The Untold History of Disco 

I’ve been working on this video for months and, unfortunately, in the past week, events in the U.S. have proved just why it’s so important to tell these stories. Every day, it’s becoming more dangerous to be a queer person in this world despite the fact that our modern culture is fundamentally shaped by the queer trailblazers in the past. If you want to help support LGBT youth, please consider donating to the Trevor Project: www.thetrevorproject.org/ Or, if you want to support the families and survivors of the Club Q shooting more directly, check out their GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-club-q-families-and-survivors

I don't care what anybody thinks, I love disco.

It's so weird that people hated disco. It's literally funk with just a little more extra rhythmic patterns. Heck, Disco is what pretty much inspired electronic dance/house music

The whole "disco sucks" thing and the hatred of disco was unique to the US. Disco was murdered and ridiculed here, but nowhere else! In Europe, disco evolved into Eurodance, High NRG, Italodisco and Synth Pop. New Wave was a clear evolution of disco as well. Blue Monday in 1983 is a perfect example. In the States, it evolved into House music, all because of one DJ in Chicago! And all these different genres that originated with Disco, all evolved into EDM! Disco Never Died!!!!!

Sylvester's back-up singers recorded 'It's Raining Men' in 1981 as The Weather Girls, a decade later they topped the charts multiple times WORLDWIDE providing the lead vocals for Black Box and other dance tunes, the whole era of Diva Dance Music was lead by old disco girls.....Disco never died, it evolved, and grew like a butterfly.

Disco didn’t die, it was murdered. I think you did an excellent job telling this story, and it’s evidently poignant now.

I was a young gay man in the early 1970's, coming to terms with my sexuality and feeling so isolated. Then I discovered the gay clubs in 1972 and the disco music soon became the anthem of my personal expression. The songs were energizing and fun. And I still remember those days with such fondness. Unfortunately, the 'disco sucks' movement was an insult to all those wonderful, gifted artists whose music meant so much to me and my friends. I was furious about it. How dare they! No other genre of music was ever so wrongly maligned.

a good night in a good disco made you feel like you were floating on a cloud. I remember nights when people on a dance floor would turn away from their friends and start dancing with total strangers. And disco NEVER EVER died and is still not dead. People will always enjoy dancing and enjoy dance music. My out of print impossible to find disco records (Lime, Cerrone, Voyage, Change) are like solid gold to me now.

If Disco didn’t exist, we wouldn’t have Daft Punk or Justice, so I’m eternally grateful for its existence

Disco had a tremendous impact in music. No matter what haters say its power is undeniable.

Disco didn't die. It became House Music and is alive and well, today.

Thank you. This is such a wonderful historic review of the disco era. I loved disco. It didn't die, it was just hidden. The 80's dance songs were so disco but no one wanted to call it that. The resurgence in the '90's is proof it was not dead. Today most dance songs still use a disco beat. So how can anyone say it's dead? Not in my book.

One of the golden ages of music that never died for its fans

Artists like Donna Summer, Bee Gees, and Chic truly revolutionized the genre. Thanks for covering this!

Sylvester was truly an iconic musician, and I feel really sad that he died young. Mighty Real is still a banger, RIP Sylvester

The "death" of disco brought on that post disco, italo disco, groove, funk tunes of the 80s that I love so much.

Disco and rollerblading were the very best part of my teens.

The story of that "Disco Sucks" leader sounds like the most stereotypical villain backstory ever

Still has some of the best basslines in American music and pop.

Agree with your thesis. Was a teen when the 'death to disco' thing happened, remember the wave of anti-disco fervor (read Rolling Stone religiously, newspapers etc). In the last few years I've come to believe that the joyousness that exists in a lot of disco was also part of what the White rock-n-roll crowd could not accept. Keep up the good work, I'd happily watch a 2 hour version of this.

My cousin and his partner went to Studio 54 frequently back in the day. He said the way you got in is if you knew someone. He saved a piece of memorabilia from a party and put it in a shadow box and gave it to me. It’s now hanging on the wall in my office. ❤

I’m obsessed with post disco and I’ve just started this video. I’m praying that gets spoken about. Disco did not completely die after 1979. There was a whole “post disco” club movement that caused house music to be created.

