What is it about Italian producer/DJ Benny Benassi? He's one of those dance music producers that has had a slow-build of a career, but once he got on, he stayed on. We're talking doing a number of smaller productions in the late-'80s through the 1990s before catching a break with 2002's "Satisfaction." Say all you want about these producers who come out the box swinging, but it takes a proper kind of dedication to have moderate success for years before really getting your shine on. And the best part about Benny Benassi's career is that once "Satisfaction" took off, he kept churning away, knocking out five albums and collaborating with more mainstream acts like Kelis, Chris Brown, and T-Pain while knocking out official remixes for Bob Marley, Estelle, OutKast, Moby, Kid Cudi, and many others. Take a look back at some of Benny Benassi's essential cuts.
KMC ft. Dhany - "I Feel So Fine"
Label: Vocal Bizz
Year: 2002
While "Satisfaction" was the obvious breakout single, "I Feel So Fine" (which was produced and arranged by Benny along with his cousin Alle Benassi, who has been his longtime production partner) is a monster, built around euphoric vocals and trance-inducing house. Solid vocal banger.
Benny Benassi Presents The Biz - "Satisfaction"
Label: D:vision
Year: 2002
Infectious electro house. Driven by male and female robotic voices and an unforgettable melody, "Satisfaction" has gone gold in the U.S., Belgium, France, and Australia, and been remixed by everyone from Dada Life to RL Grime. There's no way that something this intense could have done anything but been a major hit.
Public Enemy vs. Benny Benassi - "Bring The Noise (Remix)"
Label: Ultra
Year: 2008
Benny's done a number of "versus" projects, updating throwback songs from a number of genres into the sound of the day. Dipping into Public Enemy's most important album, Benny adds his club-rocking sound to their huge single "Bring the Noise," making his melodies noisy enough to feel like Chuck D was actually talking to the raver massive.
Benassi vs. Bowie - "DJ"
Label: D:vision
Year: 2008
Back in 1979, David Bowie was crafting cynical commentary on the cult-like following of DJs, which in 2008 was coming full circle. Of course Benny Benassi took this idea and tweaked its catchy hook and guitar into a fierce electro house number. It retains its catchy nature, but just tweaks it for today's crowd.
Benny Benassi vs. Iggy Pop - "Electro Sixteen"
Label: D:vision
Year: 2010
"Sixteen" was the only track written solely by Iggy Pop on his Lust for Life album, and you'd immediately think that its harder rock edge wouldn't work with an electro house spin, but it fits surprisingly well. We imagine there have been a few 16-year-olds caught up in this track on the dancefloor.
Benny Benassi - "House Music"
Label: Ultra
Year: 2010
This track does what it says on the tin. You want house music? You've got it. There's not much in the "fucking around" department on this one; just in your face bass and bleeps. Super catchy regardless.
Chris Brown ft. Benny Benassi - "Beautiful People"
Label: Juve / Ultra
Year: 2011
Could this track have been made for anyone else? Possibly. We're not sure why Chris Brown needed to auto-tune his vocals, either. Still and all, "Beautiful People" is an inspirational track, steeped in uptempo beats and pop-friendly melodies. Songs like "Beautiful People" show how EDM can permeate into mainstream charts.
Benny Benassi ft. Gary Go - "Cinema"
Label: Ultra
Year: 2011
Many know this song for Skrillex's Grammy Award-winning remix, but don't get it twisted: the original sat in the iTunes Top Dance Charts for six months. It has "pop" written all over it, thanks to Gary Go's lyrics and delivery, but also has enough bite to keep the clubs raging.
Bob Marley - "Jammin' (Benny Benassi Remix)"
Label: Island Def Jam
Year: 2012
Bob Marley in an electro house vibe? Shouldn't work, and usually it hasn't. Benny's got something about him where he can transform any track, including a classic reggae tune, into whatever he wants. This one goes from quality electro house into a dub-wise breakdown with the bat of a lash. Great example of the universal power of music.
THE 10 BEST REMIXES OF BOB MARLEY SONGS THAT AREN'T ON LEGEND REMIXED
Benny Benassi ft. John Legend - "Dance the Pain Away"
Label: Ultra
Year: 2013
This is Benny's latest single, and another it's winner. John Legend's no stranger to dance music, but this one just feels like the perfect match. John doesn't hold back, delivering a powerful vocal while Benny doesn't skimp on the current sound of EDM. It's one of those tracks that, again, shows the power (and pop fortitude) of EDM in today's mainstream music scene. This is the sound of pop.
