What is Eurodance?

Eurodance music (also known as dance music, Euro or Euro-NRG) is a genre of EDM music (electronic dance music). It originated in the late 1980s in Europe, many say that Germany was the birthplace of Euro. Eurodance combined the elements of Euro disco, hi-NRG and techno music. Typical instruments that are used in Eurodance are keyboards, synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines.

Most Eurodance songs have rich melodic vocals (female) and usually, but not always, rapped verses (male). This was combined with melodic hooks, strong bass rhythm and a really good synthesizer. The majority of Eurodance music composed of synthesizer riffs with one or more vocals with a simple chorus. Most of the Euro produced had a male rap vocal but there were songs without rap in it. These elements formed the core of what it known as Eurodance music.

Eurodance music is almost always very upbeat and positive. Most songs revolved around the issues of love, partying and dancing or overcoming challenges in life. Nearly all Eurodance songs were sung in English even though the vast majority of Euro acts were non-English (mostly European). Well-known American rappers teamed up with European vocalists to form popular Eurodance acts and groups. Eurodance music had to compete with both techno music and rap/hip-hop. These were extremely popular music genres during the 1990s in both North America and Europe.   

Eurodance was extremely popular in Europe from the early to mid-1990s. Music television shows and radio stations in almost every country on the European continent gave enormous amounts of airplay to Eurodance. The popularity of Eurodance music of the 1990s was similar to that of disco music of the 1970s. Many artists who were from other music genres jumped on the bandwagon and started to produce Eurodance songs. 

Eurodance music peaked at European music festivals around the mid-1990s and carried on until the late 1990s. By this time, traditional Eurodance music started to decline. It would eventually evolve into Euro-trance and Euro vocal trance. Eurodance has gone underground today. It does not receive the airplay that it once enjoyed in the 1990s. There is still a sizable segment in Europe and Canada that still listen to Eurodance.

Most Eurodance music is now heard at 90s themed house parties, 90s Eurodance music festivals that occur in Europe and at select Eurodance/Wayback night club parties. Modern Eurodance music production continues to evolve over time and now incorporates electro music. Classic 90s Eurodance music will still be the most popular of the Euro genre. The 1990s were definitely the golden age for Eurodance music as the best songs were produced during this period. Eurodance will still have a following as there is still a demand for this kind of music.