Year In Dance 2018 pt. 3 | Top Dance Songs of 2018 - a podcast by Keith a.k.a. K j A M

Well, folks, I did it! I've been running a marathon since November trying to stay on track in whipping out these dance music time capsules. We have reached the end with part 3 of the Year In Dance 2018.

I have to say that at the very least, 2018 has been a good year for Legacy artists. Think about it, Toni Braxton, Barbara Tucker, Crystal Waters, Donna Summer, and even Diana Ross all had number one dance club hits this year. Diana actually had two. While I couldn't work in Barbara nor Crystal, everyone else made the cut, though I only went with Diana's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" to close out this set and skipped the "I'm Coming Out/Upside Down" medley. On paper, it may have sounded like a good idea, but the execution was awkward, to say the least.

We had a few breakout artists from last year that continued to have great success (i.e., Dua Lipa, Cardi B, and Camila Cabello) but there weren't really any BIG new names to speak of. Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato had a great year with their offerings but as a collective — the year was just okay if not underwhelming.

More than anything, 2018 was the year of the DJ. Legends like Eric Kupper, MK, StoneBridge, Barry Harris, and Dave Aude continue to generate big hits. In fact, David Guetta (who now falls into the legend category) has been busier than ever with a slew of releases this year — with more hits than misses. Tiesto's music machine continues to churn as well.

However, the up and comers are beginning to dominate. No doubt you were dancing to one of the many Jonas Blue tracks this year along with Marshmello and Zedd (who can claim the song of the year with "The Middle"). Of course, the DJ/producer Party Favorz has his eye on is Purple Disco Machine. While he can be a little formulaic, we're starting to see him branch out and I fully expect bigger things from him to come. Nevertheless, his star continued to rise in 2018 with releases like "Dished (Male Stripper)" and his reworking of the Fat Boy Slim classic "Praise You." At the very least, he appears to be our only hope for a modern-day disco revival. Time will tell.



"EDM has been sad, slow songs for years now, Doesn’t have anything in common with the music I love to make. 2010-2014 EDM was more house-influenced to me. Anyway now I’m out the bubble and making big records with amazing singers that sound like house music to me."

One of my favorite quotes of the year comes from the very talented and prolific Calvin Harris. In response to a tweet from a fan who asked: "Will you be going back to EDM at some point?" Harris replied "EDM has been sad, slow songs for years now, doesn't have anything in common with the music I love to make. 2010-2014 EDM was more house-influenced to me. Anyway now I’m out the bubble and making big records with amazing singers that sound like house music to me."

His response was dead-on. To expand on his assertion, electronic dance music is nothing more than a label. With the advent of keyboards and synthesizers, it started in the late '70s. By the time the '80s rolled around, the overwhelming amount of music being produced was electronic. The technology continued to improve through the '90s and is now so common that up and coming DJ/producers start creating at a young age in their bedroom with software on their computer. At the end of the day, it's all still house music.

Harris' response that it's "sad, slow songs" is referenced in my first post. The Reggaeton,

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