Every DJ has a year they go back to. Year in Dance lets you pick any year from 1987 to 2025 and hear what the floor sounded like: four records that defined it, the club and gear moments around them, and what was happening in Korea at the same time. Press play on any record to hear the official video.
Loading the timeline.
How to Use It
Tap a year on the strip, use the arrows, or jump between decades with the filters. Each record card has a play button that loads the official video only when you ask for it, so the page stays light. For the longer stories behind the peak years, read 1999: The Year Dance Music Exploded, and find your own era with the Era quiz. The Dance Music Timeline covers the genres behind all of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Year in Dance?
It is an interactive timeline of dance music from 1987 to 2025. Each year shows four records that defined it, with chart facts and official videos, two club or technology moments, and a line on what was happening in Korea at the same time.
Where do the chart facts come from?
Chart peaks come from the Official Charts Company pages for each song, and every fact links to its source. Moments and Korea notes link to the page they came from, including Wikipedia where no better source was found.
Why are some videos missing?
Only official uploads from the artist, their label or a rights holder are used. If no official video exists, the record shows no play button rather than linking to a fan upload.
Can I link to a single year?
Yes. Add the year to the end of the address, for example /year-in-dance/#1997, and the tool opens on that year.
Which year was the best year for dance music?
That depends on where you were standing. Many people point to 1997 to 1999, when dance albums topped charts, but every year here has records that still fill a floor.
Written from Seoul, by someone who has been in the booth for more than 25 years. More on the site, or book a DJ.