Top 10 Best Daft Punk Songs of All Time

Get Lucky (2013)

"Get Lucky" was written as a collaboration between Daft Punk, disco pioneer Nile Rodgers, and producer-singer Pharrell Williams. The song brought the sound of '70s disco back to the pop music mainstream. It climbed to number 2 on the U.S. pop music chart. The song earned Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo or Group Performance. At the Grammy Award ceremony, Daft Punk performed "Get Lucky" live with Nile Rodgers, Pharrell Williams, and Stevie Wonder.

It took approximately 18 months to complete the recording of "Get Lucky." Daft Punk presented Nile Rodgers with a demo of the song, and he then recorded a guitar part to fit the recording. Pharrell Williams heard about the project at a party and offered to collaborate. He reportedly said, "If you just want me to play tambourine, I'll do it." He also stated that Daft Punk were perfectionists in recording his vocals, requiring multiple takes and re-recording specific phrases. The song was first publicized through two 15-second advertisements on "Saturday Night Live." The buzz surrounding "Get Lucky" caused it to debut inside the top 20 on the U.S. pop chart, despite Daft Punk never previously reaching the pop Top 40.

"Get Lucky" was released as the first single from the album "Random Access Memories." It was critically acclaimed and climbed to number 1 on the U.S. album chart. In addition, "Random Access Memories" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (2001)

The studio version of Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" was first released in 2001 on the album "Discovery." It included a sample from the song "Cola Bottle Baby" by Edwin Birdsong. The song was a top 25 pop chart hit in the UK and reached number 3 on the U.S. dance chart. In 2007, Daft Punk released a live version of the song on their album "Alive 2007." The live version of the song earned a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. 

Kanye West's 2007 single "Stronger" includes a prominent sample from Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." It went to number 1 on the U.S. pop singles, and Daft Punk performed "Stronger" live with Kanye West at the 2008 Grammy Awards. 

Starboy (2016)

Canadian pop and R&B artist The Weeknd first contacted Daft Punk through mutual friends. They began working together in Paris, France. After hearing a beat that Daft Punk was developing, The Weeknd wrote material that ultimately became "Starboy." Production on the record is a collaboration between Daft Punk, The Weeknd, Doc McKinney of Esthero, and Cirkut. After spending eight weeks at number 2 on the U.S. pop singles chart, "Starboy" finally climbed to number 1. It was the third chart-topper for The Weeknd and the first for Daft Punk. 

The accompanying music video was directed by Grant Singer, who also worked on The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills." It was nominated for Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

One More Time (2000)

"One More Time" was first released in November 2000 in advance of Daft Punk's second studio album. It features an electronically-altered vocal by American singer Romanthony. The song was reportedly completed as early as 1998 and then remained unreleased. It became a critical and commercial success for the duo in the U.S. "Village Voice" listed "One More Time" as the 11th best song of the year, and "Rolling Stone" ultimately listed it at number 33 for the entire decade.

"One More Time" became Daft Punk's third number 1 dance hit in the U.S. and climbed to number 61 on the pop singles chart while breaking into the Top 40 on mainstream pop radio. The album "Discovery" experienced a breakthrough for the duo on the U.S. album chart. It climbed to number 23 and was ultimately certified gold for sales. "One More Time" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording. 

Digital Love (2001)

Featuring a sample from "I Love You More" by jazz keyboardist George Duke, "Digital Love" was released as the third single from Daft Punk's U.S. breakthrough album "Discovery." "Digital Love" is particularly notable for the instrumental solos in the second half of the song. The song includes sounds from the original Wurlitzer piano that features significantly on pop hits by Supertramp. Other vintage synthesizers join in on the fun. 

"Digital Love" was featured in a Gap TV commercial showing the two members of Daft Punk wearing their robot helmets and gloves, as well as Gap denim shirts and jeans. They dance with actress Juliette Lewis. "Digital Love" reached number 14 on the UK pop singles chart and became the duo's fourth top 10 dance hit in the U.S.

