As a drummer, the notion of Rhythm is fundamental; melody and chords are there, but it's not the principal role of the percussion section, usually. Simple notions, such as changing to half-time, or the opposite, doubling the beat, can be very effective, or exchanging snare and bass drum, the 'one' on the snare, bass drum on the back-beat. Much more influence on style can be had by using 'claves' (rhythms...) from other idioms than pop rock. 'White Rabbit', for instance, starts off with a 'tango' feel, Police borrowed extensively from reggae and ska sources. Old-school jive beats are good for getting folk up and dancing, as are alternative rhythms such as 6/8 or 2/4. In fact, a great deal of music aimed at Dance has brought about a very wide range, from afro-beats to calypso, samba to polka, jazzy waltz to bossa nova and so many more. This makes it, for me, all the more sad when I come across straight disco beat lead-foot bass drum EDM. There are exceptions, but there is so much more than that. Cross-culture is a boon, so taking elements from elsewhere and adapting them to the occasion brings oodles of interest to an alert rhythm section (including, naturally, the bass...), and can bring a sparkle to an evening and a spring to the dancers' steps. Well worth exploring, I say. Just my tuppence-worth.