The Story of Pop

Disco Fever

Disco has its roots in the New York gay clubs where dancing was a serious form of self-expression. Heavily influenced by the ‘Philly’ sound and the groove elements of psychedelic soul, these clubs prepared the grounding for a genre which would take over the world in the second half of the 1970s (BBC On-line).

The disco sound is based round a 4/4 beat and was the antithesis of all things rock. It became a massive influence on the popular music industry of the 70s.  While Funk music had been part of the music scene in the early 1970s, it would eventually give way to more accessible songs with a more danceable beat. The ‘Disco’ format was propelled by such groups as Donna Summer, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, and The Trammps. This was heavily aided by the movie, Saturday Night Fever.

Chic	Donna Summer	Gloria Gaynor

Before the word disco existed, the phrase ‘discotheque record’ was being used underground (in New York) at after hours parties and venues like the ‘Loft’ and ‘Better Days’. The records played were a mixture of funk, soul and European imports and were released on 45’s. Very soon, the 12” single was invented and, for the first time in musical history, disco music was made specifically with ‘discotheques’ in mind. The 12” vinyl record was a technical innovation. 45’s were geared for radio and did not allow for a lot of bass on the record. The 12”, allowed more bass, which made records suitable for nightclubs. The first copies appeared in 1975 and the first commercial release was in 1976.

By the end of the 1970s there was an anti-disco backlash as the overall quality of disco music began to decline and rock fans reacted to the loss of traditional rock sounds. The anti-disco movement actually culminated in the disco demolition riot in Chicago during the summer of 1979.

ABBA