It is now the end of 2019, which means the decade is coming to an end. It’s been a while since we got any new content or activity from Daft Punk but I thought it might be nice to reminisce a bit and put together a list of my top 10 favorite Daft Punk moments of the 2010’s. Without further ado let’s get right into the list!
#10
To start off our list at number 10 we have the 2017 Daft Punk Pop-Up Shop. The Daft Punk Pop-Up Shop was a unique experience for fans who got to attend it. On top of being a Pop-Up Shop, it also acted as a Daft Punk exhibit or museum of sorts, displaying their old helmets and wardrobe as well as many other significant objects and pictures from throughout their career. All of this was a first for Daft Punk. They had never done a Pop-Up Shop before nor had many of these objects or pictures been able to be viewed by the public. It was a treat to be able to view original cells from Daft Punk photoshoots and stand alongside all of the previous Daft Punk helmet iterations. To hype the Pop-Up Shop and their performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards with The Weeknd, the Daft Punk team created snapchat filters that enabled anyone to don a Daft Punk helmet. Furthermore, if you were near Maxfield which was hosting the event, you gained access to even more filters specific to the Pop-Up Shop. While yes everything was very expensive due to their name brand collaborations and signature Daft Punk scarcity and demand, the Pop-Up Shop was a treat for anyone that attended. The Pop-Up Shop was located on the famous Melrose Avenue which is littered with high end shops and stores, yet it was the main attraction during it’s weeklong stay which just goes to show how successful it was.
#9
At number 9 we have Daft Punk’s surprise guest appearance alongside Phoenix at Madison Square Garden in 2010. Phoenix’s Grammy-winning album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix brought mainstream attention to the band in 2009 and 2010. Perhaps their biggest performance ever would come on October 20th, 2010 at Madison Square Garden, one of the most prestigious venues in the world. To anchor their performance, they got fellow Frenchmen Daft Punk to make a surprise guest appearance for the encore. This was significant because it was the first live show they had done since their 2008 Grammy performance with Kanye West. It was also a reunion of Darlin’, the failed Indie rock band which Daft Punk and Phoenix Guitarist, Laurent Brancowitz formed in 1992. After Darlin’ failed, Daft Punk and later Phoenix were born. The two bands remained friends and this on-stage reunion surely must have felt like a huge accomplishment in comparison to their first musical trials in 1992. When Daft Punk appeared after an extended darkened silence, the crowd was ecstatic and nothing showed this better than the numerous crowd videos that emerged from that moment. They two bands mixed together a flurry of songs including; “If I Ever Feel Better”, “Harder Better Faster Stronger”, “Around the World”, “1901”, “Together”, “Rock’n Roll”, and “Human After All.” Daft Punk only spent about 16 minutes on stage but it was quite an extraordinary appearance and that is why it gets number 9 on my list.
#8
At number 8 we have Daft Punk winning Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for “Get Lucky” ft. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. This was Daft Punk’s first ever televised Grammy win, making for some funny antics when they, Pharrell, and Nile Rodgers got on stage only for Daft Punk to stand their silently letting Pharrell do the talking. The always lovable Pharrell got some laughs out of the crowd and even the robots. One thing that a lot of people don’t realize though is that Thomas actually says “thank you” in American Sign Language right after Pharrell repeats the phrase a few times. Overall this was just a really wholesome moment and that’s why it’s the number 8 spot on my list.
#7
At the number 7 spot, we have the release of the Tron: Legacy original soundtrack in 2010. In case you didn’t already know, Tron: Legacy is the sequel to the 1982 cult classic film, Tron. Daft Punk were originally contacted about doing the score for the film in 2007 but they were too busy with their tour to commit to the project. Eventually after the tour ended, they were contacted again and they agreed to do the score. It took Daft Punk a reported 19 straight months of work to finish the score. Tron: Legacy was released on December 17th, 2010 with Daft Punk’s soundtrack album of the same name being released two weeks earlier. The finished product ended up being a 22+ track masterpiece totaling around one hour. Various bonus tracks were available on different platforms but the vanilla soundtrack album was 22 tracks long. A collaboration between Daft Punk and Jay-Z was recorded and was intended to be the track played over the end credits but it was ultimately scrapped because it didn’t quite fit the tone of the film. While the original score and soundtrack album Daft Punk produced was praised for its unique blend of electronic and orchestral elements, the film was not as well received, largely due to its lackluster script. Overall Daft Punk’s involvement with the film was an overwhelming positive one and it gave them more experience working with live instruments and collaborating with others which they would use to their advantage when working on Random Access Memories. Plus they make a cameo in the film and even attended the premiere, both of which made for some awesome photos.
