The earliest forms of electronic music can be traced back to the mid-20th century, when composers began experimenting with electronic instruments and tape manipulation. One of the first notable pioneers in electronic music was Pierre Schaeffer, a French composer who is credited with creating the first musique concrete compositions in the late 1940s. Musique concrète, which means "concrete music" in French, is a form of electronic music that uses recorded sounds as the primary material for composition. Schaeffer and his colleagues at the French national radio station, Radiodiffusion-Television Francaise (RTF), used a variety of techniques to manipulate and rearrange recorded sounds, including splicing, looping, and reversing.

In the 1950s and 1960s, electronic music continued to evolve and gain popularity. Composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage used electronic instruments and techniques in their compositions, and electronic music began to be featured in films and television shows. By the 1970s, electronic music had become a mainstream genre, with artists like Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder paving the way for the electronic dance music (EDM) of today.

One of the key developments in electronic music was the creation of the synthesizer, which allowed musicians to create and manipulate electronic sounds in real-time. The first synthesizers were developed in the 1950s and 1960s, and they became increasingly popular in the 1970s as electronic music gained traction. Synthesizers allowed musicians to create sounds that were previously impossible to produce with traditional instruments, and they became a staple in electronic music production.

In the 1980s, electronic music exploded in popularity with the rise of techno and house music. These genres, which originated in Detroit and Chicago, respectively, became popular in clubs and dance parties around the world. The 1990s saw the emergence of other electronic music genres, such as trance and drum and bass, which continue to be popular today.

Today, electronic music is a ubiquitous presence in popular culture. EDM festivals, like Electric Daisy Carnival and Tomorrowland, attract millions of attendees each year, and electronic music has become a staple at music festivals around the world. Electronic music has also influenced a wide range of other genres, including pop, hip hop, and rock.

While electronic music has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the 20th century, it continues to evolve and influence popular culture. From the experimental tape music of the 1950s to the booming EDM festivals of today, electronic music has made a lasting impact on the world of music.