The 50 Greatest Vocoder Songs

Not all robotic vocals are created equal! Our expert sets the record straight on which vocoder records are best.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The vocoder was invented to improve telecommunications in the 1930s and re-purposed by the military to mask speech among officials during World War II. By the 1980s, artists like Afrika Bambaataa and Zapp began using it as a musical instrument. The sound caught on and has remained one of the most influential movements in music to this day, although Auto-Tune (not included on the list), has mostly replaced it. Writer Dave Tompkins is somewhat of a vocoder historian; the legendary music journalist wrote a book this year, How To Wreck A Nice Beach, chronicling the machine's history. (The book includes a chapter on Talkbox, vocoder's funkier twin sister, which explains its inclusion on parts of the list.) Musicians have been trying to sound like robots for years, and this Tompkins-curated list of The 50 Greatest Vocoder Songs is the ultimate guide to the machine's best moments. Click on to get started...

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#50. Snoop Dogg "Sexual Eruption"

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#49. Imogen Heap "Hide And Seek"

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#48. Neil Young "Transformer Man"

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#47. Mogwai "Hunted By A Freak"

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#46. Black Sabbath "Planet Caravan"

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#45. Phil Collins "In The Air Tonight"

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#44. Above The Law "Black Superman"

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#43. Jackson 5 "Different Kind of Lady"

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#42. Guy "Teddy's Jam II"

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#41. J. Dilla f/ Common "E=MC2 (Instrumental)"

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#40. Holger Czukay "Ode To Perfume"

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#39. Jodeci "Feenin'"

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#38. Daft Punk "Robot Rock"

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#37. Beastie Boys "Intergalactic"

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#36. Anthony Rother "Biomechanik"

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#35. LCD Soundsystem "V "

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#34. Casco "Cybernetic Love (Instrumental)"

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#33. Mantronix "Needle to the Groove"

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#32. Pretty Tony "Jam The Box"

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#31. Bruce Haack & Russell "Rush" Simmons "Party Machine"

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#30. Mac Dre f/ Mac Mall & E-40 "Dredio"

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#29. Rockets "On The Road Again (Tom Moulton Mix)"

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#28. The B.B.&Q. Band "Imagination"

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#27. Big Boi "Shutterbugg"

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#26. Mtume "Hips"

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#25. Maggotron "Radio Mars"

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#24. M.C. A.D.E. "How Much Can You Take"

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#23. Doug E. Fresh "Nuthin'"

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#22. Dayton "Sound of Music (European Mix) "

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#21. Tom Tom Club "Spooks (Instrumental) "

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#20. Kano "I'm Ready"

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#19. DJ Battlecat "DJ-N-Effect (Cuts & Drums Version) "

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#18. Dynamix II "Just Give the DJ A Break "

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#17. Laurie Anderson "O Superman"

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#16. Satellite "You Can Drive My Spaceship (Disco Tom Edit)"

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#15. Jimmy Lewis & The L.A. Street Band "Street Freeks (Instrumental)"

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#14. Slum Village "Get Dis Money (Instrumental) "

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#13. New Order "Ecstasy"

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#12. B+ "B Beat Classic"

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#11. Whodini "It's All In Mr. Magic's Wand (Instrumental)"

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#10. 2Pac f/ Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman "California Love"

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#9. Egyptian Lover "My House (On The Nile)"

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#8. Jonzun Crew "We Are The Jonzun Crew (Disconet Edit) "

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#7. Zapp "TIE: More Bounce To The Ounce/ Computer Love "

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#6. Stevie Wonder "Sesame Street Theme "

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#5. Midnight Star "Freak-a-Zoid"

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#4. Kraftwerk "Computer World"

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#3. Bell Telephone Laboratory "Voice of Power"

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#2. Afrika Bambaataa "Voice of the Funk Overlord"

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#1. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five "Scorpio"

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