In the Japanese version of this game, the song "Money" by The Ragga Twins can be found in the data. Graphics, step data, and the music can be found for this song. This was presumably replaced with "MAKE IT BETTER" by Mitsu-O!, which is similar in style.

In the US PS1 port of this game, several backgrounds for songs go unused. These songs are "Let's Get Down", "That's the Way", "Rock Beat", "Butterfly", "Hero" and "Bad Girls". The last song mentioned, "Bad Girls", has an incomplete background.

The EU arcade port of this game, called "Dancing Stage", features a song called "Uh La La La". This song's expert chart is the only chart in the series where the player must hit 3 panels at once.

Contrary to its listed artist and former-listed BPM as "180", the song "PARANOiA" from Dance Dance Revolution does not actually play at a constant 180 BPM. Instead, it fluctuates within a range of 169.81 and 183.67 BPM. Dance Dance Revolution World is the first game to correctly note this fluctuation in BPM, albeit rounded to the whole numbers 170 and 184 respectively.

The song "MAKE A JAM!", introduced in the PlayStation version of the game, samples and rearranges the "Walking logo" jingle Konami used in the company's Japanese console releases between 1994 and late 1998.

The ideas for Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Freaks came about due to the popularity of the first Beatmania game at the Amusement Machine Operators Union (AOU) Show in February 1998. Sound directors and composers Naoki Maeda and Mutsuhiko Izumi observed the popularity of a DJ simulation game and wanted to replicate the idea with dancing and playing the electric guitar respectively. Izumi became the sound director of Guitar Freaks as he was the only staff member at the time who could play guitar.