Disco is a genre of dance-oriented music whose origins, like other genres of music, are hard to place at a single defining point. The term post-disco is a referral to the late 1970s and early 1980s movement of Disco Music into more electronic influenced sounds Hi-NRG (High Energy is a type of high-speed Electronic dance music which was popular in Nightclubs in the late 1970s and 1980s House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Euro Disco (also Eurodisco or Euro-disco or "80s European dance" is a term that was first used during the 1970s to describe a variety of non UK-based European Disco Space disco, a music genre was a short-lived Euro Disco variation associated with synthesizers and Science fiction themes Italo-Disco, is a very wide term that describes the 80's non UK European Disco productions Disco house is a 2000s form of House music that incorporates elements of disco Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Trance is a style of Electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded Hip hop music (1979–1984 and often by extension the music in the period preceding it ( see Roots Dance-punk (also known as disco-punk, punk-funk and indie-dance) is a Music New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal A discothèque, diskoˈtɛk̚ compare the Spanish "discoteca" is an Entertainment venue or Club with recorded music played by "Discaires" A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark Disco orchestration is the arranging orchestration and Musical production and recording techniques that went into the production of mid- to late-1970s Disco music The following lists groups or individuals primarily associated with the Disco era of the 1970s and early 1980s and some of their most noteworthy disco hits A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set In what is considered a forerunner to disco style clubs in February 1970 New York City DJ David Mancuso opened The Loft, a members-only private dance club set in his own home. David Mancuso (born October 20 1944 is the creator of the famous "by invitation only" parties in New York City The Loft is the location for the first underground dance party ( Love Saves the Day) that was created by David Mancuso on February 14 ^[1][2] Most agree that the first disco songs were released in 1973, but some claim Manu Dibango's 1972 Soul Makossa to be the first disco record. Manu Dibango (born 12 December 1933 in Douala, Cameroon) is a Cameroonian Saxophonist and Vibraphone player " Soul Makossa " is a 1972 single by Cameroonian Makossa saxophonist Manu Dibango. [1]. The first article about disco was written in September 1973 by Vince Aletti for Rolling Stone Magazine. Vince Aletti (born 1945 is an American Music journalist and Photography critic. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[3][4]. In 1974 New York City's WPIX-FM premiered the first disco radio show. WRXP is a New York City Radio station located at 1019 FM. The station has an Adult Album Alternative format ^[5]

Musical influences include funk, soul music, and salsa and the Latin or Hispanic musics which influenced salsa. [2] The disco sound has a soaring, often reverberated vocals over a steady four-on-the-floor beat, an eighth note (quaver) or sixteenth note (semi-quaver) hi-hat pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and prominent, syncopated electric bass line. "Four to the Floor" is a hit single by the band Starsailor. A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of Cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a Drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, Disco In Music, syncopation includes a variety of Rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the Strings, horns, electric pianos, and electric guitars create a lush background sound. Orchestral instruments such as the flute are often used for solo melodies, and unlike in rock, lead guitar is rarely used. Lead guitar refers to the use of a Guitar to perform Melody lines instrumental fill passages, and Guitar solos within a song structure

Well-known late 1970s disco performers included Bee Gees, Diana Ross and The Jacksons. The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music Family While performers and singers garnered the lion's share of public attention, the behind-the-scenes producers played an equal, if not more important role in disco, since they often wrote the songs and created the innovative sounds and production techniques that were part of the "disco sound". ^[6] Many non-disco artists recorded disco songs at the height of disco's popularity, and films such as Saturday Night Fever and Thank God It's Friday contributed to disco's rise in mainstream popularity and ironically the beginning of its commercial decline. Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 film starring John Travolta as Tony Manero a troubled Brooklyn youth whose weekend activities are dominated Thank God It's Friday is a 1978 Film directed by Robert Klane and produced by Motown Productions and Casablanca Filmworks for Columbia However, disco was very important in the development of Hip hop music (especially the subgenres of crunk, snap, and hyphy), British New Wave, and disco's direct descendants: the 1980s and 1990s dance music genres of house music and its harder-driving offshoot, techno. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Crunk is a type of music which originated from Southern hip-hop and EDM in the late 1980s early 1990s. Snap music is a type of music that emerged from Atlanta Georgia. Hyphy (ˈhaɪfiː HYE-fee) is a slang word created by Bay Area Rapper Keak Da Sneak which is used in the San Francisco Bay Area that literally means House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s

Role of producers and DJs

Disco has its musical roots in late 1960s soul, especially the Philly and New York soul, both of which were evolutions of the Motown sound. For the American arena football team see Philadelphia Soul. Philadelphia (or Philly soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia Sound or Sweet Philly "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. The Philly Sound is typified by lavish percussion, which became a prominent part of mid-1970s disco songs. Music with proto-"disco" elements appeared in the late 1960s, with "Tighten Up" and "Mony, Mony," "Dance to the Music," and "Love Child" . "Tighten Up" was a 1968 song by Houston, Texas based R&B Vocal group Archie Bell & the Drells. " Mony Mony " was a 1968 single released by Tommy James & The Shondells that again became a huge hit for Billy Idol in 1987. " Dance to the Music " is a 1968 hit single by the influential soul / rock / funk band Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic / Two early songs with disco elements include Jerry Butler’s 1969 "Only the Strong Survive"[3] and Manu Dibango's 1972 "Soul Makossa" . Manu Dibango (born 12 December 1933 in Douala, Cameroon) is a Cameroonian Saxophonist and Vibraphone player " Soul Makossa " is a 1972 single by Cameroonian Makossa saxophonist Manu Dibango. The term disco was first used in print in an article by Vince Aletti in the September 13, 1973 edition of Rolling Stone magazine titled "Discotheque Rock '72: Paaaaarty!"[4]