Da Funk (1995)

Daft Punk's first significant chart hit was originally released in 1995 and later included on their debut studio album "Homework." It is an instrumental track and it's a classic example of 1990s house music. The Chemical Brothers are credited with kicking off the commercial success of "Da Funk" by including it in their live shows. "Da Funk" hit charts in 1997 and climbed to number 1 on the U.S. dance chart. It earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording. The acclaimed accompanying music video was directed by Spike Jonze.

The album "Homework" was an international success for Daft Punk and brought attention to the French house music scene. It only reached number 150 on the U.S. album chart but was ultimately certified gold for sales. It landed in the Top 10 on the UK album chart.

Around the World (1997)

Released as a single from Daft Punk's first studio album "Homework," "Around the World" hit number 1 on the dance chart and became the duo's first single to break into the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 61. The lyrics consist solely of repetition of the title phrase. The phrase is repeated 144 times in the album version of the song and 80 times in the radio edit. "Around the World" was an international pop success, reaching the Top 10 in multiple countries including the UK. The song earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording.

Technologic (2005)

"Technologic" was released in 2005 as the second single from Daft Punk's studio album "Human After All." In the course of the song, an electronically altered voice gives commands that have to do with technology. They include, "plug it, play it, burn it, rip it, and zip it." The word "it" is repeated 399 times.

The song received attention for its inclusion in an Apple iPod advertisement in the summer of 2005. It was also featured in a number of other TV commercials. "Technologic" climbed to number 1 on the UK dance chart and made a brief appearance on the U.S. Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. The album "Human After All" was noted for a minimalist and improvisational approach to the music. It performed poorly commercially following Daft Punk's breakthrough with "Discovery." "Human After All" peaked at number 98 on the U.S. album chart.

Derezzed (2010)

For Walt Disney's sequel to their 1982 film "Tron," "Tron Legacy," Daft Punk was hired to provide a film score. It was the first such project for the French duo. The score was written as a combination of orchestral and electronic music and features an 85-piece orchestra. Joseph Trapanese, known for wide-ranging work on film scores, arranged and orchestrated the music written by Daft Punk. The duo cited influences including Wendy Carlos, Max Steiner, Bernard Hermann, John Carpenter, and Vangelis, who are all well-known for their work on film soundtracks.

The instrumental track "Derezzed" was released as a single from the "Tron Legacy" soundtrack album. Official remixes by The Glitch Mob and Avicii were also released. "Derezzed" was a number 1 dance hit in the U.S. The soundtrack album reached number 4 on the U.S. album chart.

Lose Yourself To Dance (2013)

"Lose Yourself To Dance" was the second single released from Daft Punk's album "Random Access Memories." The duo visited disco once again and co-wrote the song with Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams. Daft Punk said "Lose Yourself To Dance" was the result of their desire to make dance music with live drummers. They wanted to redefine dance music as something "lighter" and the song was meant to "evoke the sense of being unified and connected on the dance floor."

Pharrell Williams said that when he sang the song he didn't hear '70s disco. Instead, it reminded him the mid-1980s. In addition to his lead vocal, Daft Punk also provided robotic vocals altered with the use of vocoders. "Lose Yourself To Dance" failed to reach the top 100 on the U.S. pop music chart, but it went to number 1 on the dance chart. Although Daft Punk did not create a music video for "Get Lucky," they did put together a promotional clip for "Lose Yourself To Dance."

Sources

"2001 Pazz & Jop: Not Just Your Old Man’s Takeover." Rolling Stone, June 17, 2011. 

Christgau, Robert. "2001 Pazz & Jop: Not Just Your Old Man’s Takeover." The Village Voice, February 4, 2019.

"Daft Punk's Sensational Hit Single 'Get Lucky' Turns 5 Years Old." We Rave You, April 19, 2018. 

Sweat, Zach. "Now Playing: Daft Punk featuring Pharrell — 'Lose Yourself to Dance.'" Void, September 18, 2013.