Why on earth would anyone listen to dance music?

I think you may have killed your chances of anyone helpfully explaining their affection for this music genre by using the word 'drivel' ?

I want to hear more about Boris Becker eyelash man, that sounds far more intriguing.

I meant it in a nice way ?

Ew no not intriguing at all, he's pretty revolting. I just call him that cos he's got the same colouring as BB and the eyelashes kind of freak me out a bit. ?

But like pop music, there is *** dance music and fab dance music. H and I are musicians and can't stand the awful dance music played in some clubs up and down the country every weekend, with the same beat, little melody, just repetative loud banging. But I'd happily listenat home, and dance all night to Mr Scruff, the Unabombers, Soul Wax... And there are quite a few dance tracks / artists / dj's who use a lot of live instrumentals in their tracks (St Germain etc)

'Dance' music is just way too wide to lump it all in together!

I think dance music is a pretty broad term. Certainly there's some that I would find unbearable to listen to- bland, commercial house for example. But some dance music is fantastic- it's hard to defend what you were listening as I don't know what it was ? The fact that music is not primarily driven by conventional melody doesn't make it "just noise" - there are all sorts of other things going on. Arguably there's a lot more innovation and creativity in dance music at the moment than in mainstream pop (which could be said to be pretty stagnant- has anything genuinely new been heard in the last five years?)

It can also be a question of context- some dance music is great to listen to in all sorts of situations, some really on comes into its own when you're dancing to it IMO. I doesn;t necessarily work in three minute shots like mainstream pop- melodic progression can be a lot slower, building to a climax over 20 minutes, say, which works brilliantly on the dancefloor but perhaps not when overhearing someone else's radio.

Now why can't I write replies as erudite and informative as this?! ExactlyWKS!

I was going to say that I don't know becuase I think it all sucks - but then I do have a soft spot for mr scruff and his little fish.

I would FAR rather listen to someone else's dance music than the Heart/Magic FM tedium that our neighbours go in for. Please spare me Bryan Adams, Gabrielle and Labi sodding Siffre. ?

I love dance music, it is just my thing. Really good dance music makes me feel alive in a way that no other music does.Though of course, as Knownowt says, it's a broad genre and within it are sub-genres that make my ears bleed - step forward speed garage. ?

I do like MR Scruff.

He makes his own tea now. And they sell it in waitrose.

http://www.makeusabrew.com/

I'm not sure if that says anything about his music, or people who like him ?

Hmm now I know as much about dance music and all the different types as I do about neurosurgery. I'd describe it as "techno" music but I'm aware that term probably went out of fashion in about 1991. The kind of stuff he plays is like the kind of stuff you see advertised on telly in CDs "Club Ibiza" type compilations, whatever that is called!

Anyway, each to their own. Really hope I haven't offended anyone. But it just SO doesn't strike me as the kind of music you'd sit down and think "hey I fancy chilling with a beer and some music tonight" and putting that on.

I suspect you're not on the right kind of "mood enhancers" to fully appreciate it, Roobarb ?

? That just made me laugh out loud.

They may be buzzing, dancing around the garden to it. It's all so different when you're high. ?

I am with Roobarb on this one. Horses for courses and all that but I like a definate change in my music and with techno or whatever it's called these days just doesn't get my juices going.

I do like the odd Daft Punk or Mylo song - but in my ignorance I am betting this isn't classed as dance music ?

Jenbo - Daft Punk and Mylo are both "dance music" ?

OH says "dance music is such a stupid term" (music geek). It's a very wide term that covers a lot of genres, the ones you hear from TV (those Ibiza type compilations) is probably just a tiny proportion of what is classified as dance music these days.

Thanks safetyzone - being 34 now I just can't keep up with the latest genres. I consider myself (un)lucky to know the names of Ndubz members.......

MrV likes happy hardcore ?

Roob, some 'dance' music is good to listen to as background noise, some makes you want to get up and dance and some makes your ears bleed...

My neighbour was playing some this afternoon but it was all about 10yrs old and reminded me of my uni days <nostalgic sigh>

I like happy hardcore too ? I keep wanting to go to a rave but am too fat for my hotpants and far too old for fluffy legwarmers! Mr Wug raised his eyebrows and laughed at me for suggesting it - it was him that liked it in the first place! ?