No one seems to know who exactly chooses the music. Week after week really strange unsuitable music is played for dances so I felt certain it must the producers choosing it.

Then I think it was Joanne made a comment about a particular song. I can't remember exactly what she said but something about choosing a song Ore wasn't that happy with.
So I wondered if the pro dancers choose.

I asked on another forum and 2 posters said they were more or less positive that the pro dancers put forward 3 suggestions and the producers choose 1 of them. If this is true though why would the pro dancers often choose songs that don't suit the dance at all or songs that their celeb doesn't like?

My enjoyment or otherwise of a dance is very heavily influenced by the music and if I really dislike a certain song or piece of music I find it quite hard to like the dance. I know if I were dancing I would definitely want it to be to something I liked.

There has been quite a bit of criticism of Danny and Oti dancing an AT to I Heard it through the Grapevine. I like the song and I enjoyed their dance but that song does not really suit an AT does it?

So who does choose?

Wasn't it Danny (on ITT) who said that Oti was initially not convinced when "they" gave them the song?

Or maybe it was another couple. But there was a distinct impression that the "they" referred to people other than the pro. I felt that it was referring to the producers.

Grapevine was far too fast for a proper AT.

do you really think a pro in their right mind would pick some of the music choices on strictly these days, they used to submit a list of music choices for producers to choose but that changed a while ago

Danny's dance was externally choreographed though - I would imagine what little say they have now, they have even less when someone else is putting the routine together.

Well that's what I thought but the comment Joanne made was definitely along the lines that she had chosen music Ore didn't like and she had to talk him round.

Also other people are of the almost certain opinion that pro dancers do choose the music.

I just wish someone knew for sure

Over time, you can see how the producer has taken complete control of all aspects of this programme to its detriment, but ratings increase. The latter being the primary objective.
Regardless what "the hired help" say. The final choice of music will be made by Louise Rainbow.

There can be no other reason, for some pathetic choices.

I still think Monkseal's blindfolded dart throwing monkeys choose the music

Tristan was very open about not choosing the music and indeed he said that sometimes a pro might suggest a song and then it be given to another couple. I can remember Mark Benton being very clear on ITT that they had not wanted their rumba music and just did the best they could with it, and I think AJ has said this year that they aren't choosing their music, but also I'm sure Brendan had some awful choice of song that everyone complained about and he said very clearly he'd chosen it. So it seems fair to assume that it isn't consistent - that sometimes the pro dancer gets the music they wanted and sometimes they don't, depending on the producers' overall aim for the show. Which is where the accusations of bias come in.

There aren't official rules about the music - or the costumes, props or running order. The producers don't have to be consistent and they don't have to do things the same way from series to series. So nobody knows.

I was at a salsa event with Kristina Rihanoff last night and we asked her about this.

She said that it has changed with each producer of the show. Originally the pros could submit their choice of music for each dance and choose the order they would do the dances. She said often pros went for the same music choices so she always submitted her's months early to make sure she got in first. She also said that it meant pros could be strategic in getting the hard dances near the start to get them out of the way.

Anyway, she said by the time she left, the newest producer had made it that the order of the dances and the song choices were dictated to the pros, who no longer get to choose. She said this made it quite a lot harder for the pros to get the best results possible from their partner.

Thought it was very interesting, because it tied into my impression that the course of the show is more guided in recent series (although that is just my opinion Kristina didn't say that. )

Very interesting thank you.
Confirms what many of us suspect, that producers keep plenty of control

Thanks for that, but it isn't rocket science to work out exactly how the programme has changed progressively over the years. But the "hype" has dramatically increased over the last few.
For me it started going downhill after 2012. Particularly, musically.

Let this run and you will see what I mean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znOnG5UIX8o

The executive producer since 2013, is Louise Rainbow and her primary objective is to beat the X-Factor in "the ratings war." This is because of the industry's misguided idea of what the viewer wants. They think we should be given "competitive programmes," when most of us want "alternative options."
She's not at all interested in the "hired help's" opinions. Pro dancers are ten a penny, step out of line and you won't be invited back next year. "Bad boy Brendan," saw the writing on the war years ago and is now a pussy cat.

