Any Type of Music is Danceable

No matter the genre.

On Quora.com, a Millennial or member of Generation Z recently posed the question, “Why is Classic Rock undanceable?” To those of us who are older, it is evident that this young person is more fascinated by the music that is now being produced. Different musical subgenres shouldn’t be handled differently. I responded by stating that dancing may be done to any type of music.

Since we lived in caves, we have been dancing to a wide range of music. The drum was the first instrument we made. The beat of the drum is the beat of our hearts. The beat influenced the dance we did. Since the start of humanity, people have used music to communicate and express their emotions. Human civilization has always placed a great emphasis on dance, and this is still true today.

Although there has always been danceable music, I want to concentrate more on the 20th century. There were various dancing fads in both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. I also won’t forget the regional dances that were performed in each nation to the native music. Ballet and other dances gained popularity during the 18th and 19th centuries thanks to classical music. Later, people waltzed to Bach’s music.

Ragtime music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries pushed everyone to dance.

Contrarily, dance music is a contemporary cultural phenomenon that constantly goes through new transformations. The time’s dominant sounds gave rise to several subcultures, which ‌gave rise to a wide variety of genres. Dance music has evolved and altered over the previous century in a similar fashion to how other civilizations have consistently enhanced their aesthetics.

1920s — 30s: The Jazz Age

This decade saw a rise in interest in the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties, two connected eras. The music of the time shows that the lively rhythms of African American music superseded the well-known classical music of the time. The dance crazes then were the Charleston and the Lindy Hop. Bandleaders and performers like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Glenn Miller cemented their reputations in music history during this decade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUpAcPAipDA

Jazz and blues music complemented the Roaring Twenties’ extravagance and rebelliousness quite nicely. The tunes were raucous, lively, and very “American,” in contrast to classical music.

1940s — 50s: Bebop and Beyond

Bebop, a brand-new jazz musical movement, became well known in the early 1940s. Intricate rhythms, quick tempos characterized bebop jazz, and an avant-garde emphasis on harmony. The term “modern jazz,” which impacted later popular music, is credited to Bebop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9zHYkKoL4A

The swing craze continued to impact music in the 1940s and 1950s, even though it peaked in the late 1930s. One of the most well-liked musical subgenres in America at the time was swing. Several swing ensembles turned away from big bands and towards the more manageable and portable compact combos.

Don’t forget that the 1950s saw the birth of Rock and Roll. Chuck Berry can be seen performing the duck walk while strumming his guitar, while Elvis may be seen swaying his hips. The growth of television greatly influenced the popularity of American Bandstand, a programme that young people at the time watched to find out about the newest dance fad.

Which dance styles were more popular in the late 1950s and the early 1960s? The Twist, Watusi, Jerk, Chicken, Walk, and Mash Potato and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmwAPV-BPas

1960–70: Psychedelic Era

Music from the “psychedelic age” and the “British invasion” rose in popularity in the 1960s. In the US, The Who, Rolling Stones, and Beatles were all well-known and contributed to the development of a new musical genre. American psychedelic rock performers produced experimental music as opposed to the joyous sounds of the British invasion. Several musicians, including The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, explored novel musical genres and tones, including Reverb, strange guitar tunings, and “electronic” sounds produced by playing guitars through various gadgets.

Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, people still danced to popular music. Kids would dance in the 1970s to rock bands like Queen, the Ramones, T. Rex, and others, according to a different Quora commenter. Whichever genre of music was popular at the time didn’t matter as long as it had a beat.

Disco

This was a very popular dance craze in the 1970s. Club dancing spread more widely around this time. To the sounds of performers like The Village People, Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and others, you exhort people to dance all night long.

Disco Dance crazes included: The Hustle, YMCA (named for the Village People’s song of the same name), The Robot, The Electric Slide, The Funky Chicken, and The Time Warp (from Rocky Horror Picture Show).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnkntLDNXCs

1980–90: Dance Music Expands

Dance music had evolved by the 1980s into a variety of new subcultures and genres, such as “electro punk,” “freestyle,” and “go-go.” Because of the unique fusion of British and American influences in this era’s dance music, it stood out from other genres. The Human League, New Order, and Depeche Mode are a few British acts that helped shape the dance music subgenre. American vocalists like Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Madonna greatly influenced British pop performers during this decade.

