The Best Songs That Used a 303

  From Acid House to R&B – here are our picks of tunes that use the Roland TB-303 groovebox for its greatest strengths

“I love Acid for the way it makes me move. I love Acid it's the sound you can't improve” – so go the lyrics to Luke Vibert’s 2003 track I Love Acid, and it's a message that has reverberated with many a raver over the past 40 years.
The Roland TB-303 – or simply the “303” – is the synth that defines the sound of Acid. Designed by Tadao Kikumoto, the 303 was intended to serve as a portable, affordable bass machine for live bands. However, its initial release was met with commercial indifference – only 10,000 units were produced between 1981 and 1984 before Roland pulled the plug. 

But the Roland Corporation’s initial failure was a big win for the world of Dance music. In the years immediately following its discontinuation, the 303 could be picked up pretty cheap in pawn shops and from second-hand music dealers, so it’s no surprise that cash-strapped producers in the US’s fast-growing House music scene picked it up and started experimenting. They soon realised the 303’s quirky architecture presented a previously unavailable sonic palette.

They began to experiment with the synth’s capabilities, twisting knobs and reprogramming sequences to produce a sound that was raw, hypnotic, and undeniably infectious. The result was Acid House – a genre that would come to define club culture for many years.

As the Acid sound quickly moved from underground raves in the US to mainstream clubs across the globe, the once-overlooked TB-303 became the beating heart of countless hit records. 

Today, owning a genuine TB-303 is a luxury, with vintage units often fetching prices north of three grand.

Fortunately, there are plenty of software emulations available – you can read about the best TB-303 Plugins  on the Plugin Boutique blog – so you don’t have to break the bank to get that distinctive Acid sound. In short, Arturia’s Acid V and D16 Group’s Phoscyon 2 are two great places to start.

The sound of the Roland TB-303 has had Dance heads hooked for nearly four decades – its immense influence on the world of music is perhaps best demonstrated by the tracks that have used its distinctive voice. So, this 303 Day, discover some of the best songs that used a 303 from the past 40 years.

 

 

Raga Bhairav by Charanjit Singh, 1982

 

Many people regard the release of Phuture’s 1987 Acid Tracks as the moment Acid House was born. It’s certainly the tune that inspired a generation of producers to adopt the Acid sound, but it’s since emerged that a little-known producer may have been squeezing Acidic sounds out of the 303 as far back as 1982, and as far away from Chicago as India.
Charanjit Singh was a jobbing Bollywood musician who, in 1982, headed into the studio with his Jupiter-8, 808 and 303 to make a record combining the sounds of imported disco with Indian music sensibilities. The result was Ten Ragas To Disco Beat, a collection of Acid-flecked Dance tunes treading the line between Bhangra and House.

The record was a commercial flop, and it wasn’t until 2002 when a record collector picked it up in Delhi, listened to the opening track Raga Bhairav, and realised Singh wrote quite possibly the first Acid House track ever.

 

Rip It Up by Orange Juice, 1982

 

While the TB-303 is most closely associated with Acid House and Dance music, when Roland’s Tadao Kikumoto designed it in 1981, he’d envisioned it as a bass guitar alternative for bands to use in lieu of a bassist.

This is how the Scottish jangle pop group Orange Juice utilised the 303 on their 1982 hit Rip It Up. Listen to the bassline and you’ll hear the unmistakable squelch of the 303 – although you’d be forgiven for thinking you were listening to a bass guitar signal fed through a few effects pedals.

Many cite Rip It Up as the first hit track featuring the 303, but as we all know, it certainly wasn’t the last.

Acid Tracks by Phuture, 1987

Phuture’s 1987 Acid Tracks is the tune that set the framework for the soon-to-be dancefloor phenomenon of Acid House.

All the key elements are there: a head-nodding four-to-the-floor kick, rolling House hi-hats, and – of course – an ever-evolving 303 bassline.

