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The annual House Top 1000, a unique four-day radio event in the Netherlands celebrating dance, house and trance music, marked its 15th edition this year. Listeners and fans exclusively compile the list of the 1,000 greatest house tracks of all time, which airs every Easter weekend.
Founded in 1996 by organizer Peter van Leeuwen, the first edition was broadcast on vinyl via popular regional station NRG106.3 in The Hague. “It was quite a job at the time,” said Van Leeuwen. “Stacks of records had to be put in order at the last minute. Finding 1,000 relevant house tracks was also challenging because the genre was still relatively new.”
After a hiatus, the House Top 1000 returned from 2010 to 2017 on Fresh FM, reaching one million listeners during a memorable final broadcast featuring DJ Armin van Buuren. When Fresh FM ceased broadcasting, the event found a new home at Wild FM, available via DAB+ in North Holland and Flevoland. Since 2020, popular online dance station Deep Radio has partnered with Wild FM, expanding the event’s online reach.
Van Leeuwen emphasized the event’s independence. “We broadcast the list exactly as listeners vote it, without commercial concessions,” he said. “Even a niche techno track can air at 3 p.m. It’s what makes this list so special.”
In recent years, the House Top 1000 has featured presentations by prominent DJs including Wessel van Diepen, Armin van Buuren, Robin Albers, DJ Jurgen, Mark van Dale, Michel de Hey, DJ José, Peter van Leeuwen, Gijs Alkemade, Wytske Kenemans, Frank Schildkamp and Erwin van der Bliek.
Countdown tradition
The number-one track on the House Top 1000 is traditionally kept secret until the very last moment. “It simply increases the tension—even among our own team,” van Leeuwen said. “Over the last 10 editions, we’ve had five different number ones, though the top 10 to 15 tracks typically stay popular each year. Jaydee’s ‘Plastic Dreams’ has taken the top spot several times.”
In recent years, Wild FM and Deep Radio have archived many hours of the House Top 1000 on Mixcloud, allowing fans year-round access in anticipation of the next edition.
Mark van Dale, DJ Jurgen, Erwin van der Bliek and Peter van Leeuwen described their involvement as a close group of DJ friends who’ve been doing this since day one, purely out of love for the music and the medium of radio. “Listener feedback has been fantastic,” said van Leeuwen, “and that’s why we continue.”
Wild FM also streamed this year’s event via Twitch, encouraging real-time listener interaction. This year’s broadcast concluded on the evening of Monday, April 21, by revealing the most-voted track: “Don’t You Want Me” by Felix.