The early "disco" sound was largely an urban American phenomenon with such legendary producers and labels such as SalSoul Records (Ken, Joe and Stanley Cayre), Westend Records (Mel Cheren), Casablanca (Neil Bogart), and Prelude (Marvin Schlachter) to name a few. Vince Aletti (born 1945 is an American Music journalist and Photography critic. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published They inspired and influenced such prolific European dance-track producers such as Giorgio Moroder and Jean-Marc Cerrone. Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter Jean-Marc Cerrone (Born May 24 1952) is a French Eurodisco drummer singer and music producer born in Vitry-sur-Seine nearby Moroder was the Italian producer, keyboardist, and composer who produced many songs of the singer Donna Summer. Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines December 31, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who gained These included the 1975 hit "Love to Love You Baby", a 17-minute-long song with "shimmering sound and sensual attitude". Allmusic. com calls Moroder "one of the principal architects of the disco sound". [By Jason Ankeny, from Allmusic. com. Available at: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jpfqxqw5ldte~T1]

The disco sound was also shaped by the legendary Tom Moulton who wanted to extend the enjoyment of the music — thus single-handedly creating the "Remix" which has influenced many other latter genres such as Rap, Hip-Hop, Techno, and Pop. Tom Moulton (born 1940 is an American Record producer and originator of the Remix, the breakdown section, and the 12-inch single DJs and remixers would often remix (i. e. , re-edit) existing songs using reel-to-reel tape machines. Their remixed versions would add in percussion breaks, new sections, and new sounds. Influential DJs and remixers who helped to establish what became known as the "disco sound" included David Mancuso, Tom Moulton, Nicky Siano, Shep Pettibone, the legendary and much-sought-after Larry Levan, Walter Gibbons, and later, New York–born Chicago "Godfather of House" Frankie Knuckles. David Mancuso (born October 20 1944 is the creator of the famous "by invitation only" parties in New York City Tom Moulton (born 1940 is an American Record producer and originator of the Remix, the breakdown section, and the 12-inch single Nicky Siano (March 18 1955 -)was a resident DJ at Studio 54. Siano was born in Brooklyn, New York. Robert E Pettibone Jr (born 15 July 1959, better known as Shep Pettibone) is a Record producer, remixer songwriter and club DJ Larry Levan (born Lawrence Philpot July 20, 1954 &ndash died November 8, 1992 At the height of the disco boom in 1977 Levan was offered Walter Gibbons ( April 2, 1954 - September 23, 1994) was an American Record producer, early Disco DJ Frankie Knuckles (born January 18 1955, New York) is an American DJ, Record producer and Remix artist Disco was also shaped by nightclub DJ's such as Francis Grasso, who used multiple record players to seamlessly mix tracks from genres such as soul, funk and pop music at discoteques, and was the forerunner to later styles such as hip-hop and house.

Chart-topping songs

The Hues Corporation's 1974 "Rock The Boat," a U. The Hues Corporation was a pop and soul trio formed at Santa Monica California in 1969. S. #1 single and million-seller, was one of the early disco songs to hit #1. Other chart-topping songs included "Walking in Rhythm" by The Blackbyrds, "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae, and "Love's Theme" by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra. " Walking in Rhythm " is a 1975 smooth Rhythm and blues song by The Blackbyrds. The Blackbyrds is a former Rhythm and blues and Jazz-funk fusion group formed in Washington D " Rock Your Baby " is a popular song by George McCrae. George McCrae (born October 19 1944 West Palm Beach, Florida) is a soul Singer, most famous for his 1974 hit " Rock Your " Love's Theme " is an Instrumental piece recorded by Barry White 's Love Unlimited Orchestra and released in 1973 Barry Eugene White (born Barrence Eugene Carter, &ndash) was an American Record producer, Songwriter and Singer. Barry Eugene White (born Barrence Eugene Carter, &ndash) was an American Record producer, Songwriter and Singer. Also in 1975, Gloria Gaynor released the first side-long disco mix vinyl album, which included a remake of The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye" and two other songs, "Honey Bee" and "Reach Out (I'll Be There)". Gloria Gaynor (born Gloria Fowles September 7, 1949) is an American singer best-known for the Disco era hits " I Will Survive A disco mix is a method of producing a recording of a song which was used in the 1970s for disco music a funk/soul-influenced dance-oriented pop music style A vinyl compound is any Organic compound that contains a vinyl group (also called ethenyl) &minus C[[Hydrogen H]] =CH sub>2 An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music Family " Never Can Say Goodbye " is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5. This article refers collectively to all true honey bees for the "common" domesticated honey bee see European honey bee Honey bees " Reach Out I'll Be There " (also formatted as " Reach Out (I'll Be There " is a 1966 hit song recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown Also significant during this early disco period was Miami's KC and the Sunshine Band. KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group Founded in 1973 their style has included Funk, R&B, and Disco. Formed by Harry Wayne Casey ("KC") and Richard Finch, KC and the Sunshine Band had a string of disco-definitive top-five hits between 1975 and 1977, including "Get Down Tonight," "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man"and "Keep It Comin' Love". Harry Wayne "KC" Casey (born January 31, 1951 as Harold Wayne Casey is an American musician singer songwriter and producer " Get Down Tonight " is a song released in 1975 on the eponymous album by the Disco group KC and the Sunshine Band. " That's the Way (I Like It " is a song written by HW " I'm Your Boogie Man " is a popular song by KC and the Sunshine Band from their 1976 album Part 3. " Keep It Comin' Love " is a 1977 Disco Song recorded by KC and the Sunshine Band.