As a 61 year old straight guy who lived through this era, growing up on classic rock, soul and disco, even spending quite a bit of time in NYC, I thought that there would be no way that you could sustain my interest in this topic for almost 35 minutes. Man, was I wrong. You are simply amazing! How do you completely understand this era and music? You are a genius who transcends time. Do you ever feel as thought you have lived through previous lives? Well done!

"Love To Love You Baby" was actually co-written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte.

In "Rock The Boat", you hear the "samba-disco" feel, and this definitely meant that disco came not just from African music, but also from Brazil. This set up the lead-in into so many "samba-disco" songs, up to Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" in 1978, which was nearly a samba-disco anthem.

Hey Polyphonic dude, I've always enjoyed your videos, but this is something else. This is honestly great documentary history of a subject that hasn't really been treated very seriously by the academic history community. I teach modern US history and I have great documentary videos that I share with my students for both the birth of psychedelic rock and the origins of hip hop, but I 've never found anything really good on disco. This really is good and my classes will watch this video from now on when we study the 1970s. You do a great job of making the connections between disco and the birth and growth of the gay rights movement. That's what makes this good cultural history, not just a cool music documentary. If I could offer one criticism, it would be that I think the argument that the disco sucks riot caused the downfall of disco is a bit too convenient and simple. But that's a pretty small criticism of an excellent historical narrative overall. So thanks for making this. I, and my students, really appreciate it!

Thank you for telling these important stories about the music that shaped us all. I'm a queer 50yo that grew up with that same Disco Sucks cloud hanging over my upbringing, despite loving it as a kid growing up in the Seventies. It wasn't until a BeeGees documentary recently that I had a clue about the anti-LGBTQ+ movement behind it all. Seeing it now for what it was then and how much it affected my identity growing up makes me furious. Thank you again for telling these stories.

I was a teenager in the 80s and we all went to the school disco and then snuck into disco clubs because we were underage. Disco never really died it just evolved.

Disco didn't die, it just became House Music

The fact that you discussed not just the music but the social impact and cultural importance disco carried with it is what makes this video better than basically every music breakdown video. Can’t say how much value there is in the acknowledgment that music is often an expression of a people during a time. It’s rarely just a song. Music can often be the sonic torch carried by people with a message. Killer work man, this one’s up there with some of your best work.

Growing up in Detroit in the 60’s and 70’s, I was surrounded by music. Mowtown was king in the 60’s. When I was a small boy, we lived not far from the Michigan State Fair. When my bedroom window was open, you could hear in the distance Mowtown groups performing for a grateful hometown audience. Who didn’t like The Supremes? In the mid 70’s I was a closeted teen. I knew my interest in James Franciscus was more than admiring his acting, I tried to hide the fact I thought he was the most attractive man in Hollywood. Every New Year’s Eve my parents had a party, and I was the designated baby sitter for my younger cousins whose parents attended the party. I remember one New Years very well. All of the younger kids were asleep, and I turned on Dick Clark. Didn’t everyone? He had a new group he predicted would be a smash. I waited for the first t.v. appearance of The Village People. They caught my eye right away.......... especially the construction worker, David Hodo. I went to the record store and bought their album, and the other releases too. Who could resist “Live and Sleazy”? My senior year came and my class trip was on a cruise ship, several ports of call in the Caribbean. Every night in the disco I was mesmerized by “Rappers Delight”. When I got home I had to buy it as well. Finally out of high school, going to a local college, and working part time. I met my first boyfriend. He wanted to take me to a club since I seemed to like the music. It took a while before I said yes. When we finally walked through the doors of Backstreet, I thought “why did I wait so long?” “It’s Raining Men” blasted from the dance floor. I was hooked. I loved the club life. Back then you could hit the dance floor EVERY night. There were that many gay clubs in Detroit in the 80’s. AIDS did thin out the crowd, and kept me, for the most part, a good boy. My folks found out about a year later, and threw me out. I ended up working at a high end restaurant that celebrities frequented when in town. I knew a local concert promoter too. He was very generous and I was able to see many disco acts who were popular then. Sometimes I was able to meet them as well. One night my friends and I were looking forward to seeing a classic disco group. Village People were in town. We had the best time, then after the concert, my promoter friend asked us back to meet the guys. I couldn’t believe it, the closeted teen who saw them on New Year’s Eve was actually going to rub elbows with them. It turned out more than elbows were rubbed. David Hodo FINALLY took off his mirrored glasses as we shook hands. I melted as he hugged me. Then I met Glenn Hughes, I told him about the first time I saw them. He smiled the whole time. I reached out to shake his hand, very quickly he grabbed my shoulders and his tongue was in my mouth. Just as quickly he was done kissing me and had a wicked grin on his face. The 80’s were ending and I was ready to settle down. One night I went window shopping at Tiffany’s. I met a tall, dark, handsome guy. He called the next week asking me to dinner. 32 years later, we’re still together. I still love disco, and like my husband, it makes me smile.

