Google defines house music as “a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive four-on-four beat and a typical tempo of 115-130 beats per minute.” But to senior Arissa Apodaca, her definition of house music would be “upward beats that you can dance too.”
House music’s origins trace back to the underground clubs of Chicago and New York in the late 70s. Club culture spawned from the disco era. The exact origins of who created house music is unclear, but many say house music was named after “The Warehouse” nightclub in Chicago’s South Side. Chicago record stores would attract fans of the emerging sound by labeling dance records “as played at The Warehouse,” which became shortened to “house music.” 
House music became the first direct descendant of disco in the early 80s. It’s said “house was born from the ashes of Disco” after the launch of an anti-disco movement. The disco movement became a global “fad” in the late 70s, partly due to hit films such as “Saturday Night Fever” in 1977. Disco’s mainstream popularity drew backlash from haters, and a “Disco Sucks” movement rose.
Once Disco was falling off the charts US record labels had to look for new music, and DJs were forced to explore new mixing approaches to create dance music. The early 80s was a vital turning point for DJing and music production. DJs and music producers in Chicago, New York, and Detroit delved deeper into dance music production and embraced new machines. Chicago had a thriving underground dance scene throughout the 80s and DJs were seeking new music to energize the dance floor.
The 90’s might have been House music’s golden time but it is slowly starting to become more popular with the younger generation, which is creating a big spotlight back on it.
But the real question besides it being good dance music is, what makes house music so special to people? I went around and asked some Holy Family Seniors why they love house music so much, here is what some of them have to say about it.
Apodaca: ” I love to listen to it because whether I’m studying, sad, or happy it always makes me feel good. I love listening to it before going somewhere because it gets me hyped and excited.”
Said senior Stanley Hernandez: “I love listening to house music because of the high energy of beats and the joy and fun it gives when listening.”