The Bee Gees used Barry Gibb's falsetto to garner hits such as "You Should Be Dancing". The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. Barry Alan Crompton Gibb CBE (born 1 September 1946 is a singer songwriter and producer The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and In 1975, hits such as Van McCoy's "The Hustle", Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" and "Could It Be Magic", brought disco further into the mainstream. Van Allen Clinton McCoy ( January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was a Music producer, Musician, Songwriter, and " The Hustle " is a hit Disco song by Songwriter / Arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines December 31, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who gained Love to Love You Baby is the second album by Donna Summer, and her first to be released internationally " Could It Be Magic " is a song by Adrienne Anderson and Barry Manilow. Other notable early disco hits include The Jackson 5’s "Dancing Machine" (1973), Barry White’s "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" (1974), LaBelle’s "Lady Marmalade" (1974), The Four Seasons’ "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" (1975), Silver Convention’s "Fly Robin Fly" (1975), and The Bee Gees’ "Jive Talkin'" (1975). The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music Family " Dancing Machine " is a 1973 song recorded by The Jackson 5, released as a single in 1974. Barry Eugene White (born Barrence Eugene Carter, &ndash) was an American Record producer, Songwriter and Singer. " You're the First the Last My Everything " is a popular song recorded by Barry White. Labelle is an American R&B / Soul group who melded Disco with Funk and Glam rock. " Lady Marmalade " is a 1974 song written by Bob Crewe, who co-wrote many of the hits recorded by The Four Seasons, and by Kenny Nolan. The Four Seasons (known off and on since 1967 as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - although not shown that way on any of their hit records is an American "December 1963 (Oh What a Night" is a hit single by The Four Seasons, written by original Four Seasons keyboard player Bob Gaudio and his future Silver Convention was a German Disco recording act of the 1970s " Fly Robin Fly " is a 1975 song by the German group Silver Convention. The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. " Jive Talkin' " is a song by the Bee Gees, which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top-five on the UK singles chart Chic's "Le Freak" (1978) became a classic and is heard almost everywhere disco is mentioned; other hits by Chic include the often-sampled "Good Times" (1979) and "Everybody Dance" (1977). Chic ( pron. ˈʃiːk ("sheek" sometimes fully capitalized as CHIC is an American Disco and R&B band that was formed in 1976 " Le Freak " is a 1978 hit Disco song by Chic. It was the band's third single and first Billboard Hot 100 number-one song " Good Times " is a 1979-80 song composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. " Everybody Dance " is the second single from the first album Chic by the Chic. Also noteworthy are Cheryl Lynn's "Got to Be Real" (1978) and Walter Murphy's various attempts to bring classical music to the mainstream, most notably his hit, "A Fifth of Beethoven" (1976). Cheryl Lynn (born Lynda Cheryl Smith, 11 March 1957, Los Angeles, California) is a Disco, R&B and soul " Got to Be Real " is a song by Cheryl Lynn from her self-titled album released in 1978 Walter Anthony Murphy Jr (born December 19, 1952) is a pianist composer and arranger who had a massive hit with the instrumental " A Fifth of Beethoven Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music " A Fifth of Beethoven " is a Disco Instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band

Prominent European pop and disco groups were Luv' from the Netherlands and Boney M, a group of four West Indian singers and dancers masterminded by West German record producer Frank Farian. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Luv' is a Dutch pop Girl group which scored a string of successful hit records in a large part of Continental Europe ( Benelux, Germany, Boney M is a German pop and Disco group created by West German Record producer Frank Farian. Franz Reuther (born July 18, 1941) better known as Frank Farian, is a German Music producer and Singer-songwriter Boney M charted worldwide hits with such songs as "Daddy Cool", "Ma Baker" and "Rivers of Babylon. Boney M is a German pop and Disco group created by West German Record producer Frank Farian. " Ma Baker " is a 1977 disco hit single by German disco band Boney M " Rivers Of Babylon " is a popular song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of The Melodians in 1972 " All three charted in the U.S.. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In France, Dalida released "J'attendrai", which became a big hit in Canada and Japan. Dalida ( January 17, 1933 &ndash May 3, 1987) was an Egyptian born singer of Italian origin who lived most of her J'attendrai was the French version by Rina Ketty in 1939 of the Italian song Tornerai by Dino Olivieri in 1933. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

1978–1980: mainstream popularity

The release of the film and soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever in December of 1977, which became one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, turned disco into a mainstream music genre. Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 film starring John Travolta as Tony Manero a troubled Brooklyn youth whose weekend activities are dominated This in turn led many non-disco artists to record disco songs at the height of its popularity, most often due to demand from record companies who needed a surefire hit. Many of these songs were not "pure" disco, but were instead rock or pop songs with disco overtones. Notable examples include Helen Reddy’s "I Can't Hear You No More" (1976); Marvin Gaye’s "Got to Give It Up" (1977); Charo's "Dance a Little Bit Closer" (1977); Barry Manilow’s "Copacabana (At The Copa)" (1978); The Rolling Stones' Miss You (1978); Wings’ "Goodnight Tonight" (1979); Barbra Streisand's "The Main Event/Fight" (1979); Ann-Margret's "Love Rush" (1979); Kiss's "I Was Made for Lovin' You" (1979); Electric Light Orchestra’s "Shine a Little Love" (1979); Isaac Hayes's "Don't Let Go" (1980); The Spinners' "Working My Way Back To You" (1980); and Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" (1980);

Bootleg "Saturday Night Fever" 8-Track album cover from the 1970s

Disco hit the airwaves with Marty Angelo's Disco Step-by-Step Television Show in 1975, Steve Marcus' Disco Magic/Disco 77, Eddie Rivera's Soap Factory, and Merv Griffin's, Dance Fever, hosted by Deney Terrio, who is credited with teaching actor John Travolta to dance for his upcoming role in the hit movie Saturday Night Fever. Helen Reddy (born October 25, 1941) is an Australian/American Singer / Songwriter. " I Can't Hear You " is the name of a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Marvin Pentz Gay Jr, known as Marvin Gaye ( April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Singer-songwriter " Got to Give It Up " is a 1977 hit single recorded by American Soul music legend Marvin Gaye. María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza Rasten (born March 13, 1951, though other sources state 1941 better known as Charo, is a Spanish Barry Manilow (born June 17, 1943) is an American Singer-songwriter, Musician, arranger, producer and conductor Copacabana is a 1978 Disco song sung by Barry Manilow, and written by Jack Feldman, Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman. " Miss You " is a 1978 hit song by The Rolling Stones, from their album Some Girls. Wings were a rock supergroup formed in August 1971 after the breakup of the Beatles, by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. " Goodnight Tonight " is Wings ' disco-inflected single which included a spirited Flamenco guitar break Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress Ann-Margret (born April 28 1941 is a Swedish -born American actress singer Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972 " I Was Made for Lovin' You " is a song by the American Hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1979 album Dynasty } Shine A Little Love is a Song by the Electric Light Orchestra. Isaac Lee Hayes Jr (August 20 1942 – August 10 2008 was an American Academy Award winning soul and Funk singer-songwriter Musician " Working My Way Back to You " is a song made popular by The Four Seasons in 1966 and The Spinners (known as The Detroit Spinners in the United Kingdom in Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist " Another One Bites the Dust " is a 1980 Funk-rock song from the English rock band Queen. This is an article about the 8-track cartridge For eight-track multitracking see Multitrack recording. Disco Step-by-Step was a local television show in Buffalo New York which featured Disco music dance instruction and hustle dancing. Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin Jr ( July 6, 1925 &ndash August 12, 2007) was an American Television host and Dance Fever was a syndicated musical variety series in which three celebrities judged amateur dancers to hottest disco hits of the day Denny ("Deney" Terrio is a choreographer former film actor and one-time host of the television musical variety series Dance Fever from 1979 to 1985 Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 film starring John Travolta as Tony Manero a troubled Brooklyn youth whose weekend activities are dominated Several parodies of the disco style were created, most notably "Disco Duck" and "Dancin' Fool. " Disco Duck " was a satirical Disco Novelty song performed by Memphis disc jockey Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots. " Rick Dees, at the time a radio DJ in Memphis, Tennessee, recorded "Disco Duck", a popular parody. Rick Dees is an American comedic performer entertainer and radio personality best known for his #1 internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Frank Zappa famously parodied the lifestyles of disco dancers in "Dancin' Fool" on his Sheik Yerbouti album. Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21 1940 – December 4 1993 was an American Composer, Electric guitarist Record producer and Film director Sheik Yerbouti is a double vinyl album by Frank Zappa featuring material recorded in 1977 and 1978