Unfolding over the course of 12 minutes, this bonafide groundbreaker of a track demonstrates the hypnotic power of the 303 to a generation of dancers. 

The sound of Acid House is so familiar to the ear of the modern Dance music fan that it’s hard to imagine how fresh and exciting the looping, squelching, and at times, screaming sound of Roland’s bass box would have sounded to ravers in the late 80s. Oh to be in a club in Chicago in 1987, hearing this groundbreaking classic for the first time.

 

Da Funk by Daft Punk, 1997

Fast forward ten years; Dance music – and Acid House – had become an international sensation, thanks in no small part to French production duo Daft Punk.

The pair’s debut album Homework was released to huge acclaim in 1997. The record’s phenomenal commercial success was spearheaded by its two smash-hit singles Around The World and Da Funk.

Da Funk features one of the most iconic 303 riffs of all time. Daft Punk’s 303 sound is rich and luxurious, bursting into the mix after nearly two and a half minutes of tantalising build up. Ticking along at 111 BPM, Da Funk is a relatively slow track – this gives space for the bassline to breathe, and gives your ears time to appreciate every little slide and squelch.

Da Funk is now considered a seminal track in the history of Dance music, with Rolling Stone ranking it at 23 on their list of the Greatest Dance Songs of All Time.

 

Try Again by Aaliyah, 2000

The TB-303 isn’t confined solely to the realms of House or Techno – it has also made a mark in other genres. 
In the pantheon of great Hip Hop and R&B producers, Timbaland is right up there with the best. Known for his distinctive, sparse drum style, stuttering use of rhythm, and earworm melodies, he defined the sound of artists like Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott in the late 90s and early 00s.
 

His production on Aaliyah’s 2000 track Try Again is a masterclass in blending genres. Here, the TB-303 is used to craft a winding bass line that perfectly complements Timbaland’s signature production style. The juxtaposition of the 303’s Acid sound against Aaliyah’s noughties pop vocals creates a captivating fusion. It’s a testament to the instrument’s versatility that even 20 years after its conception, the TB-303 continued to inspire creativity across musical genres.

I Love Acid by Luke Vibert, 2003

As the track’s title suggests, I Love Acid by British producer Luke Vibert is an ode to the sound of the 303. On this 2003 release, Vibert layers a loose, and laid back breakbeat, over a vocoder treated vocal performance, singing the virtues of the 303, and declaring Vibert’s love for Acid music.

The spacious arrangement of I Love Acid allows the listener to appreciate the expressive, natural sound of the TB-303. The synth really feels like it’s being performed by an instrumentalist rather than being triggered by a sequencer.

 

Emotinium by Roy of the Ravers, 2016

Can a 303 make you cry? If any Acid riff could make you shed a tear or two, it would have to be Roy of the Raver’s gorgeous 2020 track Emotinium.

In this epic ten-minute slow-burner, the 303 fulfills more a lead synth role than a bass sound. Pitched higher than most Acid melody lines, the synth is almost vocal like in its delivery, conveying depths of emotion that one would normally associate with instruments like the guitar or piano.

Roy of the Ravers is a modern day 303 master and, if you want to dig into the present-day sound of Acid, well worth a listen.

 

One Mind by Charlotte de Witte and Amelie Lens, 2025

Acid House is not a relic of the past; it is a living, breathing genre that continues to evolve and inspire new generations of producers.

Charlotte de Witte is considered by many to be the current queen of Acid. The Belgian producer, DJ and label owner uses the 303 liberally in her high-octane Techno tracks.

On her 2025 track One Mind – taken from de Witte’s collaborative EP with fellow Belgian producer Amelie Lens – de Witte showcases how the 303 can be just as cutting-edge as it was way back in 1987. 

Listen to One Mind and bask in the incredible legacy of the Roland TB-303 – it’s a soul-shaking reminder that, no matter how much music evolves, certain sounds remain timeless.

 

Since you’re still here, check out The Best TB-303 Plugins on Plugin Boutique next!