Uplifting trance gets its 'happy' character by resting chord progressions on major chords at 135–140 BPM

Uplifting trance (also called epic, energetic, anthem, or euphoric trance) emerged around 1996 in the wake of progressive trance. Its core identity is emotional uplift through major-chord harmony: unlike the darker Goa trance, its progressions usually rest on a major chord, and the balance of major to minor chords in a progression determines how ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ it sounds. It uses longer major chord progressions across lead, bass, and treble. As a rule of thumb the tempo sits at 135–140 BPM. Classical music and film scores strongly influenced its development. Melody rather than groove is the primary driver of energy, structured around long arcs.

Examples

Artists: Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Aly & Fila. The genre emerged from Netherlands, Germany and UK scenes in the 1990s.

Assessment

Given three trance tracks at 128, 138, and 148 BPM, identify which is most likely uplifting trance; explain the harmonic feature (major-vs-minor balance) that gives it a ‘happier’ tone than Goa trance.