I grew up in the 70's and Disco was part of the soundtrack of our lives back then. I bought as much Disco music as I did Rock and Pop music. When I was an exchange student in Europe in 1979,, I saw a whole new world in the club scene. I never hated Disco and it never really died -- listen to Cher's massive international hit "Believe" if you have any doubts. You did leave out the importance of the song "The Hustle" which I consider a breakthrough song as much as "Rock The Boat" and ""Rock Your Baby".

Thank you Polyphonic for this deep dive into the history of Disco. Your documentary meant so very much to me since I was there from the beginning. I lived in San Francisco from 1975 to 2016 and in the 70's. 80's and 90's dance clubs were my home, from Buzby's, Oil Can Harry's, The End-Up,Trocadero Transfer to the I-Bean, Dreamland and Club Universe it was a life filled with the most incredible music, men and women and history. San Francisco was one of the national epicenters of the Gay movement, music and style. I was so lucky to be there in that time for the joy, and tragedy of those years. I remember when I saw Saturday Night Fever thinking. "Well, there it goes, the secret is out. Disco is not just ours anymore." I knew then that the first movement of the sound I loved was going to be attacked. Over the following years I was lucky enough to see and hear the evolution of disco into house music, techno and club music. It never died buy evolved as an ever-living vibrant form. Thanks again for your incredible work. Cheers!

I was raised with parents who were 70's party goers. It baffles me that people don't understand or know the history of disco. They just think of the "disco sucks" movement. My parents were pretty accepting people and they know what the destruction of disco meant. So they raised me on disco and showed me to love and accept. I'm grateful to have parents who lived the 70's and were always fighting for the right things. My dad was a punk metal head who grew up in the hood so he had friends who were also into hip hop and dancing. My mom was a rollerblading disco queen who always accepted her LGBT+ friends. This was in the 70's and my parents are both Asian. So yeah, it was a crazy time. But they always showed me to love. And that's why we keep disco alive in my family. It's to show that we have a voice and we still exist. This video did so well explaining to people who never had the fortune of hearing the history from the ... "other" side of it. We only hear from the people who orchestrated its murder. They silence the people who were harmed from it. But it's 2022, we are progressing. I know a lot of people don't see it. But my parents tell me it's a lot better. And I have no reason to doubt them

Even as a metal head in high school (1988-1991, pre-grunge), I loved the disco vibe. Bee Gees were always a favorite with their unmistakable vocal harmonies. I remember my sister Diane (rest her soul) with her posters in her room and going out to the disco clubs. Saturday Night Fever was a great movie.

Technically disco never died it just renamed itself. It became dance music, house, music over the years and now it’s back as disco. Thanks to the likes of Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé, Miley, Cyrus…. Etc. etc..

I lived in WEHO in the mid late 70's. My stomping grounds were STUDIO ONE. OSKOS, THE PROBE and OIL CAN HARRY'S in the Valley. I had a ball. I worked 5 days a week and danced 2, or 3 nights a week. It was a different time. Being a guy from what they called "Boystown", I split my time from JIM MORRIS' GYM , the BLUE PARROT, REVOLVER, MOTHER LODE AND STUDIO ONE. I knew almost everyone at STUDIO from Don at the door to Scott and Jorge and David. THE DISCO ERA WAS THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE !

Disco NEVER died for me! I love disco to this day!

Disco isn’t just awesome, it is the sound of the space opera.

i remember in my childhood my older brother talking crap about disco (we always shared a love for classic rock), and in my head i was like "why, this music is excellent", nowadays he loves it as much as i loved it back then

Disco never died it just underground and became house music. Disco is alive ✨️

Wow, this is gold! I was born in England in 1965, and in the 1970s disco was such an integral part of chart music that as a kid I kind of assumed it was here to stay. I was too young to be aware of many of the issues you cover here, and as I approached the age of 14 and discovered Gary Numan and post-punk music I naturally drifted away from chart music and forgot about it to a large extent. Age has brought experience and maturity, not only in far wider musical tastes but also an awareness of social issues. This video fills a gap in my perception of music history that I didn't really know was there. Thank you for telling this important story.

Would you consider making Spotify playlists to go along with your videos? Would love to listen to the tracks mentioned and others you love from the genre!

I just watched this over on Nebula. Nicely done. As an elder goth, the bulk of my club nights as a youngster were in LGBTQ bars, because that is where the goth nights were. There is a huge intersection of goth, industrial, house, techno, and disco, and it has certainly informed my DJing style. When starting a disco night a few years back, I found a great book that is my disco bible, called the Disco Files by Vince Aletti. It has a lot of the history, but also, the weekly charts of what was being played in clubs. This is where I start my crate digging when I'm DJing a Disco party.

Jimmy Nolan, guitar sound with the fender, Earl Young from MFSB and the sound of Philadelphia, known for the disco four on the floor drum sound.

Disco was still very popular in Europe throughout the early 1980s

I spent my teenage years listening and going to discotheques in the 1970s. I loved it. I still love disco 💃

My mom was a 70s and 80s gal who loved disco and played it for us growing up. At the same time, the town I lived in was almost unanimously "disco sucks." That created a real source of tension in my mind where I loved it, but being young and immature, wanting to "fit in" and be cool. Now I know that disco is awesome and always was, and remains one of my favorite types of music ❤🕺

I was a teenager in the late 70s and I had so much fun with disco. I still listen to it on radio stations online. Great memories!

Thank you for covering this important history in modern music. As a gay man who grew up in the late 70s and 80s, these stories of the trailblazers that preceded us are important. Sadly, many of them didn’t live to tell their own stories. Having you cover it with such thoughtfulness and grace is appreciated 👍🏻☮️❤️🌈

I hated disco as a kid but grew to like it as an adult when I discovered more of the underground dance music of the time. This went on to become house and has been the template for dance music ever since.

I don't think it can be a coincidence that many of us born in the mid-70s went on to find a home in the acid house and underground rave parties and a dance music renaissance that carried a bit of punk energy. That groove subconsciously wormed its way into our child brains. Heck, i have fond memories of Sesame Street Fever teaching me how to use a record player

The HATERS of Diversity and Inclusivity were the ones who tried to kill disco. This genre of music actually brought all types of people together, instead of dividing folks. This music didn't die, it is still alive and well today, played by people who are still living and had the pleasure of listening plus dancing to it in the 1970s. Even young people today who were not born/living at that time enjoy it also!👏🏽👏🏽

Excellent video well put together. As a 14 year old living the UK I heared Le Freak by Chic for the first time at a local teen disco that was more Northern Soul biased and loved it. I was not aware of disco's roots till much later but was hooked on the melody, vocal harmonies and lush production. I'd happily dance along to disco songs then be hopping around to the Buzzcocks next minute. Why people have to pigeonhole music and refuse to listen to anything outside their perceived genre is a shame. There are nuggets of stellar music in all genres, if it sounds good then it is good whatever it's roots. I still listen to a fair bit of disco in phases as I do other genres and it's stood the test of time. The Disco Sucks movement can be seen as a first peep at cancel culture and it's been a slippery slope ever since.

