A Brief History of EDM Music

Whether you were a top student in school or not, this history class will make you want to pay attention, score a 100 on the test, and graduate with honors. 

The history of EDM is a colorful spectrum that is home to a whole lotta subgenres. The mainstream popularity of EDM makes club-goers simp for its magnetic beats. Moreover,  EDM festivals prompt people to live their best lives. So, it would be hard to believe that this lit genre was ever dormant. Can you imagine it going from 60 to 0 like real quick?

The truth is: it was, but now it’s back and better than ever! EDM made a crazy huge comeback that no one saw coming, but now ya’ll can’t live without it. 

Smartphones on silent and eyes on the board, class; because this is the history of EDM 101. 

What Is EDM? 

A little bit of a refresher for newbies before we dive into the deets; EDM is short for electronic dance music. This genre is also popularly known as club music or dance music and spans a broad range of various categories that are perfect for hitting festivals, nightclubs, and raves.

EDM is defined by a collection of subgenres, such as drum n bass, house, dubstep, hardstyle, and trap. Born in the 1980s, EDM was the CEO of nightlife. However, as time went by, more genres emerged and EDM had to sit on the back burner to make a 21st-century comeback that snatched all your wigs.

From being dormant to glowing up spectacularly, the tracks you hear at the club are evidence that EDM is cancel-culture-proof.

The History of EDM 

The Birth of EDM

While EDM took the world by storm in the ‘80s, the genre was actually born in the 1960s. EDM came to life when Delia Derbyshire (arguably the first EDM producer and synthesist to ever walk this planet) dropped her debut album, An Electric Storm. 

Much of her work is still used for inspiration for TV and radio programs today. Yet, rumor has it that due to BBC copyright, the pioneer of EDM was never properly credited for her work. 
This ain’t it, chief. The woman is a queen and should be able to wear her crown for the world to see.

The Disco Influences

The history of EDM is an original idea coalesced with a bunch of influences from other equally lit genres. In the same way, EDM also influenced and gave rise to a myriad of other genres. 

Fast forward to the glitzy ‘70s, and EDM got a sibling named Disco.

This went down in history as the first wave of club dance music. The rise of disco introduced people to soul, funk, and smooth jazz-fusion peppered with electronic elements. 

As you already probably guessed by now, this era also saw the first DJs hit the club, as they were a huge must for the nightlife to really pop.

Playing a main character role in the history of EDM, Giorgio Moroder innovated the use of electric sounds and constant percussive beats that were the baseline for the repetitive rhythms we hear in EDM music today. Other names who started the EDM trend are Donna Summer and Kraftwerk.

Reigning at Raves

One art form creates another, and EDM is no exception. Once the ‘80 and ‘90s were in full swing, EDM branched out into several subgenres, such as freestyle, techno, house, and industrial. 

Acid house became a thing and was indispensable at the rave scene in Europe. Warehouses and underground venues were the perfect places to throw raves that were more extra than you can ever imagine. To give you a little more insight, clubs closed around 2 a.m., and the night was so young that club-goers wanted to find some after-hours fun. Et voila…raves at relatively shady venues came to life. 

Come 1989, raves became a commercial thing and EDM skyrocketed to international popularity. Once the genre reached America, it was initially marketed at “electronica”

British artists who became associated with the “American electronica revolution” include stars like Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, and the Chemical Brothers. Fast forward to 1998 and Madonna has joined the group chat with “Ray of Light”, her rendition of electronic-influenced music. 

Becoming a Global Club Phenomenon

With the rise of Y2K fashion came the popularity of social media (think Soundcloud and YouTube). Long story short; people got hooked on social media and used the power of the internet to fan the flames of EDM into one of the G.O.A.T.s. This is when artists like Skrillex passed people’s vibe check with a new type of EDM called bro step. Sis, this subgenre is a whole mood of music so fast that you won’t have time to (over)think.

By this time, EDM had become heavily influenced by live festivals and other types of events. Promoters came to realize that DJs supplying bops to the crowd was a profitable idea. 

Taking over the commercial music industry, Billboard introduced a category dedicated to EDM titled the “Dance/Electronic Songs” chart. 

This countdown is in charge of tracking the top electronic songs based on radio spins, sales, and online streaming. 

EDM 2.0 

The history of EDM has become the future of the electronic dance music industry. EDM of today is a comeback of epic proportions, and we’re ready to clapback at anyone who objects. 

Ruled by the likes of  Armin Van Buuren, The Chainsmokers, Afrojack, Kygo, Diplo, Kat Nova, Marshmellow, Nicky Romero, Kaskade, and Lil Jon; EDM music of today is a product of its extensive history. These guys literally have the best EDM songs of this generation.

If you want to experience the true power that EDM holds, you simply need to party at the biggest EDM festivals in Las Vegas; the Exodus Festival. 

Just you, your squad, the hottest clubs, your most snatches drips, and all the tea Sin City has to pour over a span of four freakin’ fantastic days.

This was the lesson and the EDM festivals will be the test. How well can you vibe to the hottest bops in the world of EDM?

Book your tickets today! (Oh, and class dismissed, btw!)