logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
50m 18s

Dance Yourself Free

NPR
About this episode
Ever since Beyonce's Renaissance dropped last summer, house music has found its way back to mainstream audiences, prompting some to ask "Is house back?" But the truth is, it never went away. Born out of the ashes of disco in the underground clubs of Chicago by Black queer youth in the late 1970s and 80s, house music has been the continued soundtrack of parties around the world, and laid the groundwork for one of the most popular musical genres in history – electronic dance music. And yet, the deeper you dig into the origins of house music, the more clear it becomes that the history of house, like the history of rock and roll, is a complicated tale of Black cultural resistance.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Jul 30
The lightbulb conspiracy is both real and everywhere
Over the next few episodes, we present Hidden Histories: stories that will make you rethink how the world works. First up, the conspiracy behind the lightbulb—and how it came to shape the entire consumer economy. If you ever wondered why your tech outdates so quickly or just plai ... Show More
31m 49s
Jul 28
The license to be funny in America
One of the most fundamental aspects of American democracy has been the public’s ability to critique power, whether that’s through protest, legislation, or a really funny joke. Today, we take a romp into the history of American comedy, showing no matter how crude, rude, or distast ... Show More
20m 1s
Jul 23
The architect of modern China
From impoverishment to global superpower, China’s supremacy happened at a breakneck speed thanks to the visionary strategy of the man who took power in 1978. Over the next decade, under leader Deng Xiaoping’s firm leadership, China flirted with capitalism and transformed its soci ... Show More
37m 41s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
The Forgotten Black and Queer History of House Music - Beyond the Scenes
Beyoncé and Drake released house music albums this year, leaving fans confused by their shift from pop-soul sounds to dance beats. Despite popular belief, house music comes from the the 70s disco era and fostered a safe space for Black and queer folk to feel true liberation. Dail ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 2023
Warehouse / Music Box - Chicago, US
The Warehouse and The Music Box were incredibly influential Chicago clubs that became ground zero for the rise of House Music. Under the supervision of Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy, these two house clubs cultivated a new genre of music created by people of color that would go o ... Show More
43 m
Jul 2023
Warehouse / Music Box - Chicago, US
The Warehouse and The Music Box were incredibly influential Chicago clubs that became ground zero for the rise of House Music. Under the supervision of Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy, these two house clubs cultivated a new genre of music created by people of color that would go o ... Show More
43 m
Jun 2022
Beyoncé's House
The world stops with a Beyoncé drop. On Monday, June 20th, our prayers were answered with “Break My Soul,” the lead single off of her upcoming album, Renaissance. The song draws from several places of inspiration: lyrically, it’s a cathartic dance-floor ode to liberation, soundtr ... Show More
31m 18s
Sep 2021
The Black history of twerking -- and how it taught me self-love | Lizzo
Twerking is mainstream now ... but do you know where it came from? Superstar Lizzo traces booty shaking to a traditional West African dance and tells how Black women across generations kept the rhythm alive, from blues and jazz singers to modern rap and hip-hop performers. With h ... Show More
12m 25s
Apr 2022
special episode: how disco (briefly) took over the world
In this special episode of 365 days with mxmtoon, Maia talks about the history of disco, a music genre that started out as a response to the counterculture movement of the 1960s and turned into a dance craze and subculture that perpetuates to this day. Then, Maia will tell us all ... Show More
12m 7s