"Disco deserved a better name, a beautiful name because it was a beautiful art form. It made the consumer beautiful. The consumer was the star." -Barry White

I was raised with house music in the 90s in Europe, so I've got a distinct feeling as to what's House and what's not. You hit the nail on the head that Disco was influenced by Soul (& Funk). House evolved from Disco (& Dub). As such to me House is pretty much Soulful House, Funky House, Disco House, Afro House & Electro House, which got us to Progressive House & Trance. Yet House is House, else it's Techno Don't let Tech House, the blend of both, fool you: Nu Disco is much closer to what really is House. Disco never died here! ♥

I lived through it, the most fantastic time of my young life. Did me no harm, still straight, married with kids. Forever thankful for the good times.

Let's not forget the bottom line that made disco so appealing to club owners. No band to pay. Buy the sound system and play records all night every night with no musicians to pay. DJs would later become their own artists.

Polyphonic just does not miss. I hope this doesn't put any pressure on him, but each video kept me hella engaged in the history of music!

I was a pro DJ for 30 years. I began my DJ career as a Club DJ in the NYC area starting in 1984. I was I was there, I lived it. You nailed it. Great video! Your attention to cultural detail is commendable and appreciated.

I have never stopped listening to disco and all it has influenced, and never will. The music will live on and on.

Disco can also be called a form of symphonic pop because so much of it needed orchestration. And the beauty of the strings along with the rock guitars and the bass and drums made for a really atmospheric listening experience

"Disco is love. Disco is life. Disco is freedom. Because of that, Disco is forever..." Something my mom and her sisters told me at 5 years old when we visited their families in L.A. 22 years later and Disco has single handedly shaped my love and taste in music. And more. As a Hispanic man, I tend to tell people I naturally gravitate towards rhythm heavy music. This is why I have always had a strong emotional connection to Disco, Funk, and classic R&B. As I grew older, my interest in those genres faded as I moved on towards more popular Punk, Electronic, Rock, and Metal groups. Then it happened. l I began to question things about myself in my mid-teens. I began to ask "why I felt differently than before?" "Why a part of me felt confined or restrained?" "Why do I feel like I am lying to myself?" That was when I started returning to Disco and Funk at 18. The familiar beats and tones helped me feel more comfortable in my skin. More confident in myself. Made me want to be more open and expressive. It never occurred to me that I was gravitating towards these sounds because they felt so natural to me. Not long after I turned 19, I began to realize that I was, in fact, lying to myself. For most of my life, I assumed I was straight. But it was thanks to the years of self isolation after high school that I began to find the answers to questions I've been curious about. Feelings were being resolved. And on my 20th birthday, I was listening to a RU-vid playlist of popular Disco, Funk, and R&B songs when I finally realized and accepted the truth. I was bisexual. I broke down in tears as things began to make sense. I was not who I thought I was and it was thanks to the expressive rhythm and atmosphere of Disco, the friends I made within the music communities I joined that I was able to make sense of my sexuality. Disco helped my discover who I really am. So, to me, my aunts saying was and is true. "Disco is love. Disco is life. Disco is freedom. Because of that, Disco is forever..."🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

Disco got people back to formal dancing. Dance studios and classes were popping up all over. In 1978-1979 there was an undeniable energy in the air, and a naïve optimism for the 1980s. Even with inflation, high unemployment and gas shortages, we still had a great time. I'd live that time again in a heartbeat.

For a brief, brilliant moment we had the disco era. The birth of a new genre of music. Never forgotten. Dancing is the ultimate expression of freedom.

Disco is awesome, and tbh a lot of the cream of the crop musicians in the genre (Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, etc) could run circles around the rock musicians of the time. Incredible groove and depth, great funky chords and rhythmic patterns. Musically, disco is one of my favorite genres (may be biased bc I just love R&B and funk in general, both of which disco draws primarily from), and Chic is one of my favorite bands

I'm glad I was alive during the disco years to enjoy it. It seems different races and cultures bridged gaps with disco music.

Disco is such an important cultural movement. Thank you for documenting this 🙏

Just checked, Le Freak was originally Fuck Off because Nile Rogers was a guest of Grace Jones at Studio 54 but he was told to fuck off at the back door. Shit, that rhymes. Thank you so much for this video! I've always loved disco and remember all of this.

