Of course, people have been dancing to music for centuries, but at some point in the middle of the last century it became acceptable, nay, de rigueur for dance music to include a strong beat for even non-professional dancers to hang onto during the dance. This strong beat got stronger and stronger over the years until it wasn't enough for a drummer to pound it out; it required electronic means to make it as big as possible.
Dancing is a mating ritual for humans, and as such it remains an unassailable power in the world of music, but the power of the pounding dance beat made it possible for even bad dancers to grasp the idea of dancing in rhythm, making it an attractive assist for many rhythm-challenged young people.
Over the years, dance music has divided into sub-genres that aficionados (or even casual club-goers) can identify instantly by their certain characteristics, but whether the music is Disco, Techno, House, Dub, Drum 'n' Bass, Electronica, Trance, Industrial, Breakbeat, Jungle, Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop, Indietronica, Acid House, Detroit House, Electro House, UK Garage, or any one of the other dozens of sub-genres, the common element remains: the beat goes on and on.
In addition to its consistently pounding rhythm, all these styles of Dance Music have something else in common: they've hived off into a separate universe of music from the rest of the world. Oh, there are big-name crossovers that appear on the Top 40, but there are always club hits that have never been heard of by anyone who doesn't visit clubs. Those in the know have that pounding four-on-the-floor as the soundtrack to their nights and weekends - the mating call of the young single.
It doesn't have to be complicated, it doesn't have to have a lot of chords (two will do) but it does need that beat pounding through, and it doesn't hurt if you can intersperse your verses (sung, rapped, whatever) with a melodic hook sung by a pretty girl voice...sounds easy, doesn't it? It's not really...
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