Levels

Tim Bergling, performing as Avicii, released Levels to mark a turning point in electronic dance music. The track first appeared anonymously on Pete Tong's Essential Mix in December 2010 before Universal Music Group officially issued it as a single on October 28, 2011. This progressive house anthem relies on a driving synth motif and a chord progression that dances around the bassline, anchored by a vocal sample lifted from Etta James' 1962 hit Something's Got a Hold on Me.

The song became the definitive sound of the early 2010s EDM explosion, transforming Bergling from a rising club DJ into a global superstar overnight. Critics praised its ability to bridge the gap between underground club culture and mainstream pop appeal. It is frequently cited in lists of the greatest songs of the 2010s and stands as a landmark track in the history of electronic music. [edit]