It’s easy to get the impresÂsion that enthuÂsiÂasts of elecÂtronÂic music lisÂten to nothÂing else. (Not that it isn’t true for some of them, who tend to relÂeÂgate themÂselves to smallÂer subÂgenÂres: conÂsult Ishkur’s Guide to ElecÂtronÂic Music for a map of the sonÂic terÂriÂtoÂry.) And it’s equalÂly easy to believe that, if you aren’t explicÂitÂly into elecÂtronÂic music, then you don’t lisÂten to it. But in fact, its hisÂtoÂry is one of long-term inteÂgraÂtion so thorÂough that many of us freÂquentÂly lisÂten to elecÂtronÂic music — or at any rate, elecÂtronÂic-adjaÂcent music — withÂout being conÂscious of that fact.
Watch the video above, a 24-minute jourÂney through the evoÂluÂtion of elecÂtronÂic music from 1929 to 2019, and take note of how many songs you know after hearÂing them for only a few secÂonds. EarÂly experÂiÂments by the likes of OliviÂer MesÂsiÂaen, HalÂim El-Dabh, and Rune LindÂblad may ring no bells (and to the uniniÂtiÂatÂed, may not sound like music at all). DocÂtor Who fans will perk up when the timeÂline reachÂes 1963, with the appearÂance of that show’s theme song — a recordÂing by Delia DerÂbyshire, inciÂdenÂtalÂly, whose pioÂneerÂing work we’ve often feaÂtured here on Open CulÂture. The first piece of full-fledged pop music is GerÂshon KingsÂley’s “PopÂcorn,” from 1969, one of those songs whose melody we all know even if we’d nevÂer be able to come up with the title.
In the mid-sevÂenÂties, the names now wideÂly assoÂciÂatÂed with the develÂopÂment of modÂern elecÂtronÂic music start to emerge: Kraftwerk’s “AutoÂbahn” in 1974, TanÂgerÂine Dream’s “RubyÂcon” in 1975, Jean-Michel JarÂre’s “OxyÂgene” in 1976. But more imporÂtant to the hisÂtoÂry of popÂuÂlar culÂture is the song that repÂreÂsents the folÂlowÂing year: DonÂna SumÂmer’s hit “I Feel Love,” which was co-proÂduced by a cerÂtain GiorÂgio Moroder. PerÂhaps the definÂing figÂure of elecÂtronÂic music’s pasÂsage through the disÂcos into the mainÂstream, Moroder made an even bigÂger impact in 1978 with his own instruÂmenÂtal comÂpoÂsiÂtion “Chase,” which won him an AcadÂeÂmy Award by being includÂed in the film MidÂnight Express.
The movies did a great deal to sell the world on the fusion of elecÂtronÂic techÂnolÂoÂgy and pop music in the eightÂies. Who in the develÂoped world — or indeed, in most of the develÂopÂing world — could fail to recÂogÂnize, for instance, Harold FalÂterÂmeyÂer’s “Axel F”? (And sureÂly nobody who came of age at the time of A Night at the RoxÂbury can claim ignoÂrance of HadÂdaway’s “What Is Love.”) As this video assemÂbles its hisÂtoÂry, elecÂtronÂic music finds its way back to the dance floor in the nineties, and it more or less stays there through the twenÂty-tens; perÂhaps you would’ve had to spend a lot of time in the clubs in that decade to know such seemÂingÂly era-definÂing names as MarshÂmelÂlo, Armin van Buuren, Shapov, Major LazÂer, and DJ Snake. But from an elecÂtronÂic-influÂenced hit like Ed SheerÂan’s “Shape of You,” alas, there was no escape.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
The HisÂtoÂry of ElecÂtronÂic Music in 476 Tracks (1937–2001)
What is ElecÂtronÂic Music?: PioÂneerÂing ElecÂtronÂic MusiÂcian Daphne Oram Explains (1969)
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on the social netÂwork forÂmerÂly known as TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
TanÂgerÂine Dream’s PHAEDRA preÂdates AutoÂbahn by months and was outÂselling Kraftwerk for years