For the most part, the United States was extremely resistant to dance music throughout the 2000s decade, opting instead for more hip hop and r&b-flavoured pop. That is, with the exception of one year: 2002. While hip hop superstars like Eminem, Ja Rule, and Nelly were still at the height of their popularity, Ashanti was the queen of pop, and teen pop was veering more towards the rock-based Avril Lavigne model, songs with a house beat, trance synths, and a European origin suddenly occupied a sizable portion of the top 40 market. It was a short-lived trend, which began declining in early 2003 and was completely gone by the following summer, but it was there. Perhaps major labels didn’t know specifically what to market to pop audiences in the aftermath of 9/11 and the backlash against boy bands, but considering this general type of music had been consistently popular in Europe from 1996 to when the electropop/EDM boom of the early 2010s converged American pop more with overseas markets, I find it fascinating how exclusive its popularity in the 2000s to the year 2002. Has anybody else noticed this?

To give an idea of the year’s dance/electronica-infused climate, 2002 was the only year that Kylie Minogue was popular in the US, aside from 1988. “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” though less popular than in other territories, was nonetheless Kylie’s first American top 10 hit since “The Loco-Motion,” and also seems to be the breakthrough that popularized electronic/house music for the rest of the year in America. In addition to “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” here are some of 2002’s other significant American hits with a dance/electronic edge:

* Kylie Minogue - Love At First Sight
* DJ Sammy - Heaven
* Paulina Rubio - Don’t Say Goodbye
* Daniel Bedingfield - Gotta Get Thru This
* Dirty Vegas - Days Go By
* Lasgo - Something
* Enrique Iglesias - Escape
* Madonna - Die Another Day

I may elaborate on some of these later, but it’s definitely interesting how much of an anomaly the American pop market of 2002 was because of how much European-style dance-pop succeeded that year.

In this report, Madonna's "Die Another Day" is regarded as the worst Bond song.

http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/james-bond-007/feature/a659194/james-bond-theme-songs-ranked/

In this report, Madonna's "Die Another Day" is regarded as the worst Bond song.

http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/james-bond-007/feature/a659194/james-bond-theme-songs-ranked/


That's when she was back to being successful after some flops in the '90s.

That's when she was back to being successful after some flops in the '90s.


Except for her movies, Madonna didn’t really have any true “flops” in the ‘90s. Ray of Light came out in 1998, and that’s considered one of her best records. Even Bedtime Stories had two huge hit singles and generally positive reviews. I always thought the consensus was that Madonna’s biggest musical failure was American Life.

Anyways, any other thoughts about dance music in 2002?

Does Move Your Feet by Junior Senior count? I think that song came out in 2002.  :P

Except for her movies, Madonna didn’t really have any true “flops” in the ‘90s. Ray of Light came out in 1998, and that’s considered one of her best records. Even Bedtime Stories had two huge hit singles and generally positive reviews. I always thought the consensus was that Madonna’s biggest musical failure was American Life.

Anyways, any other thoughts about dance music in 2002?


I like "This Used To Be My Playground", which was from 1992.

For the most part, the United States was extremely resistant to dance music throughout the 2000s decade, opting instead for more hip hop and r&b-flavoured pop. That is, with the exception of one year: 2002. While hip hop superstars like Eminem, Ja Rule, and Nelly were still at the height of their popularity, Ashanti was the queen of pop, and teen pop was veering more towards the rock-based Avril Lavigne model, songs with a house beat, trance synths, and a European origin suddenly occupied a sizable portion of the top 40 market. It was a short-lived trend, which began declining in early 2003 and was completely gone by the following summer, but it was there. Perhaps major labels didn’t know specifically what to market to pop audiences in the aftermath of 9/11 and the backlash against boy bands, but considering this general type of music had been consistently popular in Europe from 1996 to when the electropop/EDM boom of the early 2010s converged American pop more with overseas markets, I find it fascinating how exclusive its popularity in the 2000s to the year 2002. Has anybody else noticed this?

To give an idea of the year’s dance/electronica-infused climate, 2002 was the only year that Kylie Minogue was popular in the US, aside from 1988. “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” though less popular than in other territories, was nonetheless Kylie’s first American top 10 hit since “The Loco-Motion,” and also seems to be the breakthrough that popularized electronic/house music for the rest of the year in America. In addition to “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” here are some of 2002’s other significant American hits with a dance/electronic edge:

* Kylie Minogue - Love At First Sight
* DJ Sammy - Heaven
* Paulina Rubio - Don’t Say Goodbye
* Daniel Bedingfield - Gotta Get Thru This
* Dirty Vegas - Days Go By
* Lasgo - Something
* Enrique Iglesias - Escape
* Madonna - Die Another Day

I may elaborate on some of these later, but it’s definitely interesting how much of an anomaly the American pop market of 2002 was because of how much European-style dance-pop succeeded that year.


Interesting.  Eurodance was popular through most of the '90s.  After that, the genre had hits here and there throughout the '00s but you are right in that 2002 was a high point for the genre.

I really liked all of these songs.  "Something" by Lasgo especially.  When I hear that song, the nostalgia is so strong it hurts.  I never really noticed this because from about 2003 to 2007 I was pretty into techno/trance music.  I remember how excited I was in 2009 when it finally looked like electronic music (people didn't use the term EDM back then) was finally becoming popular in the US outside of niche audiences.

To your list, I would also add "All The Things She Said" and "Not Gonna Get Us" by Tatu.

Does Move Your Feet by Junior Senior count? I think that song came out in 2002.  :P


It wasn't a hit in the US, even though it did show up on the American PS2 port of Dance Dance Revolution Extreme.


Interesting.  Eurodance was popular through most of the '90s.  After that, the genre had hits here and there throughout the '00s but you are right in that 2002 was a high point for the genre.

Yeah, the only times songs of a dance/electronica style, not necessarily just the eurodance sub-genre in particular, even became hits in the US from 1997 to 2008 was on very, very seldom occasions. "Everytime We Touch" by Cascada seems to be the primary non-2002 hit that was dance-oriented, and I suppose you can also throw in D.H.T.'s cover of "Listen to Your Heart," although I mostly heard the piano ballad version on the radio instead. Madonna's "Hung Up" reached #7, but the US was one of the only countries where it didn't make it to #1, while "Sorry" was a full-on soccer hit, like most dance/electronica songs in the 2000s.

I really liked all of these songs.  "Something" by Lasgo especially.  When I hear that song, the nostalgia is so strong it hurts.  I never really noticed this because from about 2003 to 2007 I was pretty into techno/trance music.  I remember how excited I was in 2009 when it finally looked like electronic music (people didn't use the term EDM back then) was finally becoming popular in the US outside of niche audiences.

Yeah, I loved dance/electronic music growing up in the 2000s, and boy oh boy, I cannot begin to tell you how upset I was by how unpopular it was in the United States compared to trashy snap music, in stark contrast to Europe, where it was highly prominent throughout the whole decade while not much from the snap craze besides "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" made it overseas.

To your list, I would also add "All The Things She Said" and "Not Gonna Get Us" by Tatu.

Not sure if I would really count those, especially the former. Both songs, to me, sound more like breakbeat/alternative with a pop sheen and offensively insincere marketing than they are dance/electronica. To be fair, though, t.A.T.u. did record some songs that do count, such as "Malchik Gay."

Does Move Your Feet by Junior Senior count? I think that song came out in 2002.  :P


I think so.