The "disco sound"

The "disco sound" while unique almost defies a unified description as it was an ultra-inclusive art form that drew on as many influences as it produced interpretations. Jazz, Classical, Latin, Soul, Funk, and new technologies just to name a few of the obvious were all mingled with aplomb. Vocals could be frivolous or serious love intrigues all the way to extremely serious social conscious commentary. The music tended to layer soaring, often reverberated vocals, which are often doubled by horns, over a background "pad" of electric pianos and wah-pedaled "chicken-scratch" (palm muted) guitars. The palm mute is a playing technique for the Guitar or bass. This technique is known as Pizzicato by Classical guitar players (see Classical Other backing keyboard instruments include the piano, string synth, and electroacoustic keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, and Hohner Clavinet. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Synthesizers were also fairly common in disco, especially in the late 70's. The rhythm is laid down by prominent, syncopated basslines played on the bass guitar and by drummers using a drum kit, African/Latin percussion, and electronic drums such as Simmons and Roland drum modules). The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells This article is about percussion instruments used in Latin music An electronic drum is a Percussion instrument in which the sound is generated by an electronic waveform generator or sampler instead of by acoustic vibration is a Japanese manufacturer of Electronic musical instruments electronic equipment and Software. A sound module (sometimes referred to as tone generator) is an Electronic musical instrument without a human-playable interface such as a keyboard, for The sound was enriched with solo lines and harmony parts played by a variety of orchestral instruments, such as harp, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, clarinet, flugelhorn, French horn, tuba, English horn, oboe, flute, and piccolo. The harp is a Stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The viola is a bowed String instrument. It is the middle voice of the Violin family, The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The flugelhorn (also spelled fluegelhorn or flügelhorn) is a Brass instrument resembling a Trumpet but with a wider conical bore Mediatubaogg -->The tuba is the largest and lowest pitched Brass instrument. The cor anglais, or English horn, is a Double reed Woodwind Musical instrument in the Oboe family "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry. The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its The piccolo is a small Flute. Like the flute the piccolo is normally pitched in the key of C one octave above the concert flute (making it effectively a sopranino

Most disco songs have a steady four-on-the-floor beat, a quaver or semi-quaver hi-hat pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and a heavy, syncopated bass line. "Four to the Floor" is a hit single by the band Starsailor. A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of Cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a Drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, Disco This basic beat would appear to be related to the Dominican merengue rhythm. Other Latin rhythms such as the rhumba, the samba and the cha-cha-cha are also found in disco recordings, and Latin polyrhythms, such as a rhumba beat layered over a merengue, are commonplace. The quaver pattern is often supported by other instruments such as the rhythm guitar and may be implied rather than explicitly present. It often involves syncopation, rarely occurring on the beat unless a synthesizer is used to replace the bass guitar. In Music, syncopation includes a variety of Rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced

In 1977, Giorgio Moroder again became responsible for a development in disco. Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter Alongside Donna Summer and Pete Bellotte he wrote the song "I Feel Love" for Summer to perform. Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines December 31, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who gained Peter Bellotte (born 28 August 1947) is a British songwriter and producer most famous for his main body of work with Donna Summer alongside his partner " I Feel Love " is a song by Donna Summer, taken from her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday. It became the first well-known disco hit to have a completely synthesised backing track. The song is still considered to have been well ahead of its time. Other disco producers, most famously Tom Moulton, grabbed ideas and techniques from dub music (which came with the increased Jamaican migration to NYC in the seventies) to provide alternatives to the four on the floor style that dominated. Larry Levan utilized style keys from dub and jazz and more as one of the most successful remixers of all time to create early versions of house music that sparked the genre ^[7]. Larry Levan (born Lawrence Philpot July 20, 1954 &ndash died November 8, 1992 At the height of the disco boom in 1977 Levan was offered House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino

Production and development

The "disco sound" was much more costly to produce than many of the other popular music genres from the 1970s. Unlike the simpler, four-piece band sound of the funk, soul of the late 1960s, or the small jazz organ trios, disco music often included a large pop band, with several chordal instruments (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer), several drum or percussion instruments (drumkit, Latin percussion, electronic drums), a horn section, a string orchestra, and a variety of "classical" solo instruments (e. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States An organ trio, in a Jazz context is a group of three jazz musicians typically consisting of a Hammond organ player a Drummer, and either a Jazz In a Symphony orchestra the horn section is the group of musicians who play the horn (sometimes referred to as the French horn a brass instrument descended A string orchestra is understood as an Orchestra composed solely of instruments of the Violin family. g. , flute, piccolo, etc. ).

