1 – Front 242 – HeadHunter (5114/59/100)
Released in 1988 on the album Front By Front, in two versions (Version 1.0 and Version 3.0). Version 1.0 was then released as a single, with Version 2.0 as one of the b-sides. The song was a major hit in the electronic and industrial music scenes, and Front By Front subsequently became the top selling album in the history of Wax Trax! Records.
Headhunter is the shark of the industrial/ebm genre. It can (and has) been remixed a million times, but seriously this song can’t be improved upon. Any of these top 5 could be in the number one spot, but I think Headhunter was the pivot point that represents what the scene was to become, for better or worse. Most of all it just kicks severe, severe ass. – Matt Fanale, Caustic
We had this on a 7†jukebox in the late 80′s and I would make a serious effort to make sure this came on before I broke the rack in a game of billiards. Hard to dance to with a mini skirt in tanker boots but damn I tried (for a boy that is). I can still recall the rancid smell of cigs burning on the video game consoles. – DeVico, COMA Music Magazine Contributor
The quintessential EBM song, it’s such genius that it always works, it always sounds great, you always like it, no matter if it’s the original, or one of the many remixes or covers out there. When you produce such a song, you deserve the top. – Davide Mazza – Blank
Razor sharp and bitterly cold, calculated beats pounding relentlessly while dissecting lyrics cut straight to the point. jean-luc is a good friend and to this day the best vocalist because he placed the right words in exactly the right music. pure, unadulterated genius. – Ged Denton, C-Tec/Crisis NTI
Seriously, was there any doubt Front 242 would be at, or at the very least near, the top of this list? Off all the tracks on this list, there are few that invoke such memories. When I was young, in high school and not to busy trying to be cool, this was one of the few songs I would actually dance to! If that’s not a testament to this tracks greatness, I don’t know what is. – William Dashiell Hammett, Senior Editor COMA Music Magazine
