File under electronica? Three disputed classics

The Prodigy – The Fat Of The Land (1997)

1 Always a difficult band to categorise, The Prodigy’s mainstream crossover success in the late ’90s was driven by the excellent The Fat Of The Land and a string of hit singles (Firestarter, Breathe, Smack My Bitch Up). Released by the eclectic XL label, it’s retrospectively lumped in with big beat, but its fusion of rave and punk/metal influences makes it unique.

Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby (1998)

2 Released in the US via the influential Astralwerks imprint which also released records by the likes of The Chemical Brothers and Air, Norman Cook’s sample-driven second solo album was a surprise hit in both the US and Europe, spawning huge crossover hits like The Rockafeller

Skank, Gangster Tripping and Praise You.

The Crystal Method – Tweekend (2001)

3 As part of the scene surrounding LA label City Of Angels, The Crystal Method was helping keep the faith for a certain strain of US dance music in the ’90s. By the time of their second album, Tweekend, the duo were reflecting heavily on the decline of the rave scene and drawing on rock influences, with select guest appearances from Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello and Stone Temple Pilots’ Scott Weiland.