Disco songs were arranged and composed by experienced arrangers and orchestrators, and producers added their creative touches to the overall sound. Orchestration is the study or practice of writing Music for Orchestra (or more loosely for any Musical ensemble) or of adapting for orchestra music composed Recording complex arrangements with such a large number of instruments and sections required a team that included a conductor, copyists, record producers, and mixing engineers. Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures A copyist is a person who makes written copies In ancient times a scrivener was also called a In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of Sound through mechanical and electronic means Mixing engineers had an important role in the disco production process, because disco songs used as many as 64 tracks of vocals and instruments. Mixing engineers compiled these tracks into a fluid composition of verses, bridges, and refrains, complete with orchestral builds and breaks. Orchestral build is a term used in Disco music to describe the systematic overlapping of prerecorded elements of the Symphony orchestra during an Interlude In Popular music a break is an Instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to Stop-time &ndash being Mixing engineers helped to develop the "disco sound" by creating a distinctive-sounding disco mix. A disco mix is a method of producing a recording of a song which was used in the 1970s for disco music a funk/soul-influenced dance-oriented pop music style

Early records were the "standard" 3 minute version until Tom Moulton, thought the "standard" 3 minute songs were just too short and he came up with a way to make songs longer. Tom Moulton (born 1940 is an American Record producer and originator of the Remix, the breakdown section, and the 12-inch single He wanted to take the crowd to another level. He had a hard time trying to get these longer versions put on vinyl, the problem was that the 7" single couldn't hold more than some maximum 4-5 minutes with good quality. He really wanted people to get to hear the longer version, especially on the dancefloors, so Tom and friend, José Rodriguez who did his remastering, pressed one single on 10" instead of 7". The next "single" they cut on 12", same format as an album, this was how they come to invent the 12" single - which fast became all DJ's tool and format. [5]

Because record sales were often dependent on floor play in clubs, DJs were also important to the development and popularization of disco music. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Notable DJs include Rex Potts (Loft Lounge, Sarasota, FL), Jim Burgess, Walter Gibbons, John "Jellybean" Benitez, Richie Kaczar of Studio 54, Rick Gianatos, Francis Grasso of Sanctuary, Larry Levan, Ian Levine, Neil "Raz" Rasmussen & Mike Pace of L'amour Disco in Brooklyn, Preston Powell of Magique, Jennie Costa of Lemontrees, Tee Scott, John Luongo, Robert Ouimet of The Limelight, and David Mancuso. Walter Gibbons ( April 2, 1954 - September 23, 1994) was an American Record producer, early Disco DJ John Benitez better known as "Jellybean Benitez" (born November 7, 1957) is a Drummer, Guitarist, Songwriter, Studio 54 is a New York City Broadway theater and former Discothèque located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan. Francis Grasso (2531948-2032001 was an American Disc jockey from New York City, best known for inventing the technique of Slip-cueing and Larry Levan (born Lawrence Philpot July 20, 1954 &ndash died November 8, 1992 At the height of the disco boom in 1977 Levan was offered Ian Levine is an English Songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known (and often controversial fan of the long-running television The Limelight is the name of a string of different Nightclubs that were owned and operated by Peter Gatien: in Atlanta, Chicago, Hollywood Florida David Mancuso (born October 20 1944 is the creator of the famous "by invitation only" parties in New York City

The 12-inch single format also allowed longer dance time and format possibilities. The term musical form refers to two related concepts the type of composition (for example a musical work can have the form of a Symphony, a In May, 1976, Salsoul Records released Walter Gibbons' remix of Double Exposure's "Ten Percent", the first commercially-available 12-inch single. This article is about the record label SalSoul is also the name of a Puerto Rican Salsa radio station Walter Gibbons ( April 2, 1954 - September 23, 1994) was an American Record producer, early Disco DJ Double Exposure was an American disco era band hailing from Philadelphia, USA Band members were Leonard Davis Joe Harris Chuck Whittington and Jimmy Williams and they In 1976 Salsoul Records released their eighth release Walter Gibbons ' Remix of Double Exposure 's Disco song "Ten Percent" [citition needed] Motown Records’ "Eye-Cue" label also marketed 12-inch singles; however, the play time remained the same length as the original 45s. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. In 1976, Scepter/Wand released the first 12-inch extended-version single, Jesse Green's "Nice and Slow. Jesse Green (born in 1971 is an American professional Jazz pianist composer arranger producer, and teacher " This single was packaged in a collectible picture sleeve, a relatively new concept at the time. Twelve-inch singles became commercially available after the first crossover, Tavares' "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel. Tavares (also known as The Tavares Brothers) is a successful American R&B, Disco, and Soul music band, composed of five "

Disco club scene and dancing

By the late 1970s many major US cities had thriving disco club scenes which were centered around discotheques, nightclubs, and private loft parties where DJs would play disco hits through powerful PA systems for the dancers. A discothèque, diskoˈtɛk̚ compare the Spanish "discoteca" is an Entertainment venue or Club with recorded music played by "Discaires" A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience A public address or " PA " system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, Amplifier and Loudspeakers used to The DJs played ". . . a smooth mix of long single records to keep people 'dancing all night long'". ^[8] Some of the most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music.

Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools which taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", "the hustle" and "the cha cha. " There were also disco fashions that discotheque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing Halston dresses for women and shiny polyester Qiana shirts for men with pointy collars, preferably open at the chest, often worn with double-knit suit jackets. Roy Halston Frowick, also known as Halston ( April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990) was a Clothing Designer Qiana is a silky Nylon fiber first developed by DuPont in 1968.

Some notable professional dance troupes of the 1970s include Pan's People and Hot Gossip. Pan's People were a 1970s British TV dance troupe who are best associated with the BBC TV music chart show Top of the Pops. Hot Gossip were a British Dance Troupe most notable for their appearance on the TV series The Kenny Everett Video Show, which For many dancers, the primary influence of the 1970s disco age is still predominantly the film Saturday Night Fever. In the 1980s this developed into the music and dance style of such films as Fame, Flashdance, and the musical Chorus Line.

Drug subculture

In addition to the dance and fashion aspects of the disco club scene, there was also a thriving drug subculture, particularly for drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights, such as cocaine ^[9] (nicknamed "blow"), amyl nitrite "poppers" ^[10], and the ". Cocaine ( benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is a Crystalline Tropane Alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the Coca plant Poppers is the Street term for various Alkyl nitrites taken for recreational purposes through direct inhalation, particularly Amyl nitrite . . other quintessential 1970s club drug Quaalude, which suspended motor coordination and turned one’s arms and legs to Jell-O. Methaqualone is a Sedative drug which is similar in effect to Barbiturates a general CNS Depressant. Gross motor coordination addresses the Gross motor skills walking running climbing jumping crawling lifting one's head sitting up etc Jell-O is a Brand name belonging to USA -based Kraft Foods for a number of Gelatin desserts including fruit gels Puddings and no-bake "^[11] According to Peter Braunstein, the "[m]assive quantities of drugs ingested in discotheques produced the next cultural phenomenon of the disco era: rampant promiscuity and public sex. Peter Braunstein (born 1964 is a New York City -based journalist writer and playwright who became infamous for committing a October 31 2005 Sexual This article covers Sexual acts in public or semi-public places. While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction, actual sex usually took place in the nether regions of the disco: bathroom stalls, exit stairwells, and so on. In other cases the disco became a kind of 'main course' in a hedonist’s menu for a night out. Hedonism is the Philosophy that Pleasure is of ultimate importance, the most important pursuit "^[12]

Famous disco bars included the very important Paradise Garage as well as ". . . cocaine-filled celeb hangouts such as Manhattan's Studio 54", which was operated by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Studio 54 is a New York City Broadway theater and former Discothèque located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan. Steve Rubell ( December 2, 1943 - July 25, 1989) was an American Entrepreneur and part owner (along with friend Ian Schrager (born New York City, July 19, 1946) is an American hotelier and real estate developer often associated with being the creator of the "boutique Studio 54 was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with an image of the "Man in the Moon" that included an animated cocaine spoon. A cocaine spoon, referred to as a "coke spoon", or simply "spoon", is an instrument used in the process of insufflating ("snorting"

Decline in popularity and backlash

Further information: Disco Demolition Night

The popularity of the film Saturday Night Fever prompted major record labels to mass-produce hits, a move which some perceived as turning the genre from something vital and edgy into a safe "product" homogenized for mainstream audiences. Disco Demolition Night was a Promotional event that took place on July 12 1979 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Though disco music had enjoyed several years of popularity, an anti-disco sentiment manifested in America. This sentiment proliferated at the time because of oversaturation and the big-business mainstreaming of disco. Worried about declining profits, rock radio stations and record producers encouraged this trend. According to Gloria Gaynor, the music industry supported the destruction of disco because rock music producers were losing money and rock musicians were losing the spotlight. Gloria Gaynor (born Gloria Fowles September 7, 1949) is an American singer best-known for the Disco era hits " I Will Survive [6] Many hard rock fans expressed strong disapproval of disco throughout the height of its popularity. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock Among these fans, the slogan "Disco Sucks" was common by the late 1970s and appeared in written form in places ranging from tee shirts to graffiti.

Disco music and dancing fads began to be depicted by rock music fans as silly and effeminate, such as in Frank Zappa's satirical song "Dancin' Fool". Effeminacy is a trait in males that generally contradicts traditional male ( masculine) Gender roles It is a derogatory term frequently applied to Femininity Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21 1940 – December 4 1993 was an American Composer, Electric guitarist Record producer and Film director Sheik Yerbouti is a double vinyl album by Frank Zappa featuring material recorded in 1977 and 1978 Some listeners objected to the perceived sexual promiscuity and illegal drug use (e. g. , cocaine and Quaaludes) that had become associated with disco music. Others were put off by the exclusivity of the disco scene, especially in major clubs in large cities such as the Studio 54 discotheque, where bouncers only let in fashionably-dressed club-goers, celebrities, and their hangers-on. A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention Rock fans objected to the idea of centering music around an electronic drum beat and synthesizers instead of live performers. Some have contended that there was also an element of bigotry to the anti-disco backlash; in his book A Change Is Gonna Come, Craig Werner wrote, "the attacks on disco gave respectable voice to the ugliest kinds of unacknowledged racism, sexism and homophobia. "^[13]

To further complicate matters, several prominent rock bands recorded songs with disco influences, such as Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (1978), The Rolling Stones’ "Miss You" (1978), and Kiss's "I Was Made For Lovin' You" (1979). Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 is a Singer and Songwriter born and raised in London England and currently " Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? " is a 1978 hit song for Rod Stewart. Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972 " I Was Made for Lovin' You " is a song by the American Hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1979 album Dynasty Though these fusions of rock and disco were initially met with critical and commercial acclaim, many of the bands were subsequently viewed as "sell-outs". "Sold Out" redirects here For other uses see Sold Out (disambiguation or Selling Out (disambiguation. Since the advent of disco and dance music, rock music has absorbed many of the rhythmic sensibilities of funk-influenced dance music, while nevertheless retaining a distinct sound and audience culture.

Some historians have referred to July 12, 1979, as the "day disco died" because of an anti-disco demonstration that was held in Chicago. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Rock station DJs Steve Dahl and Garry Meier, along with Michael Veeck, son of Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck, staged Disco Demolition Night, a promotional event with an anti-disco theme, between games at a White Sox doubleheader for disgruntled rock fans. Steve Dahl (born November 20 1954 in Pasadena, California) has been an American Radio personality for over thirty years Garry Meier is a Chicago -based radio DJ famous in his former role as one half of the "Steve and Garry" team (with Steve Dahl) The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. William Louis Veeck Jr (ˈvɛk rhymes with "wreck" February 9 1914 &ndash January 2 1986) also known as " Sport Shirt Disco Demolition Night was a Promotional event that took place on July 12 1979 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. During this event, which involved exploding disco records, the raucous crowd tore out seats and turf in the field and did other damage to Comiskey Park. Comiskey Park (35th Street & Shields Avenue Chicago, Illinois) was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990 It ended in a riot in which police made numerous arrests. The damage done to the field forced the Sox to forfeit the second game. The stadium suffered thousands of dollars in damage. [7]

