QuickCheck: Was a dance track played on air and in malls on its 25th anniversary?

IN TODAY'S digital age, the success of a song is often seen in how it goes viral on social media, but back in the day, it was all about airplay and charts.

Twenty-five years ago, iconic Eurodance track "Sandstorm" by Darude was released internationally and went on to become Finland's most commercially successful single of all time.

Is it true that to mark the occasion, radio stations and shopping centres throughout the country played the track simultaneously?

VERDICT:

TRUE

Taking to his official social media channels, Finnish DJ and producer Darude shared the news that the track was played simultaneously throughout his home country on May 8, 2025.

"What an honour. At 9.15 this morning, radio stations and shopping centres across Finland came together to play Sandstorm at exactly the same time to celebrate 25 years!

"You could hear it in malls, schools, everywhere! Thank you everyone," Darude said in his Instagram post.

The DJ and producer also announced that Sept 6 would be the Helsinki date for his #STORM25 tour.

Meanwhile, industry magazine DJ Mag reported that Sandstorm was one of Finland's most successful commercial singles of all time, having spent 17 weeks in the upper reaches of the country's dance chart upon release.

It added that the track had initially been released in Finland in October 1999, but was re-released globally in 2000.

DJ Mag also said the track had since become a viral sensation multiple times over, having gained momentum as an online meme in the past decade or so.

It also reported that in 2018, it had even become the alarm sound of an actual sandstorm detector and most recently was featured in the trailer for the new Bandai Namco action RPG Sand Land.

 

What an honour. At 09:15 this morning, radio stations and shopping centers across Finland came together to play Sandstorm at exactly the same time to celebrate 25 years! You could hear it in malls, schools, everywhere! Thank you everyone!https://t.co/lwEGnzhvet">https://t.co/lwEGnzhvet https://t.co/WXuQzJQKIR">pic.twitter.com/WXuQzJQKIRa>

— Darude (@Darudevil) https://twitter.com/Darudevil/status/1920512285455360329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025

 

SOURCES:

- https://djmag.com/news/darude-sandstorm-played-simultaneously-finnish-radio-stations-celebrate-25th-anniversary

- https://djmag.com/content/darude-sandstorm-act-alarm-actual-sandstorm-detector