#6
At number 6 we have Daft Punk’s live performance alongside The Weeknd at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. 2017 marked 3 years since Daft Punk’s last live performance so fans were ecstatic to hear that they would be performing once again. I think most people assumed they would be performing “Starboy” but to my surprise they actually did a rendition of “I Feel It Coming.” There was also some vague story elements thrown into the beginning of the performance to tie it to the “Starboy” and “I Feel It Coming” music videos. Warren Fu who painted the Daft Punk portrait in the “Starboy” music video, directed the “I Feel It Coming” music video, and helped with the set design for this performance has said that everything is tied together like a möbius strip in the sense that it has no beginning and no end but it is all connected somehow. After the mysterious intro, The Weeknd broke out into song while Daft Punk got into position behind some decks where they would later throw in some acid-esque screeches that sound like they came straight from a TB-303. It was a delight to see Daft Punk don the black cloaks that had previously only been seen in the painting from the “Starboy” music video. I personally love this performance and that is why it is number 6 on my list.
#5
At number 5 we have Daft Punk winning Record of the Year at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for Get Lucky. Although they had already won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance that night, this award was arguably more prestigious and cemented Get Lucky as the record of the year. And I mean quite literally their Grammy win is cemented on the Grammy Walk of Fame outside the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. While yes, art and music is all subjective, there is just something so validating about a Daft Punk record being publicly crowned the best of the year. This is why it gets number 5 on my list.
#4
The number 4 spot goes to Daft Punk achieving their very first Billboard Hot 100 chart topper with “Starboy.” This may come as a surprise to some fans, considering Daft Punk have had such immense hits like “One More Time” and “Get Lucky”, but “Starboy” was indeed their first chart topper. Released in November 2016 as the lead single to The Weeknd’s new album of the same name, it would not reach number one until the first week of 2017. Daft Punk’s first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart came in 1997 with “Around the World,” making their trip to the #1 spot one of the longest in history at over 19 years. Even though Daft Punk are only featured artists on the track, it is very fulfilling to see them achieve such an honor in the music world.
#3
Squeezing into the number 3 spot, we have Daft Punk’s live Grammy performance alongside Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Stevie Wonder, and many other legendary session musicians. This performance will surely go down as one of the greatest in Grammy history. It’s clear that every performer on stage was having the time of their lives and the good energy was palpable even through the tv. Legendary musicians such as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Steven Tyler, Beyoncé, and more could be seen grooving to the music. One of my favorite parts of the performance was Daft Punk’s big reveal about halfway through, after which they begin to mix in some classic Daft Punk tracks such as “Harder Better Faster Stronger” and “Around the World.” This was undoubtedly the biggest performance of their lives, as about 28 million viewers were watching from home. Needless to say, they did not disappoint and it is a Grammy performance to remember for generations.
#2
At our number 2 spot is the entire release of Random Access Memories in 2013. This was by far Daft Punk’s biggest venture into the mainstream and they went all out to ensure proper care went into the release of their magnum opus, Random Access Memories. Daft Punk signed a one album deal with Columbia Records in order to amplify their advertising ability and to make the album as authentically released as it deserved to be. This included, TV spots, Magazine spreads, radio play, and many in person experiences like airing the full album announcement at Coachella and giving out promotional masks and wristbands. All in all the album release was a worldwide event and it is what got me into Daft Punk. Random Access Memories had begun production in 2008 and it was truly a passion project for Daft Punk. Some longtime fans were disappointed in the album but for many others it was an experience like no other. The feeling of being transported to the Golden Age of Music Recordings and indulging in an audio-engineering masterpiece was truly blissful. The thematic undertones of technology moving towards humanity were also a change in pace for Daft Punk, where their previous album were typically themed around humanity moving towards technology. Over the years I have learned so much about this album and the people involved and it never ceases to amaze me how respected and talented Daft Punk really are in the music world, not to mention the art direction and visual marvels that Daft Arts produced for the album as well. This is why it lands at number 2 on my list.
#1
More or less an extension of the previous entry on the list, Daft Punk’s Grammy win for Album of the Year at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards tops the list as the number 1 Daft Punk moment of the 2010’s. Album of the year is undoubtedly the most prestigious accolade given out at the Grammy Awards and it is something most artists dream of. Daft Punk have been vocal in the past about how sales and awards mean little to them compared to the quality of the music they put out but I think even they longed for this award, especially since Random Access Memories was the epitome of a well thought out and executed album as opposed to many others which are more or less a collection of singles thrown together. The most memorable moment of all was the long hug Daft Punk shared after winning. Two childhood friends who started making music in 1992 at the age of 17, dressed as robots in front of millions of people, hugging it out and clearly savoring the moment they had dreamed of since they were young. Surely viewers who didn’t even know the backstory of Daft Punk could feel the emotion of that hug. Clearly this award meant a lot to them and this is why it deserves the number 1 spot on my list.
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AuthorI am a massive Daft Punk fan and collector. I enjoy researching and writing about their career and I have a bachelor's degree in history. Professional inquiries email me here. Archives
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