The television industry — taking a cue from the music industry — responded with an anti-disco agenda as well. A recurring theme on the television show, WKRP in Cincinnati contained a hateful attitude towards disco music. WKRP in Cincinnati ( 1978 &ndash 1982) is an American Situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling The anti-disco backlash may have helped to cause changes to the landscape of Top 40 radio. The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. Negative responses from the listenerships of many Top 40 stations encouraged these stations to drop all disco songs from rotation, filling the holes in their playlists with New Wave, punk rock, and album-oriented rock cuts. New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s Album-oriented rock (sometimes referred to as Adult-oriented rock or as West Coast Rock) abbreviated AOR and originally called album-oriented radio ^[14]. Indeed, Jello Biafra of anarcho-punk band The Dead Kennedys likened disco to the cabaret culture of Weimar Germany for its apathy towards government policy and its escapism (which Biafra saw as delusional). Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958) more widely known by the Stage name Jello Biafra, is a musician who first gained Anarcho-punk is a faction of the Punk subculture that consists of bands groups and individuals promoting anarchist politics Dead Kennedys was an American Hardcore punk band from San Francisco, California. Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring Comedy, Song, Dance, and Theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue &mdash a Restaurant The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 He sang about this in the song Saturday Night Holocaust, the B-side of the song Halloween. "Halloween" (B-side "Saturday Night Holocaust is the seventh and final single by the Dead Kennedys.

It should be noted that, unlike in the U. S. , there was never a focused backlash against disco in Europe, and discotheques and club culture continued longer in Europe than in the US.

From "disco sound" to "dance sound"

The transition from the late-1970s disco styles to the early-1980s dance styles was marked primarily by the change from complex arrangements performed by large ensembles of studio session musicians (including a horn section and an orchestral string section), to a leaner sound, in which one or two singers would perform to the accompaniment of synthesizer keyboards and drum machines.

In addition, dance music during the 1981-83 period borrowed elements from blues and jazz, creating a style different from the disco of the 1970s. This emerging music was still known as disco for a short time, as the word had become associated with any kind of dance music played in discothèques. Examples of early 1980s dance sound performers include D. Train, Kashif, and Patrice Rushen. D Train (sometimes written as D Train, D-Train or "D" Train) was an American R&B duo who scored several Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954 in Los Angeles, California) is a Grammy Award winning American R&B ^[15]

During the first years of the 1980s, the "disco sound" began to be phased out, and faster tempos and synthesized effects, accompanied by guitar and simplified backgrounds, moved dance music toward the funk and pop genres. This trend can be seen in singer Billy Ocean's recordings between 1979 and 1981. Billy Ocean (born Leslie Sebastian Charles, 21 January 1950 Fyzabad, Trinidad) is a Grammy Award -winning British -based Whereas Ocean's 1979 song American Hearts was backed with an orchestral arrangement played by the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, his 1981 song One of Those Nights (Feel Like Gettin' Down) had a more bare, stripped-down sound, with no orchestration or symphonic arrangements. This drift from the original disco sound is called post-disco. The term post-disco is a referral to the late 1970s and early 1980s movement of Disco Music into more electronic influenced sounds

During the early 1980s, dance music dropped the complicated melodic structure and orchestration which typified the "disco sound. " Examples of well-known songs which illustrate this difference include Kool & the Gang’s "Celebration" (1980), Rick James’ "Super Freak" (1981), Grace Jones's "Pull Up to the Bumper" (1981), Carol Jiani's "Hit N' Run Lover" (1981), Laura Branigan's "Gloria" (1982), The Pointer Sisters’ "I'm So Excited" (1982), Prince’s "1999" (1982), The Weather Girls's "It's Raining Men" (1982), Madonna’s "Holiday" (1983), Irene Cara’s "Flashdance (What A Feeling)" (1983), Angela Bofill's "Too Tough" (1983), Miquel Brown's "So Many Men, So Little Time" (1983), Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" (1983), Jocelyn Brown's "Somebody Else's Guy" (1984), and Klymaxx's "Meeting in the Ladies Room" (1984). Kool & the Gang are a highly successful American Jazz / R&B / soul / Funk / Disco group " Celebration " is a song released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang from their album Celebrate!. Rick James (born James Ambrose Johnson Jr) ( February 1 1948 &ndash August 6 2004) was an American musician " Super Freak " is a 1981 hit single produced and performed by Rick James for the Motown label Grace Jones (born May 19, 1948) is a Jamaican �� American Singer, model and actress " Pull Up to the Bumper " was the second single released by Grace Jones from her critically-acclaimed 1981 album Nightclubbing and has since Carol Jiani is a Nigerian born Canadaian singer who debuted after the peak of Disco in the American mainstream Laura Branigan (July 3 1957 – August 26 2004 was an American singer and actress of Irish ancestry The Pointer Sisters are an American Grammy Award -winning Pop / R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved " I'm So Excited " is a song written and recorded by the Pointer Sisters. Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician " 1999 " is one of Prince 's most well-known songs and a defining moment in his rise to superstar status The Weather Girls are an American Girl group that formed in 1982 " It's Raining Men " is a song written by Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer in 1979 and originally recorded by The Weather Girls in 1982 Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American " Holiday " is the third single by American singer-songwriter Madonna and was released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records Irene Cara Escalera ( March 18, 1959) is an American singer and actress " Flashdance What a Feeling " is an Academy Award winning song from the 1983 film Flashdance which was performed by Irene Cara. Angela Bofill (born on May 2, 1954 in The Bronx) is an American R&B contralto vocalist and songwriter Miquel Brown (born circa 1945 is a Canadian actress and Disco / Soul singer from the 1970s and '80s most popular for the songs 'Close to Perfection' and the Manpower is an album by Miquel Brown, recorded in 1983. Includes the major international hits "So Many Men So Little Time" and "He's Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman " Thriller " is an early 1984 hit single recorded by Michael Jackson for the Epic label Jocelyn Brown (born Jocelyn Lorette Brown November 25 1950, Kinston, North Carolina) — sometimes credited as Jocelyn Shaw — is an Klymaxx is a female Urban / Funk Band formed in Los Angeles California between 1979 and 1990.

