Clubs without music? It's unthinkable, of course, but people rarely take the time to think about all of the decisions that go into what type of music a club plays. Who's big this month? Who's actually going to draw a decent-sized crowd? Who's going to draw a crowd that will buy lots of drinks? A ridiculous amount of time and energy go into the music programming for a top-notch club, all in the hopes that the punters have the time of their lives, the DJs want to come back, and the investors are content. It's a delicate balance—and many should be commended—but here, as voted by the RA users, are ten of the best.

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10. Sub Club, Glasgow

The Sub Club in Glasgow hasn't quite achieved Berghain levels of branding, but it does its own thing pretty damn well. Its musical identity has been built up around the Saturday and Sunday night stalwarts, Subculture and Optimo. Subculture is focused upon the finest in house and techno, featuring a top drawer selection of quality international DJs. Residents Harri and Domenic are no slouches either, the nights they play unassisted sometimes being among the best attended. Optimo take a considerably more eclectic approach—JD Twitch and JG Wilkes hate booking other DJs, the very idea seeming redundant when their sets touch upon the best music from the last six decades. The frequent live acts range in vintage and style from Liquid Liquid to No Age. All in all Sub Club is a Northern outpost for top notch programming.
- Jacob Burns

09. Fuse, Brussels

Those outside of Belgium many only know Fuse for its excellent Fuse Presents… mix series, but there's a reason that the likes of Steve Bug, Joris Voorn, and Adam Beyer have chosen to be a part of the fun. Fuse is renowned for its great soundsystem, underground vibe and peerless programming. Since its opening in 1994, the club has had a steady array of top-tier talent, including Derrick May, Stacey Pullen, Dave Clarke, Steve Bug and more. Couple that with resident DJs Pierre and Deg holding down the fort on off-weekends, and the Fuse experience is one that is rarely forgettable. Just don't forget to bring a couple extra Euro for the bathroom.
- Todd L. Burns

08. Club 11, Amsterdam

Photo credit: Merlijn Hoek

Sure, it just closed this past weekend, but what better way to pay tribute to one of Amsterdam's finest clubs than to acknowledge its dominance in the music/programming arena? Club 11 ended its celebrated four-year run with the types of acts that built its reputation: Francois K, Trentemoller, Carl Craig, Âme, Ricardo Villalobos and many more. As a club/restaurant with a great view and equally as strong soundsystem, there was little like it on the Amsterdam club scene. It's unclear at the moment where the Planet Delsin and Static nights that have anchored the club's schedule might move, but it's impossible to imagine many Dutch clubs will be as forward thinking as this (temporary) oasis in the Amsterdam scene.
- Todd L. Burns

07. Rex Club, Paris

"Wake Up!" That's what Laurent Garnier shouted to a dying Parisian club scene in the early '90s via his residency of the same name at the Rex Club. For more than 16 years now, it hasn't slept much. Garnier's guiding hand has had much to do with the excellent programming for Rex. Now, the converted cinema is an essential stop for any American DJ hitting Europe—and a plum gig for any up-and-coming European DJ. Whether it be house, techno, or drum 'n' bass, Rex is pretty much the place to be in Paris and with a recently announced residency with Heartthrob about to kick off, expect that to be the case for years to come.
- Todd L. Burns

06. Robert-Johnson, Frankfurt

With their 10th anniversary coming up in 2009, Robert Johnson has seen some of the most creative in house and techno furnish the cosy 450-capacity venue. Aside from continuously delivering cutting edge line-ups from labels including Spectral Sound, Minus, Kompakt, Dial and Playhouse, what perhaps makes Robert Johnson most special is the fact that they rarely announce their shows. Instead, the club's website showcases podcasts from upcoming headliners and forces you to actually listen to the music—and decide whether to come out or not. Imagine that. Ata, the man behind Robert Johnson and Playhouse, has been involved in the underground music industry in Frankfurt for around 20 years. The vision for the club is simple, as Danny Schmidt from RJ explains. "Music is the highest common factor and the central heart."
- Lawrence Millar