Wow!...I mean, this was, by far, the best introduction and historical contextualization of 'disco' ever!! Congrats man! This is a HUGE achievement!!

I'm baffled to why I was a 1970's metal and hard rock listener and also loved Disco. Never could figure out why nobody else was like me. I don't care but it's baffling. I am more diverse in music but still love disco and rock!

I was in high school at the tail end of the disco era. Can’t think of Donna Summer’s “On the Radio” without getting sentimental. Great time to be young.

For those people not around in that late 1970’s, this time period was a most exuberant era full of vitality, and disco was that vitality.

Speaking as a young straight white man, I’ve always enjoyed disco but it’s never been my genre per say, I’ve always been a big rock fan. Hearing about how rock rallied against disco in essentially an anti LGBT movement is quite striking. I knew nothing about this history personally and found it quite upsetting to think how easily I could have personally fallen into that anti disco group myself, purely by music taste, without knowing the connotations. This is why it’s so important stories like this are shared. Although I know a lot about the racist aspects of the history of rock I knew nothing of the social history of disco before this video. As a white straight man I am so happy I saw this video, and it has definitely shaped how I view this genre. Without being informed it is way too easy to be bigoted, and disco might be the best example. I had no idea about the problematic hatred of disco and especially considering my main introduction to disco was Queen, this video has really highlighted a huge part of my own ignorance that I wasn’t aware of, so thank you Polyphonic! Keep doing what you are doing

Disco is a wonderful music it's so romantic, kinetic and free. Thanks for creating this great documentary.

I was born in 81 and I’ve always connected with the music from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’ more than any other genres. I absolutely love disco. Who doesn’t love to just groove all day?

As a teenager during the Disco Era I can say it was some of the best years of my life 😹 I still have all the promotional 12" singles I bought with McDonald's money 💰

The irony with the Bee Gees is that it was completely accidental. They'd been a band already for a long time, having been popular in the UK with a few US hits, but were in a rut and had moved to the US. Arif Martin suggested they add R&B to their sound when he became their producer (the album Mr. Natural), and then that eventually led to some disco being added to Main Course, which was a reasonable hit. They couldn't work with Arif Martin anymore but decided to just do one disco-heavy album (Children of the World), and a live album, and then move on to a new style. They did ok, but not amazingly so. Then they agreed to provide a few disco songs for a little film called Saturday Night Fever, that ended up being a box office smash. Suddenly they were the disco guys despite only releasing 8 disco songs over the space of three albums. Then, when they came to make their next album (Spirits Having Flown), Disco was starting to end/had been murdered, so it did ok but had a bit of a critical backlash. And then once they tried to move back into a modern version of their older sound (ballads, r and b and country) nobody wanted it, or them. They took the entire of the 80's off and just wrote songs and albums for other artists, since anything they'd release would get snubbed just for being 'the bee gees, those disco has beens'. Thankfully, the Bee Gees escaped that when disco regained its popularity (after Maurice had died, thus the band was already over) and the internet has also made people outside of the UK more aware of their non-disco work too.

I love how Polyphonic's videos makes me *FEEL* things. I smiled while nodding my head, I was angry shaking my head, I was surprised, shocked, and I almost cried. Premium Content right here

This is a fantastic account of the origins and the importance of the disco art form. Thank you!

Imagine if disco had stuck around as long as hip hop for example. Disco had so much more to give.

Hey man! I'm a straight white man from Brazil. Even tough not targeted by these, at least, "conservative" legislation and backash, I really admire what you're doing here and how you can connect music and politics in a special, ludic way. Thanks for such an in depth video. Our countries have many problems and some similarites, I hope that, together and as a driving force of education and awareness, we can help crumble these "conservatives".

Very few other musical genres got people out in the floor dancing more than disco did. Met some great ladies on those floors during that era! It was simply fun, sadly that vibe has been lost in most clubs these days.