It was obvious that to pinch some of the viewers from X-Factor the BBC would need to introduce elements that would attract younger viewers. Hence an increase in the hype ("Here are the judges!" is just pathetic) and the move to even less traditional ballroom music.
Her latest ploy is to go for the teenage viewing market, hence the appearance of A.J and a teenage partner. You can be sure he'll be back again next year.

^^^^This, 100%^^^

Slightly OT for a music thread, but another major advantage of a celeb like Claudia and a pro like AJ is their use of social media which is much more in tune with teens - Snapchat, Instagram, stories and emojis - and also reaches out to a different audience.

Maybe Claudia requested current music to dance to as well and this has been taken into account?

From the way the celebs talk sometimes, saying they have something special lined up for the week or two after, it sounds very much as if the whole series is plotted out by dance and music week by week before it even starts. I do wonder if a celeb's music could be transferred to someone else if they leave the show. For example, I bet Will had some cracking music lined up which could be used for others.

If you can give out terrible music and costumes, and music and costumes that lend themselves to a popular , good performance, pick the running order, and pick when people get the most vote attractive dances, you don't guide. You control who gets to the end. Same with x factor - running order, song choice, VTs , supporting vocals, staging, all are crucial.

"The executive producer since 2013, is Louise Rainbow and her... "

Her? His? Theirs?

#justsayin' #LGBT #rainbow #coincidence? #nuffsaid

This was the case back in the days before Strictly became a props and themes fest of dances that half the time are more like showdances than the dances they're supposed to be.

Now the pros have no say in either song or theme, and it shows.


We do know for sure - it's obvious from the number of songs that don't fit the dances. And everything that's been posted on this thread.

Don't take everything the pros and celebs say on ITT at face value - if it doesn't fit the image the BBC is trying to portray and the audience they are trying to target, you can bet it will be heavily edited or taken out of context.

I think in the past a pro has suggested some music and been slightly miffed when it was given to someone else while they were still on the show and still wanted to dance to it!

It is a useful tool though, if the monkey can hit a music choice that suits what the producer wants. Maybe the producer doesn't always want everyone to get the best music choice possible?

They do tend to use Disco music a lot - even for Salsa. I think Reggae would be a better choice for Salsa (albeit a less frenetic Salsa).

eg.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trEiiT2Qaa8

the producers

Brendan said on ITT last year that one of his and Kirsty's dances (Movie week one? Lady and the Tramp?) was oringally planned for the couple who had left the week previously.

I think the pros have some / considerable input in this season's selection as I think I can see a pattern in which songs they choose and what music they like.

And Oksana has been selecting traditional, AJ pop and Oti R&B. I don't think that is a coincidence.

I will never understand why the BBC needs to engage in ratings wars as they do not have to rely on advertising revenue.

Whilst BbC is well and truly beating X Factor each week - they are still not getting the 18-32 demographic - if the BBC had +1 or a repeat im sure that would improve a lot of young ones I know are getting ready to go out when Strictly is aired and as many are dancers they catch it on iplayer but I wonder if the casual viewer in this age group would bother

To be fair, although I know other channels do have on-line availability for "catch up," the BBC has invested millions in i>Player, (as you have mentioned) so most programmes are available for a number of weeks.
They won't be interested in providing "Plus-ones" because of that.

I think the vast majority of teens who can get into a pub or club, whatever their age won't be at home on a Saturday night. So Rainbow is chasing a small market.

But in my opinion, she'll "chase anything" that might improve the ratings.

She hasn't tried including "lovable animals" yet, or has she?

Cute, but they could be a nightmare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsQXo1LHxAE

On another thread someone posted that AJ mentioned in a radio interview that he and Claudia would love to dance to some more classic tunes but that wasn't up to them.

I do think the producers are forcing music choices and themes onto the pairs and if it is a bad theme/piece of music the pro just has to do what they can.

From memory, it changed around Season Eight and the professionals are now given a choice of two or three (can't remember exactly) pieces of music by the production team.
Before then it used to be the other way round, the professionals would submit their preferred choices and the production team would decide which ones based on music rights etc.

ETA: I see that's also been confirmed further up the thread.

Music? There's actual music? Sheesh. I never knew.