The 25 Greatest Dance Clubs of All Time

Dance clubs have always formed the culture's backbone. While there are far more than 25 top clubs that deserve mention, Billboard sought to assemble a representative list of the best clubs in the world for our greatest of all time series. 

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Sound quality is crucial in the dance world, and the award-winning Beta more than delivers in that department with a booming 72,000-watt system. Add in its proximity to Red Rocks, an enthusiastic fan base and consistent curation and you’ve got the perfect storm to build a Southwest dance foundation.

Zouk has emerged as dance music's premier club brand in Southeast Asia since opening in 1991 and expanding to Kuala Lumpur in 2004. Its weekly Mambo Jambo parties are a local rite of passage, while its ZoukOut music festival has steadily grown over 15 years, bringing top talent like David Guetta, Tiesto and Richie Hawtin to the city-state.

Miami has no shortage of glitzy and glamorous clubs, but this 25,000-square-foot behemoth takes the cake with its marathon sunrise sets on the terrace.

Designed by renowned Japanese archiect Arata Isozaki, this iconic club (which closed in 1997) played host to Junior Vasquez's epochal Arena party, which brought thousands of weekly clubgoers to his Saturday marathon sets.

Southern Brazil has emerged as a significant stop on house and techno’s international touring circuit in no small part due to these two iconic venues and the vision of owner/partner Renato Ratier. 

During the “Madchester” era of the '80s and '90s, this former Bollywood cinema emerged as a staple in the U.K.’s burgeoning acid house scene.

While Detroit techno came of age in warehouses and underground raves, Motor gave the genre the venue it deserved after opening in 1996. Techno royalty like Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Richie Hawtin were just a few of the noteworthy acts to grace its decks.

A Barcelona institution whose brand has been passed down like a family heirloom, Elrow’s name became synonymous with its famous day parties during its expansion into a global party powerhouse.

As long-time resident Joris Voorn recently told Billboard, Amsterdam’s dance scene is not the same without this cherished venue, which was as much an open-minded art and cultural space as a world-renowned club.

Often credited for the birth of U.K. rave culture, Danny Rampling's Southwark staple exported Balearic beat and acid house from Ibiza to a country hungry for new sounds -- revolutionizing and defining the musical movements of the '90s in the process. While the club closed after three years, Shoom's 25th anniversary party in 2012 sold out in hours and promped the addition of an extra date by popular demand.

No club on earth commands the notoriety of this Berlin institution. While much of the media focus centers on its strict door policy and debauched atmosphere, quality curation in a unique environment sets this otherworldly techno dungeon apart from the rest.

Known for its stylistic variety, open-minded dance floor and revered mix series, this 1600-capacity London staple has evolved into one of the U.K.’s strongest dance brands.

The birthplace of house music catered to the demographics that gave dance music its start -- mostly gay minorities who treated Frankie Knuckles’ sanctum as their church. After FK’s departure, the club continued as Music Box under the watch of young resident Ron Hardy.