One thing that I think could’ve been mentioned is the influence disco has had on British indie bands, take early the 1975 records

I LOVE DISCO, pumping 4 on the floor beats, groovy baselines, wah wah guitars, and angelic voices and strings on top. Heavenly music scoring the meeting point of marginalized communities. I think it is the most elegant, sophisticated genre of music ever created. Something you can dance to, but with enough ear-candy for you to listen while seating in your living room (tapping your feet).

I WILL ALWAYS LUV❤️ DISCO ( old school, real disco ) ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🌈

Quick correction: Good Times was not sampled but rerecorded to sound a lot like Good Times for Rapper’s Delight.

I'm glad he mentioned Hip Hop in all of this. Oh yeah you didn't mention Computer Games by Yellow Magic Orchestra. That was a popular song also.

As a straight, white, 51 year old man, I love disco, funk and old school hip hop. Always have.

It's amazing to me how influential funk music has been.

Fun fact: rappers delight couldn’t clear the sample because that wasn’t a thing people understood back then so they literally brought in a band and had them play the same break from good times over and over for 15 minutes

Dance music (disco) had a radically different sound and energy compared to the pop and rock music of the 60s and 70s. It was producer-heavy, rather than artist-heavy, with a lot of the music created by computers and machines rather than by musical instruments There was a lot of banal, trite, and uninteresting disco music produced trying to capitalize on the trend but had the opposite effect of turning people off. Yet there were some legendary classics created that stood the test of time, and still remain masterworks in their own way to this day...The Beach Boys "Here Comes the Night", Ravange's "Music Man", Radiah Frye's "Power Hungry", Issac Haye's "Don't Let Go", Lolleta Holloway's "I May Not Be There When You Want Me", Brainstorm's "Loving is Really My Game", Bonnie Pointer's "Heaven Must Have Sent You", "Donna Summer's "Try Me", Roberta Kelly's "Oh Happy Day", Lionel Richie's "I Call it Love" remix, Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way", Janet Jackson's "Alright", Earth Wind & Fire's "September", Tavares' "Heave Must Be Missing an Angel", Spice Girl's "Wannabe" remix, Mariah Carey's "I Stay in Love" remix. Maybe if the term "disco" wasn't ever used and we just called it dance music...

DJ Kool Herc was one of the first to loop the breaks of songs using multiple turn tables and it all started in 1973 in his famous Back to school jam block party his did for his sister. Many if not all DJs that emerged through the birth of Hip Hop were inspired by him and not so much Nicky Siano.

An important video that people must watch. Im a straight punk, metal, rap etc fan that grew up trained to believe 'disco' sucked. But the music and musicians behind it are eons above your fav rock artist. But music aside, thank you for educating the world on its history.

I don't know if anyone else has brought this up and I know it's just a show but this does make me think a lot about the TV show The Get Down, which I know also focuses a lot more on Hip Hop but I do think also really shows the culture and music and the shift from Disco to Hip Hop and how they interconnect (like one of the lead characters Mylene and her friends form a group to sing disco (Mylene and the soul Madonnas), and then the main lead character Ezekiel who is getting into hip hop and 'the get down' (aka the instrumental break in music that DJs look for to loop continuously so that people can rap over it) and love the 'get down' in Mylene and the Soul Madonnas song and use that for a rap battle and you can literally see the innovation and connection... As well as a scene where you see what goes into the song Mylene and her friends sing and perform. Because Mylene's father is a preacher, they are able to use their church's choir and a latin band and you can see different elements that contribute to the sound.

I wish he would have added House Music in the mini docu. David Mancuso is credited with giving birth to House music because of his House parties at the loft

The reason a lot of people hated disco is or was by time it got to people like me, it was corporate disco, commercialized. I was into rock and roll, even rock had a revolt causing new wave to start.

Born in 71, disco music was all around as I grew up. I wore out my sisters copy of the SNF soundtrack. I like a lot of the music from back then. People that say any genre of music totally sucks are like aliens to me. I can listen to the Bee Gees one second, and Slayer or Waylon Jennings the next and be completely happy.

I’ve used this channel to learn so much. I’m really impressed by your research and objectivity..you connected a lot key moments for me…this is important work, thank you Polyphonics!

Seals & Crofts also scored a disco song, You’re The Love in 1978.