A Brief History of House Music
House music remains a key part of the foundations of worldwide dance music. The roots of
which can be traced back to the underground Chicago club scene in the early 1980s. House
rose from the ashes of disco, a genre that had fallen out of favour with mainstream america.
Born in Chicago
The name “house” music is widely believed to come from The Warehouse, the legendary Chicago nightclub where DJ Frankie Knuckles, often called the “Godfather of House,” played extended sets that blended disco classics with drum machines and synths such as Roland TR-808s and TR-909s. Frankie created a sound that mixed electronic, repetitive, and rhythm-focused beats, at a bpm of 120 – 130 bpm with a 4/4 tempo. Allowing for long dance sessions and unique hypnotic grooves.The term house was used to describe the music played in the Chicago warehouse.
Other key pioneers of house sounds such as Jesse Saunders, Larry Heard (aka Mr. Fingers)
and Ron Hardy shaped house music .Jesse Saunders’ 1984 track “On and On” is considered
one of the first house records ever created. House was raw, soulful, and deeply connected to
the dancefloor, with strong rhythm over lyrics. Fuelled by this new house sound, DJ’s
spearheaded the move into production of the new genre , with it’s unique blend of groove, drum machines, 4 on the floor beats , strong bass and layered vocal.
Spreading Beyond Chicago
By the mid-to-late 1980s, house began to spread globally , especially to the UK and Europe.
British DJs and producers were particularly inspired by the sound which gained a mass
following in clubs such as Shoom and the Haçienda , helping to introduce house to a wider
audience. Subgenres began to emerge in acid house with it’s squelchy basslines created with the Roland TB-303, deep house, melodic and soulful beat and further genres such as
progressive and tech house. Meanwhile in Ibiza , balearic beats credited to DJ Alfredo had a
major influence in the popularity of dance music, House put Ibiza on the map as a clubbing
hotspot.
House Music Goes Mainstream
1990s house sealed it’s place in global music culture. CeCe Peniston, Crystal Waters, and
Robin S introduced house vocals to mainstream radio which heavily influenced music
production. Underground house scenes flourished in cities across the globe adding to the
demand for more house.
Over the following 10 years preceding the 2000’s electronic dance music (EDM) festivals
pushed house and its many offshoots into the spotlight.Fusing styles such as techno, trance,
and hip hop with Artists such as Swedish House Mafia, and Calvin Harris creating a new
generation of sounds.
Legacy
House music and it’s roots resonate as a culture built on inclusivity, freedom, and expression.
More than 40 years on , It’s legacy lies not just in the beats but in house’s power to bring
people together . House remains a cornerstone of dance music, constantly evolving but never losing its soulful four on the floor beat that connects us to the dancefloor.
The current scene is more diverse and global than ever, blending underground roots with
mainstream appeal. Genres like tech , bass, afro, deep and melodic house dominate clubs and festivals worldwide, driven by a new generation of producers and DJs who merge classic grooves with modern production.Often sampling tracks from it’s origins. House continues to evolve whilst remaining deeply connected to its roots.
Here are 5 house music tracks that are foundationally significant:
“On and On” – Jesse Saunders (1984)
Considered to be the first house record pressed to vinyl, this track set the foundations for the
genre’s development. Produced using drum machines and synthesizers, moving away from live instrumentation toward a more electronic sound.
“Your Love” – Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle (1984–1987)
Originally circulated as a tape in the 1980s before being officially released, this is an iconic
track combining vocals with deep, hypnotic synths. It epitomises the sound of early Chicago
house helping seal Frankie Knuckles’ legendary status as one of the godfathers of house
music.
“Can You Feel It” – Mr. Fingers (Larry Heard) (1986)
This deep house classic track is known for its warm, melodic rhythm Larry Heard brought a
soulful approach to house, influencing generations of music producers.
“Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)” – Marshall Jefferson (1986)
One of the first house records to feature piano , which became a staple sound within house
music. Move your body transitioned house from the underground clubs into the main stream
spotlight.
“Acid Tracks” – Phuture (1987)
This 12-minute track by DJ Pierre’s group Phuture brought the trippy, squelchy TB-303 sound to house reshaping it’s direction.
We need to mention legendary Chicago house music vocalist Chuck Roberts, who is known to be the voice of house. In his vocal on the 1987 track “Rhythm controll my house” , the lyrics of “in the beginning there was Jack “ , have remained a key explanation of house music , and have been sampled globally.
In the words of Chuck Roberts … “IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS JACK, AND JACK HAD A
GROOVE, and from this groove came the groove of all grooves, and while one day viciously throwing down on his box, Jack boldly declared,“Let there be HOUSE!” and house music was born….
Words – Lou O’Shea 12/6/25
House music resources and films
Pump up the volume: A history of House music [Documentary] • 2001, Channel 4
https://youtu.be/QDBpXSMOBiA?si=SuxCd8L7d-snfeu
Warehouse Nightclub https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warehouse%28nightclub%29?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Deep House History Instagram – @deephousehistory
House Music
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_music
Chuck Roberts – In The Beginning (There Was Jack) feat. Monique Bingham (Official Video)
https://youtu.be/pp8hIRUIg8g?si=Wy3b5pe2f01bW2JK