The 'Drop the Bass' meme emerged during the peak of the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) explosion in the early 2010s, primarily poking fun at the dramatic tension preceding a song's climax. While the phrase is a technical term for the reintroduction of low-frequency sounds, the internet quickly turned it into a visual pun involving literal 'bass' fish or hyperbolic depictions of DJs. It gained massive traction on platforms like Tumblr and Reddit, often featuring high-energy concert photos or celebrities looking intensely focused. Today, the meme is a staple for music lovers, used to satirize the predictable structure of dubstep and the sometimes over-the-top antics of festival culture.