polka
what it is
The polka is a lively Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in the Czech lands and remains a common genre in Swedish, Lithuanian, Czech, Polish, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Austrian, Russian, Slovenian, and Slovak folk music. In light classical music, many polkas were composed by both Johann Strauss I and his son Johann Strauss II; a couple of well-known ones were composed by Bedřich Smetana, and Jaromír Vejvoda, the author of Škoda lásky ("Roll Out the Barrel").
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make polka a playlist
turn these 14 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is polka?
The polka is a lively Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in the Czech lands and remains a common genre in Swedish, Lithuanian, Czech, Polish, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Austrian, Russian, Slovenian, and Slovak folk music. In light classical music, many polkas were composed by both Johann Strauss I and his son Johann Strauss II; a couple of well-known ones were composed by Bedřich Smetana, and Jaromír Vejvoda, the author of Škoda lásky ("Roll Out the Barrel").
What are good polka albums to start with?
Try Alpocalypse by "Weird Al" Yankovic, Polka's Not Dead by The Dreadnoughts, 22 of the Greatest Polkas by Myron Floren, and Polkas for a Gloomy World by Brave Combo.
Who are some women making polka?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/polka/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making polka, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-19