Discussion: How is dance music doing in the (UK) charts?

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Discussion: How is dance music doing in the (UK) charts?

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danG View member profile	25th August 2018, 09:36 PM Post #1
🔥🚀🔥 Joined: 30 August 2010 Posts: 74,569 User: 11,746	Now of course you could say 'dance music never left' but aside from the dance-pop that the likes of David Guetta, Clean Bandit, Calvin Harris (although his latest 2 singles see him go back to a more dancey sound after his 'Funk Wav' era of 2017), Jonas Blue and Marshmello are bringing to the top of the charts, we've not had a whole lot of dance music breaking the charts. A few of Jax Jones' songs (not his latest one though), CamelPhat's 'Cola' and MK's '17' were big hits last year for the house sub-genre. At the moment we've got 'Panic Room' (produced by, again, CamelPhat) being a decent sized top 40 hit, and 'In My Mind' by Dynoro making big jumps up the chart and probably heading for the top 10 in the near future. Also there's 'Body' by Loud Luxury, currently in the UK top 10, which is commercial dance but still very much a dance track (see also M-22's 'First Time' which made it to #20 after a long climb) rather than dance-pop like Jonas Blue's 'Rise' or Clean Bandit's 'Solo'. We've also had club oriented tracks from the likes of Purple Disco Machine and Krystal Klear make a dent on the iTunes top 100 and get Radio 1 daytime support, though these types of songs seem to do nothing on Spotify and don't break any of their big playlists. Is there any hope for the future or are we just to accept that it will only be the Spotify playlist ready, radio-made dance-pop that can chart well, with one or maybe two club tracks crossing over in a year? Once the current wave of generic afrobeat crashes, are we due some more dance smashes?


Dircadirca View member profile	26th August 2018, 07:37 AM Post #2
BuzzJack Platinum Member Pronouns: He/Him Joined: 28 July 2013 Posts: 5,076 User: 19,614	I think what we're seeing with streaming is a severe centralisation of prevailing taste that allows for the prevailing majority to latch onto so many things at once that everything else gets drowned out. It's kind of surprising that it's ended up happening this way because just 5 years ago it looked like dance music was completely taking over and streaming would only help it, considering how much the Sweden-owned Spotify loves to promote their product and associated artists. The biggest nail for dance music is that there's a prevailing trend at the moment, perhaps more so than ever before where people are choosing to listen to music based on a familiar name, rather than if they were to hear something they like on the radio and find out after who it's by. For a genre based largely around the music as opposed to the personalities (with a few exceptions), this can hurt a lot. I feel like the artists are aware of this too which is why there's a massive prevailing trend in popular dance music at the moment where nearly every big dance hit features vocals by an artist who is famous in another field. I remember a month or so ago looking at Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Chart and pretty much the entire top 20 could be categorised as such. Right now in the top 20 of that chart, we've got Maren Morris, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Khalid, Post Malone, Little Mix, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Miguel and Jack & Jack. Over in the UK's top 20 dance tracks you've got a lot of that but also Rich The Kid, Paloma Faith, Sia, Halsey, Sean Paul, Rita Ora and Sam Smith. If it's not still seen as a gimmick, then it's dance music doing whatever it can to latch onto something else to grab attention. I don't know the stats on club attendance or anything like that but I almost want to wonder if things like Netflix are hurting it. People who might otherwise go out on a weekend because they have nothing better to do and hear the latest club smashes, are now more likely to stay at home and binge content. You need fairweather fans to help reach wider audiences but without them, everything just stays in its niche. This is all just my wild conjecture though. It's possible that the overload of 2013/2014 when there was a new anonymous dance artist debuting at #1 every week just got people burnt out on the genre, and with enough time it'll rear its head back in. Maybe it just needs a new wunderkind to win everyone over, like Avicii did.


