A Brief History of Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
Have you been witness to the increase in the electronic dance music scene? Are you wondering how and when EDM became so popular? While EDM, and its many musical genres, may seem new, it’s actually been around since the 1970’s, developing over the years as a symbol of contemporary culture. For decades, the music industry has been providing energy-charged electronic music to raving crowds. But before we recognized these dance parties as “raves” as we do today, we simply called them discos.
What is Electronic Dance Music?
Electronic Dance Music is a compilation of electronic music subgenres that are intended for crowds of dancers, including disco music, synthpop, techo, house music, trance music, drum and bass, dubstep, trap, hardstyle and more. With such a wide range of sounds, it would seem impossible that all of this could, at the same time, be classified as EDM, but these subgenres have developed over the course of the last few decades, informing and transforming out of a progressive dance culture. When you hear EDM today, it’s a much different experience than what listeners of electronic dance music would have heard in the 1970’s, ’80’s, ‘90’s, or even early 2000’s, and its progression as a recognizable genre can be mapped out by understanding when its subgenres were popularized as forms of dance music.
Popular EDM Genres Through the Years
1970’s Disco and Synthpop Electronic Dance Music

Disco Concert – Courtesy of bombedoutpunk.com
Songs like these incorporated elements of both disco and synthpop and paved the way for synthpop to stand on its own as a dance music subgenre.
Synthpop, Post-Disco and Electro Music of the 1980’s

1970’s Synthpop – Courtesy of Kraftwerk
1990’s: The Beginning of Contemporary Electronic Dance Music Sounds

1990’s Rave – Courtesy of fourthreesix.com
In the U.S., we were brought “Detroit techno,” or techno that seemed to originate in Detroit in the late ‘80’s and ‘90’s. Detroit techno was pioneered by the “Belleville Three,” including Derrick Mayr, who produced music under the names Mayday and Rhythim is Rhythim. May’s song “Strings of Life” is still widely recognized as a classic house and techno record that has defined the techno genre in the U.S.
From Popular to Mainstream: EDM in the 2000’s

2000’s EDM – Courtesy of theodysseyonline.com
Today, EDM is often characterized by remixes and original sound mixes, produced by world-famous DJs like The Chainsmokers, Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix and others, in addition to the ever-relevant Skrillex, David Guetta, Daft Punk and Tiësto. That said, electronic dance music and its subgenres are now used by a large majority of pop and hip-hop artists, including the likes of Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Drake, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Alessia Cara and countless others.
Check out some of the most popular 2017 EDM songs to check out the latest EDM in the industry, including “It Ain’t Me,” by the DJ Kygo and Selena Gomez.
At The Los Angeles Film School, you’ll gain insight into the progression of the electronic dance music industry through our Associate of Science in Music Production program. Our program offers valuable training in music composition, digital music production, mixing and mastering, music copyright and publishing, exposing students to the latest trends in the music industry, from production to composition.