Dance music videos in the 2000's? Casual music fans may be scratching their heads when they read that title, especially if their only exposure to new music is from traditional outlets such as MTV and commercial radio stations, which rarely include club hits on their playlists.

Dance music achieved huge mainstream popularity in American culture in the 1970's with the rise of disco, but major labels homogenized the genre for mass consumption, causing it to lose its edge. The hateful attitude of the "disco sucks" era that followed was kicked off by a Chicago White Sox sponsored Disco Demolition Night in 1979. Critics objected to the perceived sexual promiscuity and illegal drugs associated with club culture and rock fans objected to the idea of music that was focused around electronic drum beats and synthesizers instead of live performers. Many Top 40 radio stations dropped all disco music from their playlists and several music labels folded.

The irony is that in the 1980's dance music resurfaced as more popular than ever in its many forms. Whether it was new wave, electro, freestyle, techno-pop, Hi-NRG or any of the other emerging forms, there seemed to be major label and radio support. House music originated out of Chicago and eventually spread to Europe, where it was infused with mainstream pop and dance music worldwide. The Second Summer of Love was a name given to the period in the U.K. in 1988-1989 when acid house and electronic dance music fueled massive parties and the beginning of the rave era.

The next backlash arrived in the early 1990's. In 1989 MTV launched their first Club MTV Tour, headlined by Milli Vanilli, who were allowed by promoters to lip sync to prerecorded tracks. One night a track skipped while the show was being taped for broadcast, leading to the eventual revealing that their vocals had been recorded by other various studio singers. In the early nineties, Martha Wash successfully sued to receive proper credit and royalties for vocals she had performed on hits by Black Box, Seduction and C+C Music Factory, where the videos for the songs featured models lip syncing to her vocals. Late in 1992, MTV canceled the dance music programs, Street Party and Club MTV with no explanation. Many popular dance artists, who had several videos aired on MTV and VH1, were suddenly unable to get their new videos into rotation. By the mid-1990's, several government attempts were launched to ban large rave events, mostly due to the perceived association with a number of drugs that club-goers used to enhance the dancing experience. Negative stereotypes from the disco-era past were reinforced and still remain to this day.

While dance music continued to thrive in mainstream popular culture in Europe during the 2000's, U.S. commercial radio programmers and major label executives mostly turned a deaf ear. Commercial radio listeners may have only been exposed to club hits by the occasional one-hit wonder or novelty act. However, the high quality of underground dance music continued in the 2000's. With the popularity of new technologies such as Internet file sharing and social networking sites, dance music fans were no longer dependent on traditional outlets to discover new music. With satellite radio, listeners did not have to live in a major market to enjoy dance music in their car. Dance/Electronic artists discovered music licensing through films, advertisements and tv shows as a new way to reach mass audiences and generate income. The 2000's may be seen in history as another "gestation period" for dance music, which will emerge vibrant, youthful and edgy as long as we support the artists.

The following 100 dance music videos of the 2000's are in absolutely no way a comprehensive representation of all the great club hits of the decade. Most club hits did not have music videos, or the video does not feature the dance mix. Also, this is not a critic's list. It's all in fun and there are plenty of cheesy videos on the list. But hopefully the casual pop music fan may be introduced to some of the music they missed, and the card-carrying members of the club community can experience some guilty pleasures and a little nostalgia.

Keep on Jumpin',

TotalMusicJunkie :)

The term "Electroclash" was mostly a media term to describe the movement in music inspired by new wave and electronica in the early part of the decade. Toronto's Peaches was one of the early artists to benefit from the media attention. "Set It Off" was the first single from her album, The Teaches of Peaches, from 2000. As you can see by the video, Peaches can be provocative with sexual themes and gender identity references. She is still going strong with the release of her new album, I Feel Cream, in 2009.

Cool fact: Peaches was once roommates with Feist in Toronto before they both became famous.

Simian Mobile Disco are an English remix/production duo who formed after the band, Simian disbanded in 2005. Their 2007 debut album, Attack Decay Sustain Release, featured the underground hit, "Hustler", with vocals by Char Johnson. The video spoofs the overdone dance music video concept of featuring photogenic female models posing to the beat.

Cool fact: The original concept of Simian Mobile Disco was supposed to be a traveling DJ duet.

British electronic band The Prodigy were one of the most successful artists to emerge out of the techno scene of the early nineties. After many critics had written off The Prodigy as relics from the past, their 2009 fifth studio album, Invaders Must Die, entered the UK chart at #1. The first single, "Omen", became their highest charting UK single since 1996's "Breathe" by peaking at #4. Invaders Must Die is the first album by The Prodigy to feature all three original members since 1997's The Fat of the Land.

Cool fact: The Prodigy's Liam Howlett married Natalie Appleton of All Saints in 2002.

Deep Dish is an Iranian/American DJ/Production duo of Sharam and Dubfire. "Flashdance" was the first single from their 2005 second artist album, The George is On. It became their biggest UK hit to date, peaking on the charts at #3.

Cool fact: Sharam and Dubfire of Deep Dish met in 1991 when they were accidentally double-booked for the same DJ gig.

Gorillaz is a virtual band created by Damian Albarn of the band Blur. "Dare" was the second single from their second album, 2005's Demon Dayz, and their first UK #1 hit. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Cool fact: Gorillaz is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as The Most Successful Virtual Band.