I’m reminded of breakdancing, a dangerous and well-liked dance craze that debuted in the 1980s on the streets. Rap, Hip-Hop, Funk, and Soul were the musical genres that breakdancers most frequently danced to at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDMv3IHGpnA

The Moonwalk, the Thriller dance, the Electric Slide, Dirty Dancing (from the movie of the same name), the Worm, and other routines were among the most well-known dances of the 1980s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJp3SePr9dg

During that time, I also have memories of dancing at school dances to songs by Billy Idol, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard. Also, you could find a belly dancer’s internet performance to Thunderstruck by AC/DC. Despite the song’s 1980s beginnings, the video has only recently become accessible. Here is an illustration of a dance to a classic rock song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8nxol5dOsA

1990–2000: Electronic Music Is Always Changing

Electronic and techno music grew in popularity during the 1990s. Electronic music, which primarily originates from synthesizers and computers, was just as experimental as its psychedelic forebears. The electronic music genre known as techno was born in Detroit because of the fusion of jazz, funk, and house. The development of dance culture has impacted the growth of “rave culture”.

In the middle of the 1990s, “hardcore techno,” a brand-new subgenre of techno, made its debut in the UK. Hardcore techno was faster and “rougher” than prior iterations of the genre while maintaining an experimental vibe. When compared to other dance music subgenres, hardcore techno was darker and less “party-like.”

The DJ is now more well-liked. DJs routinely observed listeners wiping records on turntables in the 1990s. DJs like Fat Boy Slim, Moby, Chemical Brothers, and others gained popularity. As a result, several musicians questioned their commitment to art. Because they are taking copyrighted music from “genuine” musicians, some people believe they aren’t. Some people, though, believe they are.

We kept dancing and listening to different kinds of music. We had two left feet, even though some of us in the 1990s were afraid to admit it.

The U Can’t Touch This, The Funky Chicken, the Cabbage Patch, the Roger Rabbit, the Tootsie Roll, the Carlton, and the Running Man are just a handful of the dance crazes that were popular in the 1990s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGm_Ffi-H1s

2000–2010: A Growing EDM Culture

Dance music subgenres like “electro clash” and “EDM,” which would later come to define the 2000s, saw a boom in popularity in the 1990s. Several DJs and producers repurposed pre-recorded samples from vintage disco recordings to create new sub genres of techno and house music. They combined these samples with faster tempos and “new” electronic noises to create an entirely new sound that would later give rise to EDM.

Being the best performers in the industry by the early 2000s, DJs essentially took the position of “live” musicians. Not entirely. DJs with an emphasis on EDM, such as Skrillex, David Guetta, and Deadmau5, gained popularity through their live performances and were frequently included on pop music charts. As part of the “return” to the roots of dance music that made up EDM culture, DJs took the place of the bands that dominated popular music in the 1980s and 1990s.

2010–2020: EDM Gains Popularity

Many DJs and producers made music that was more “radio-friendly” and attractive to a larger audience as EDM culture became more widely accepted. To compose songs with a larger appeal, these musicians combined pop and conventional elements. Several DJs who preferred preserving the integrity of “underground” dance culture criticized these developments, but many EDM musicians saw them as essential steps towards success in the mainstream.

DJs and producers started using pre-recorded pop music and vocal samples as EDM gained popularity. DJs started touring with pop performers like Taylor Swift, while EDM musicians started sharing the stage with pop stars like Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. Even while many “purists” condemned “mainstream” EDM culture because of these advancements, they made up a huge advancement in it.

The Krump, Dougie, Stanky Leg, Gangnam Style, Twerk, and Dab were well-known dance fads that peaked between 2000 and 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk3ticiuPrk

Among the many musical subgenres that are currently in demand are rock, alternative, EDM, and country music. However modern music can be danced to regardless of genre.

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References

The biggest dance trends of the 00s — Deezer. (2017, April 28). deezer-blog.com. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.deezer-blog.com/the-biggest-dance-trends-of-the-00s/

Cuenco, M. (n.d.). Best 80s Dance Moves | GIFs of Awesome Dances from the Eighties. Ranker. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.ranker.com/list/best-80s-dance-moves/marc-cuenco

Funky Flashback: Popular 1970’s Dance Moves. (2015, May 13). ATOMIC Ballroom. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://atomicballroom.com/blog/2015/05/12/funky-flashback-popular-1970s-dance-moves/

Hereford, S. (2018, March 27). 10 ’90s Dances That Got Every Party Started. The Boombox. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://theboombox.com/90s-dances-kid-n-play-running-man/

Schloss, J., & Dalecki, L. (n.d.). Breakdancing. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakdancing