The 10 best early 90s trance tracks

Trance was still in the early stages of its development at the turn of the 90s, but the signs of a sound that would grow into a global phenomenon that persists 30 years later were clear. The euphoric melodies and pacey BPMs started hitting and haven't quit.

Athough trance never went away, it's been surging in popularity again in recent years. To salute the game-changing genre which has brought many dancefloors to tears (of joys), we've compiled some of the seminal trance tunes from the early days into the list below.

Released in March 1990, Age Of Love's eponmous 'The Age Of Love' was one of the earliest highly popular trance tunes. It helped further the genre and popularised the scene, boasting a historical relevance that's hard to overstate.

Critical Rhythm's ambient fusion of deep house and trance on 'It Could Not Happen' was ahead of its time. The raw beats were the dawn of a new age., providing inspiration for the deep trips that 90s DJs began to favour.

One of the finest tracks in the history of trance, not just the early 90s. This timeless cut will stand in history as an all time great. Like trance, Moby was active in this period and remains a prominent fixture in dance music today; his work as a trance DJ in the early 90s helped his rise.

The opening segment of this old skool trance classic sends a crowd into a frenzy, and the flow thereafter projects an atmosphere bursting with euphoria. A pinnacle of OG trance music.

'Stimme Der Energie' is an interesting example of how seminal dance music has evolved over the decades. Daft Punk wouldn’t be what they are today without early influences like Cosmic Baby, and Cosmic Baby wouldn't produced this track without Kraftwerk - it samples the influential German group's 'The Voice of Energy'.

Jaydee's 'Plastic Dreams' made a major impact on the scene when it was first released by legendary Belgian imprint R&S Records in '92. The slow, low-key intro brings trance/tech sounds to the fore, before the deep groove and soulful organ kicks in. Kick back and lose yourself in the 10 minute run-time.

This classic trance track is from one of Zero Gravity's initial EPs. The motorised groove is emphasised by a swirling lead synth. while the breakbeats and bass pressure combine to provide maximum impact on the dancefloor.

A proper hardcore trance track will create earthquakes in the club. Quench's 'Dreams' was desrvingly nominated for the very first ARIA Award for Best Dance Release in 1995, although it's initial release on Infectious came in '93. This one of the many tracks in the decade that smoothly blended techno and trance.

Named after the beloved spot in Ibiza, 'Café del Mar' contains a distinct melody that even non-trance fans will recognise, simply due to the sheer number of times it’s been remixed. The fluid energy of the track sends shivers down the spine of ravers to this day.

Solar Quest's 'Kirsty Cried' stars a little sprinkle of acid house blended with trance vibes. It was released under Choci's Chewns London-based label. The powerful breaks and cuts present as the tune progresses is what makes this track special.

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