05. Cielo, New York City

In New York's highly competitive (and highly expensive) club scene, it's nigh-on impossible to stand out from the pack. But over the past five years, Cielo has done just that. It doesn’t hurt that the Funktion One soundsystem sounds great, but the reason that the club does so well is because of the sounds coming out of those speakers. Whether it be Francois K's deliciously varied Deep Space night on Monday, Louie Vega and Kevin Hedge's Roots party on Wednesday, or the strong set of promoters doing regular nights there that bring in the likes of Lee Burridge, Loco Dice, Danny Tenaglia, Theo Parrish, Chateau Flight and more, it's clear that—for a proper club experience—Cielo does it just about better than anyone else in New York.
- Todd L. Burns

04. The End, London

When Mr. C and Layo Paskin opened The End in 1996, the UK hadn't seen or heard anything quite like it. Then, as now, the strategy was clear—quality underground dance music only, in a sleek, technically impressive venue. Booking DJs from across the house, techno and breaks spectrum, The End instantly acquired a reputation for quality over commercialism, with the likes of Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Sven Väth and Steve Lawler regularly choosing the venue to host their flagship London parties. Meanwhile, drum and bass continues to be strongly represented by the likes of Ram Records, Fabio's Swerve and Friction's Shogun. But for all its big-hitting guest names, The End's most succinct musical representatives are its original founder-residents. Few London clubs have been canny enough to resist the winds of musical change without stumbling, but The End has one massive advantage—it's owned by DJs who know, and love, what they do.
- Lee Smith

03. Watergate, Berlin

Photo credit: sgis

It's easy to get lost in Watergate's view of the Spree River and wild LED lighting, but it's impossible to forget why you're there in the first place: any club with a Wednesday (!) residency that includes Pantytec's Sammy Dee, My My and the label Hello?Repeat is doing something right on the music/programming front. It's the weekend where things really jump off: Taking over both floors of the club, labels like Get Physical, Connaisseur, and Vakant often bring in a thousand of their best friends for the ride. Not content with just German acts, Watergate also brings in the international jetset—with names like Andrew Weatherall, Ivan Smagghe and James Holden appearing over a seven-day period. Sure, club-goers might be cluelessly coming for the "Watergate" experience these days, but something tells me it's not just those pretty lights that keep them coming back.
- Nate DeYoung

02. Berghain/Panorama Bar, Berlin

Why is the Berghain "quite possibly the world capital of techno," as music critic Philip Sherburne recently claimed? Resident DJs that push a consistent sound. Marcel Dettman's recent Berghain 02 mix is perhaps its purest definition: stripped back, yet spacious. This is not claustrophobic techno—it's one of possibility—music that makes the most of minimalism. Upstairs at the Panoramabar, things are usually more relaxed, taking in housier sound typified by resident DJ Cassy. To the club's credit, though, the owners are not just interested in the average clubgoer: the recent collaboration with the Berlin Staatsballet augurs an ambition to bring different disciplines to the usually narrow-minded programming concerns of a top club.
- Todd L. Burns

01. Fabric, London

If club years work like dog years, then Fabric, which was founded in 1999, should be shuffling off quietly at the grand age of 63. Defying expectations, the one-time cold meat store has stubbornly remained at the forefront of clubbing since it opened, both in its London home and across the world. The club has a rapacious and open-minded booking policy, awesome sound system and regularly experiments with live acts and DJs in its cavernous, exposed brickwork space. A typical Fabric weekend features an astonishing range of music, from hip-hop to drum and bass, indie, techno, electro and beyond. Their regular line-ups put established festivals to shame and leave you slack-jawed, thinking: "All that? In one night?" Add in the acclaimed mix series featuring the likes of Villalobos, Luciano, Audion and Ellen Allien and this is one institution that shows no sign of aging gracefully.
- Daniel Bates

Haven't voted in the RA club awards yet? There's still time to have your voice heard in three other categories, so hurry up and cast your ballot now!