Dance music is now the second most popular genre of music in the UK

A recent analysis conducted by the British Phonographic Industry or BPI shows the genre has accounted for more than a quarter of all top 10 hits in 2022 thus far

Skiddle Staff

Date published: 2nd Nov 2022

Since its introduction to the masses here in the UK, some 40-plus years ago, the popularity of dance music and its various off-shoots and sub-genres has hardly ever waned. In fact, it's actually continued to grow in favour, particularly amongst new and fresh-faced audiences discovering the almost tribal nature of high-tempo beats via reverberating sound systems for the first time, in clubs and at festivals across the nation. A statement that the British Phonographic Industry or BPI has recently supported.

Analysis conducted by the teams of researchers at the BPI, Britain's recorded music trade association which is responsible for the BRIT Awards, National Album Day, the Mercury Prize and the Official Charts Company, shows that dance releases have been the second most prevalent in the weekly Top 10 through the year thus far. It's been documented that more than a quarter of all hits (26.1%) that have made the Official Singles Chart in 2022 have been categorised as dance. That signifies a huge 80% increase in the genre’s share of Top 10 hits across the entirety of 2021, with the holder of 'most popular genre', pop taking the lion's share of entries (40.6%).

So why is dance music seeing such a huge uplift in popularity? To answer that question, you have to consult the current electronic music scene.

Over the past few years, there's been a notable shift in the way artists have chosen to create and produce music, largely due to government-imposed lockdowns at the beginning of the decade to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Subsequently, as freedom returned, the musical landscape changed as bedroom DJs and electronic wizards began to showcase their talents and various projects, honed and crafted throughout one of the darkest periods in modern history.

The end product is a superabundant industry, teeming with an eclectic offering of differing forms of dance, catering to a keen audience that hasn't quite yet forgotten the bleakness of quarantine. Consider the likes of Scottish duo, LF System, delivering their fresh tempo-shifting sound heard on summer hit, 'Afraid To Feel', which knocked Kate Bush of all people from the top of the charts, Eliza Rose with her garage-tinged anthem, 'Baddest Of Them All', and probably one of the biggest success stories of the year, the man everyone wants to see, Ewan McVicar, and the picture starts to become a little clearer. And it doesn't stop there. Homegrown talents such as Ben Hemsley, Tsha and John Summit, in addition to icons the likes of Fatboy Slim and Calvin Harris, have all been key players in the development of dance.

Jumping on a trend, you could say, the power of dance music has also been harnessed by some of pop's biggest global stars. Beyonce brought the house vibes on 'Break My Soul', whilst rapper Drake dropped his dance-inspired full-length record, Honestly Nevermind, earlier in the year.

Does it look like dance music is set to disappear from the airwaves anytime soon? We think not. If anything, we predict an even bigger year to come for the genre in 2023.

Fancy watching some of the aforementioned superstars doing their thing live in venues and nightclubs across the UK this year? We thought so. Check out some of the events running through November and December, featuring the likes of LF System and Eliza Rose, listed below...

WHP - New Year's Eve at The Warehouse in Manchester | Saturday 31st December - Sunday 1st January 2023

Buy tickets:

DANZA ft Ewan McVicar, Airwolf Paradise & more in Sheffield | Saturday 12th November 2022

Buy tickets:

Third Eye ft. Ben Hemsley in Birmingham | Friday 25th - Saturday 26th November 2022

Buy tickets:

Find more dance events happening where you are by clicking or tapping - HERE

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.