2010s Club Hits Essentials

Contemporary electronic dance music dates back to the birth of house and techno in the '80s, but for many years it was a comparatively underground phenomenon. That all changed in the '10s, as a handful of elements—a new generation of fans, a rising tide of tech-savvy talent, a global explosion of festival culture—intersected, resulting in a worldwide resurgence. The movement, known simply as EDM, had roots in previous decades of trance and progressive house, but a spirit of newness prevailed: new faces, like Skrillex and Calvin Harris, brought a refreshing dose of personality to the stage. New sounds, like dubstep and big-room, were charged with an air of sonic progression. And a new spirit of crossover fused club energy with pop songwriting, paving the way for an unprecedented back-and-forth between the airwaves and main stage.