Apologies if this has been asked and answered but I'd love to know who chooses the music for the dances.

We don't know but clearly someone who doesn't dance, doesn't know anything about dance and is possibly deaf.

My guess is that it is chosen by a bean counter in the commercial department of the BBC who is working out how much the performing rights costs will be.

I wonder if the music is budgeted per episode or per couple.

This, so much, this.

I don't think there has been a single series of Strictly where the music hasn't been mainly diabolical. There has only been the odd dance here and there where the music has been suitable and matched the dance, some have been mediocre, and the vast majority have been painful.

I don't think they've ever heard of Latin music for Latin dances.

I totally agree with the remarks here. The music choices are just terrible most times and it must be so hard for the pros to choreograph a dance for that. More this series than any other I can remember both myself and the wife have looked at each other and said basically the same thing 'they chose this for a Paso/Rumba/Waltz/etc, etc, etc?!'. I believe one of the lady contestants mentioned during Judges remarks how hard it was to dance to the music she had been given, can't recall who it was now

It was Kirsty, about her paso music, which had been chosen by Brendan.

Used to be that pros gave a list of songs they'd like during the summer. Then, each week they were given a choice of 3 songs for that dance.

Now that they're trying to turn Strictly in to Burn The Floor - The TV Show, I think there is even less choice now!

I think a chimpanzee with a refined taste in tragic futility

True!

Well, she was right. That was terrible music for a Paso!

U2, Brute?

Whats available, whats going to cost, whats the right length, what can be sung, and what their singers are up to singing, must reduce the options a lot. They already seem to be lacking on belt, or tenor or soprano ability on many of their choices.

Kevin said he asked if they could do something from Star Wars in movie week, so he had some input, and Brendan chose the U2 song it seems.
Others seem to get not much say if any at all. It seems very hit and miss as to who gets some say and who gets the thin end of the wedge.

2012 radio times: coup!es get 3 songs per dance to choose from
2012 Brendan said they submitted choices but also given a song or theme on occasion
2013 Kristina said they did not choose songs any more
2014 James Jordan implied producers dictating everything
2014 Tristan said they were given songs and costume but asked to suggest music and concepts when partnered up. Balance decided by producers as to concept and dance
2015 Kristina said 90% of the choices came from production, pros can make suggestions sometimes taken on board
2015 Robin said pros submit list but often their choices get given to other couples and they end up with something bizarre...

I've really noticed the songs being particularly unsuited to the dances this series.

Examples of celebs getting their favourites:
Craig Kelly don't !et the sun go down on me
Alesha Crazy in love
Steve Backshall use somebody
Peter S mission impossible o
Kara samba pa ti

Examples of pros getting their requests:
Natalie Lowe King of the swingers
Kevin traditional paso/AT for Susanna/Caroline
Vincent Rumour has it, holiday
Brendan Beautiful day

Pros can also use songs eliminated couples would have used
Celebs can try and change choices (Louisa/russell)
Pros/slebs have tweeted for requests in the past (Natalie/Russell)

Production team have final say

Examples of foisted songs or themes
Tristan mama mia
Ola rock of ages tango (here I go again)
Artem devil in me
Brendan right here waiting
Pasha hungry like the wolf

Pre 2012 Natalie Ian Erin Anton all confirmed they generally chose and 9/10 got what they asked for (unless wanting same track) and often thought of potential tracks/routines re season. But certainly by 2012/3 the pros seem to have been choosing from the best of a bad bunch and being told what themes to do rather than them submitting three choices and the producers picking one pending copyright/repetition/clearance.

Oh and sometimes getting clearance for a song is not as easy as you might think. They could not clear a song in time recently on DWTS until late by which point the pro had gone to the fallback track .

Beyonce Castle reading old threads so you don't have to! (suffering from insomnia has its downsides) x

My view is that the producers are trying so desperately to use a range of 'popular' music that they use unsuitable music for ballroom dancing. They may even have decided a split of traditional/classical/jazz/swing/pop/disco/rock music before the start of the series and are checking them off week by week. They are not using music if it is not already well known, even if it is traditional and suitable for a dance. God forbid that the public have their musical experience widened by a Saturday night TV program!

Natalie and King of the Swingers? Which celebrity was that with?

When did Kevin dance with Caroline?

I think this series more than most I have had WTF moments at the music choices. I'm all for non traditional music for dance, but it has to be the right music. For example, paso needs a defined beat that has continuous drive - I think it was Kirsty and Brendan that had Beautiful Day by U2? Half the song is slow and minimalistic with barely any instruments. The other half is a continuous crescendo with thrashing instruments.

Every series has bad music choices. But I haven't a clue what is going on this year. It really does effect the overall mood of a dance.

Yes, but as someone has pointed out, that was Brendan's choice so production not at fault for that. Kimberley was a big Beyoncé fan as I remember and got to dance to two of her tracks but then Jeremy got to dance to Elvis Costello last night so they must take celeb choices into some account. Perhaps just not as much as before.

I was in shock when I read that Jay & Aliona were to do a quickstep to My Generation.
Wtf?

They sure pulled it off though.

I was not convinced about Jay's Paso music. It usually looks like that dancers are having a fit, with music and dance being unrelated. But she choreographed it cleverly using music accents in the dance.

One of the Pasodobles last night was awful - they might as well have danced to white noise or a telephone ringing.

According to Jeremy's diary, a guy called Matt -
http://jeremyvine.tv/jeremy-vine-str...ll-miss-karen/

Matt Howes is the only Matt in the credits.

You can Google 'Matthew Howes Strictly' for further info.