THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

368-Delerium featuring Sarah McLachlan-Silence.

2000-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 4.21. Silence is Golden.

Delerium was formed by Bill Leeb in 1987 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as a side project. Leeb who was born on September 21st, 1966, in Vienna, Austria, and had moved to Canada with his family at the age of 14. He was a founding member of the Canadian ‘Industrial Electronic’ band ‘Front Line Assembly who have released 16 studio Albums between 1987-2021, and 21 singles. When working as ‘Delerium’ Leeb has either worked with Michael Balch, Rhys Fulber, or Chris Peterson, all three are either current, or former members of Front Line Assembly. Leeb formed Delerium in order to record in different genres including ‘New Age,’ and ‘Ambient.’ As Delerium there have been seven studio Albums released between 1989-2016, and 23 singles, including the re-issued, and remixed ‘Silence’ in 2004, and again in 2008.

‘Silence’ was co-written by Leeb, Fulber, and the songs vocalist Sarah McLachlan, and first appeared as an ‘Ambient’ song in it’s original form on Delerium’s ninth studio Album ‘Karma’ from 1997. The song featured ‘Gregorian Chants’ (think Enigma and Deep Forest) and was very successful in Ireland where it reached Number 1, and in Australia where it made Number 6. The songs vocalist on the original, and the remixes is Sarah McLachlan who was born on January 28th, 1968, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She has released eight solo studio Albums, between 1988-2016, and has sold over 40 million Albums worldwide to date.

In 1999 the first of several ‘Dance’ remixes of the song began to appear. The first was the ‘Sanctuary’ mix by ‘Fade’ which is closer to the original version than subsequent remixes. This was followed by the two ‘Trance’ remixes by ‘Airscape’ and ‘DJ Tiesto,’ (see also best songs 260) which led to the tracks worldwide success. I have chosen to post the Airscape mix, but I feel that the Tiesto version is of equal standing. ‘Airscape’ are a Belgium ‘Trance’ act, with Johan Gielan now only working under that name, but he previously worked as ‘Airscape’ with Sven Maes, and Jos Borremans. ‘Silence’ has received further official remixes, and re-releases in 2004, and again in 2008.

In it’s ‘Dance’ form ‘Silence’ may sound uplifting, but the actual lyrics are anything but. The song is either about depression or illness, with the narrator wanting to die to release their pain, and to see if God will let them into heaven.

‘Heaven holds a sense of wonder, and I wanted to believe that I’d get caught up when the rage in me subsides. In this white wave I am sinking, in this silence I believe.’