Klumzee View member profile	26th August 2018, 08:38 AM Post #3
#TeamAnneMarie Joined: 3 July 2010 Posts: 18,273 User: 11,421	I don't think it's coming back in a big way just yet! It's nice having some smaller hits doing well but the charts is still mainly big names or tropical pop/rap currently. There's no big names making dance songs currently and all those who were (Martin Garrix, David Guetta etc.) have shifted to a dance-pop/future bass sound. I think Calvin's new material could start a trend though. These things always go in cycles so I'd imagine in 2020 dance will be bigger than it is currently. I'd disagree with Dircadirca's point about the public only going for bigger names. I think if anything the shift to streaming services is helping out smaller artists - as long as they get enough traction to make the playlists and top 50's. M-22 never would have done as well or have had as much longevity 5+ years ago and I think this goes for Loud Luxury too, the big influx of one-hit UK rappers we've had this year also shows that if the song is good/memorable enough then the UK public will receive it warmly.


Bjork View member profile	26th August 2018, 08:59 AM Post #4
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 November 2015 Posts: 33,251 User: 22,665	yes look at body, m22, au/ra etc no big names


Dircadirca View member profile	26th August 2018, 09:00 AM Post #5
BuzzJack Platinum Member Pronouns: He/Him Joined: 28 July 2013 Posts: 5,076 User: 19,614	QUOTE(Klumzee @ Aug 26 2018, 04:38 PM) I'd disagree with Dircadirca's point about the public only going for bigger names. I think if anything the shift to streaming services is helping out smaller artists - as long as they get enough traction to make the playlists and top 50's. M-22 never would have done as well or have had as much longevity 5+ years ago and I think this goes for Loud Luxury too, the big influx of one-hit UK rappers we've had this year also shows that if the song is good/memorable enough then the UK public will receive it warmly. Fair point. What I should say is that the chart is often largely comprised of the big names, and mixed in is often just the playlist pushed hits (not trying to start a debate on the merit of that), so it's all about what trends they lean towards.


Jessie Where View member profile	26th August 2018, 09:58 AM Post #6
Break the tension Joined: 7 March 2006 Posts: 88,969 User: 51	I theorised recently that streaming really kicked off around 2015/2016 when the whole tropical/future bass thing was first popular, and since then with Spotify pushing it we've been stuck in this cycle of watered down mediocrity. I like that more 'proper' (for want of a better expression) dance tracks have been breaking through this year, I'm hoping it indicates a gradual shift away from all that.


TheSnake View member profile	26th August 2018, 11:45 AM Post #7
Say that hiss with your chest, and... Joined: 24 May 2016 Posts: 18,460 User: 23,308	'First Time' I quite liked but I would say is rather cheesy dancepop especially with lyrics and vocal style, Loud Luxury is not so cheesy but still in a style of dance that has been used for too long now. The 'real' credible dance of course is 'Panic Room' and 'In My Mind'. Hopefully this style of dance will take off and become a trend at the expense of the chopped vocal drop dance and barely-dancey-enough-to-be-called-dance style like Clean Bandit and Jonas Blue now use. The new Jax Jones and Mabel track isn't really dance I would say, not much more dancey than a 2000s upbeat R&B track. This post has been edited by TheSnake: 26th August 2018, 11:46 AM


danG View member profile	26th August 2018, 11:47 AM Post #8
🔥🚀🔥 Joined: 30 August 2010 Posts: 74,569 User: 11,746	How is 'First Time' cheesy?


TheSnake View member profile	26th August 2018, 11:58 AM Post #9
Say that hiss with your chest, and... Joined: 24 May 2016 Posts: 18,460 User: 23,308	QUOTE(danG @ Aug 26 2018, 12:47 PM) How is 'First Time' cheesy? The rather cutesy lyrics and vocal style I find rather cheesy. It's like a slightly dancier Spagna - Call Me. I still quite like it even though I find it cheesy though.


Bjork View member profile	26th August 2018, 12:39 PM Post #10
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 November 2015 Posts: 33,251 User: 22,665	I wouldn't call First Time cheesy but it has a sorta European flavour, sounds like a 90s Eurohit to me but Body is amazing, perfect great dance track, and doesn't rely on gimmicks or samples or features Body represents whats great about dance music at the moment, while Guetta represents what's worst, always relying on features and on samples, clearly run out of ideas ages ago


girlsaloudjunkie View member profile	27th August 2018, 02:48 AM Post #11
BuzzJack Regular Joined: 18 December 2007 Posts: 391 User: 5,073	We all just gonna ignore one of the best dance tracks of the year currently sitting at #10 on iTunes... Dennis Lloyd - Nevermind. What a TUNE!