mentrop, or its synth-popish groove that is upbeat but at the same time calmed by the vocals.

A track that most likely defined a lot of teenagers growing up in the mid-1990s was this Goa Trance classic. Originally released in 1995 on the Danish record label Smart Records Copenhagen but one year later re-released on Transient Records and there it took off and became the phenomenon that shaped a whole scene and put the group of three Israeli musicians on the global map. Heard in the track is the phrase "Mahadeva, Om Namah Shivaya" which loosely translated means "Mahadeva, O salutations to the auspicious one!" which is a Hindu mantra for Lord Shiva.

The summer of 1986 was never the same when this track first hit the clubs in Chicago, Detroit, and New York and subsequently made its way over to Europe. A track that put Chicago house music on the map and literally exploded into a whole new kind of monster. Although it already had been heard one year earlier on cassette tapes in various clubs around town. This masterpiece by the true godfather of house music, Marshall Jefferson, is a true testament to the house music scene in its early days, and who knew then that 35 years later it is still played in clubs around the world. It is one of those tracks that never fade into obscurity.

This instrumental track features a prominent Hammond organ-style synthesizer melody played in a jazzy, improvised manner. With some versions around ten minutes long, the song is known for giving dancers a good aerobic exercise workout. Released in 1993 on the legendary label R&S Records and the "Long Version" (10:35) is the version to check out if you are interested, also be aware that there have been many re-releases and remixes of it, but stay true and listen to the original for the best experience.

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