Ahead of their Classics Only Tour, Gabriel & Dresden were asked to pick their favorite 15 classic tracks, one per year. Here are there choices:
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When we were asked to do this piece about one classic per year, we thought it would be pretty simple. But then, going back and listening to so much music to compile this list, we realized what a task we had before us. Over the last 15 years of dance music we’ve amassed tens of thousands of songs, a small percentage of the millions created. Narrowing our collection down to one per year was a next to impossible task. 
We asked ourselves these questions during the process: What were the biggest songs in our DJ sets? What still sounds great today? What songs helped inspire the music we made? What are some of our crowning achievements as producers and remixers?
So, without further adieu, here’s our list of the best tracks from the last 15 years!
2000: Joshua Ryan – Pistolwhip (James Holden Remix)
This track helped set the blueprint for our earliest records. It’s one of the songs we bonded over in the early days.
2001: Josh Gabriel “Wave 3”
“Wave 3” is the record that brought us together.
2002: Utah Saints – Lost Vagueness (Oliver Leib Remix)
This is just an unbelievably well-produced dance track. It’s a creatively pitched sample from a Pretenders song and analog synths that swirl and resonate in all the right ways. Still sounds fresh as fuck today.
2003: Motorcycle – As The Rush Comes (Gabriel & Dresden’s Sweeping Strings Mix)
ATRC defined the sound of trance for one summer and still lives on today in the hearts of millions. Honorable mention: Holden & Thompson “Nothing” (James Holden’s ’93 Returning Mix)
2004: Above & Beyond – No One on Earth (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
The spiritual follow-up to “As The Rush Comes” helped keep the G&D trance sound alive again for another year. Honorable mention: Michael Burns “Forwards” because it inspired the next track on this list.
2005: Gabriel & Dresden “Arcadia”
We wanted to return to a funkier, housier sound to start our Organized Nature label and this record truly defined 2005 for so many different DJs. Honorable mention: The Killers “Mr. Brightside” (Thin White Duke Remix)
2006: Solee’ “Impressed”
A solid techno track that still rocks the floor nine years later.
2007: Deadmau5 – “Not Exactly”
A well-produced nine-minute journey of a song that needs no words to pull at your heartstrings.
2008: Pryda – “Muranyi”
It’s Eric Prydz doing what he does best: making emotional progressive house with great synth sounds.
2009: Deadmau5 – “Arguru”
Arguably Joel’s finest moment as a producer.
2010: Francis Preve & Wolfgang Gartner – “Yin”
A genre-bending meld of techno, progressive house and great production that still to this day rips the club apart when played.
2011: Fedde Le Grand – “Control Room”
Of all the records we played during our EDM festival era this was the best one. If you are curious about this era of G&D there’s a compilation on iTunes called “Mixed for Feet, Vol 1” that we released.
2012: M83 – “Midnight City” (Eric Prydz Private Remix)
Pretty much a perfect remix to an already great track. Another fantastic job from Prydz.
2013: Mat Zo feat Linnea Schossow “The Sky”
When the creativity and boundary-pushing of EDM was starting to slow down, Mat Zo took the baton and made something unique and fresh that stood out the entire year.
2014: Daniel Avery – “Naive Response”
This track has everything you need to totally rock a dance floor.
2015: Jonas Rathsman – “Wolfsbane”
A record that so far defines the sound of 2015.
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Gabriel and Dresden are currently on the road this summer as part of their “Classics Only” Tour, where they’ll be spinning all venues open-to-close playing only G&D originals and remixes. Make sure to catch this once-in-a-lifetime event at one of the stops below.
5/16 – Whiskey Bar – Portland, OR
5/30 – Avalon – Los Angeles, CA
6/06 – Monarch Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
6/26 – Ten Nightclub – Newport Beach, CA
6/27 – Kingdom – Austin, TX
7/2 – Bespoke – Calgary, AB
7/3 – The Mod Club – Toronto, ON
7/4 – The Mid – Chicago, IL
7/10 – Ruby Skye -San Francisco, CA
7/11 – Foundation – Seattle, WA
7/24 – Cielo – New York, NY
7/25 – Stereo Live – Houston, TX
7/31 – Opera – Atlanta, GA
8/1 – LeVu – Dallas, TX
