Disco Music
Disco was the soundtrack of the 70s. Uploaded by wall.alphacolors.com.
Oh, come on, loosen up. I know it’s been fashionable for the last 30 years to put disco down, and I was there with you for much of that time. But there’s no denying the vitality, the infectious beat, the cool dancing that characterized disco at its peak. I’m not claiming it’s great music – just that it’s fun music.
While some make claims for earlier tunes as being the first disco song, consensus has given that honor to “Rock the Boat” by the Hues Corporation. In 1979, noted DJ Casey Kasem did his American Top 40 show on the biggest hits of the disco era. Here are his top 10:
Uploaded by odimusic.net.
10. “Y.M.C.A.”, The Village People (1979)
9. “Boogie Oogie Oogie”, A Taste of Honey (1978)
8. “I Love the Night Life”, Alicia Bridges (1978)
7. “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”, Rod Stewart (1979)
6. “I Will Survive”, Gloria Gaynor (1979)
5. “A Fifth of Beethoven”, Walter Murphy (1976)
4. “Best of My Love”, The Emotions (1977)
3. “Stayin’ Alive”, Bee Gees (1978)
2. “Night Fever”, Bee Gees (1978)
1. “Le Freak”, Chic (1978)
I think “I Will Survive” is the ultimate disco song. Or maybe “Disco Inferno” by the Trammps. Or just about anything by Donna Summer.
You can see by the years in the above hits that disco reached its zenith in 78-79 with the release of Saturday Night Fever. John Travolta dancing in that white disco suit was a national sensation. Then the backlash began, culminating in “I Hate Disco Night” between games of a scheduled doubleheader at Chicago’s Comiskey Park when disgruntled rock fans rioted and tore up the field. So disco has been out of fashion among the true music lovers ever since – but there’s no denying it has a memorable place in American music history.