DJ sets/mixes

The rising popularity of disco came in tandem with developments in turntablism and the use of records to create a continuous mix of songs. Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer. The resulting DJ mix differed from previous forms of dance music, which were oriented towards live performances by musicians. A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track This in turn affected the arrangement of dance music, with songs since the disco era typically containing beginnings and endings marked by a simple beat or riff that can be easily slipped into the mix.

Early 1980s hip-hop and dance music

The disco sound had a gigantic influence on early 1980s hip-hop and rap. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Most of the early rap/hip-hop songs were created by isolating existing Disco bass-guitar lines and dubbing over them with MC rhymes. In 1982, Afrika Bambataa released the single "Planet Rock," which incorporated electronica elements from Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express" and "Numbers. Afrika Bambaataa (born Kevin Donovan on April 17, 1957) is an American DJ from the South Bronx, who was instrumental in the " Planet Rock " is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. Kraftwerk (ˈkʁaftvɛɐk German for " power plant " or " Power station " is an influential Electronic music band from Trans-Europe Express is a 1977 album by German band Kraftwerk. " The "Planet Rock" sound also spawned a hip-hop electronic dance trend, which included such songs as Planet Patrol's "Play At Your Own Risk" (1982), C Bank’s "One More Shot" (1982), Shannon's "Let the Music Play" (1983), Freeez's "I. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Planet Patrol is an Electro group from the 1980s The members were Arthur Baker (musician, John Robie (musician a quintet of vocalists led Shannon was also an alias used by singer Marty Wilde. Shannon (born Shannon Brenda Greene on May 2, 1958, in " Let the Music Play " is a famous and critically acclaimed Latin freestyle song recorded by Washington DC, area singer Shannon in 1983 Freeez was a musical group initially known for its emergence as one of the UK's first and leading jazz-funk bands of the very early eighties O. U. " (1983), Midnight Star's "Freak-A-Zoid" (1983), and Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You" (1984). Midnight Star is a synth - Funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the '80s. Chaka Khan (born March 23, 1953) is a multiple Grammy Award -winning American singer known for hit songs such as "I'm Every Woman" "I Feel " I Feel for You " is a song written by Prince that originally appeared on his 1979 self-titled album.

House music

Main article: House music

House music is the direct heir apparent of Disco. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino A large number of disco performers and musicians have stated it was the same thing with a different name. Some might agree that record producers and synthesizer pioneers such as the American Patrick Cowley and Italian Giorgio Moroder, who both had a number of hit disco singles such as Moroder's "From Here to Eternity" (1977) and Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (1978) and "Hills of Katmandu" (1978) influenced to some degree the development of the later electric dance music genres such as house and its offshoot techno. Patrick Joseph Cowley ( October 19, 1950 - November 12, 1982) was a Disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Both early/proto House music and its stripped down offshoot techno rely on the repetitive bass drum rhythm and hi-hat rhythm patterns introduced by disco. However, as House music evolved over time, the productions became more lush with productions maintaining soulful vocals while re-introducing live instrumentation and live complex percussion mixed with the electronic drums and synthesizers — basically coming full circle back to the Disco musical ideals with a contemporary edge to them. Techno became more mechanical and devoid of organic flourishes, relying more on instrumental compositions or with minimal synthesized vocals.

Early house music, which was developed by innovative DJs such as Larry Levan in New York and Frankie Knuckles in Chicago, consisted of various disco loops overlapped by strong bass beats. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Larry Levan (born Lawrence Philpot July 20, 1954 &ndash died November 8, 1992 At the height of the disco boom in 1977 Levan was offered Frankie Knuckles (born January 18 1955, New York) is an American DJ, Record producer and Remix artist House music was usually computer-driven, and longer segments were used for mixing. Clubs associated with the birth of house music include New York's Paradise Garage and Chicago's Warehouse and The Music Box. The Paradise Garage was a nightclub notable in the history of modern gay and Nightclub cultures and in dance and Pop musics ref>Violette The Warehouse (or the "House" for short was a Nightclub that was established in Chicago, Illinois in 1977 under the direction of Robert

1990s and 2000s "disco revival"

In the 1990s, a revival of the original disco style began to emerge. The disco influence can be heard in songs as Gloria Estefan's "Get On Your Feet" (1991), Paula Abdul's "Vibeology" (1992), Whitney Houston's "I'm Every Woman" (1993), U2’s "Lemon" (1993), Diana Ross's "Take Me Higher" (1995), The Spice Girls’ "Who Do You Think You Are" (1997) and "Never Give up on the Good Times" (1997), Gloria Estefan's "Heaven's What I Feel" (1998) & "Don't Let This Moment End" (1999), Cher’s "Strong Enough" (1998), and Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat" (1999). Gloria Estefan (born Gloria María Fajardo on September 1, 1957) is a Cuban American singer and songwriter "Get On Your Feet" is a single by Gloria Estefan. It was released in 1989 in U Paula Julie Abdul ( "AB-dool" born June 19, 1962) is a Grammy Award -winning American pop Singer " Vibeology " was the fourth single from Paula Abdul 's album Spellbound, released in 1992 Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former " I'm Every Woman " is a 1978 hit single by Chaka Khan, her first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus, included on her platinum debut " Lemon " is the fourth song and second single from U2 's 1993 album Zooropa. Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire Take Me Higher is a 1995 album by American Soul singer Diana Ross released on the Motown label The Spice Girls are a BRIT Award -winning English pop Girl group formed in 1994 "Who Do You Think You Are" is a song by the Spice Girls, released as the fourth and final single from their debut album Spice in March 1997 in " Never Give Up On The Good Times " was set to be a single from the Spice Girls ' second album Spiceworld, as a Double A-Side Single with " Gloria Estefan (born Gloria María Fajardo on September 1, 1957) is a Cuban American singer and songwriter "Heaven's What I Feel" is a song by Gloria Estefan, released as the first single from her eighth Studio album Gloria!. "Don't Let This Moment End" is a song by Gloria Estefan, released as the second single in the United States, the third in the United Kingdom Cher ( IPA: /ʃɛr/ born Cherilyn Sarkisian, May 20 1946 " Strong Enough " is a song written by Mark Taylor and Paul Barry for singer Cher. Jamiroquai is a Grammy Award -winning English Acid jazz / Funk / soul band " Canned Heat " is a song by the English Funk / Acid jazz band Jamiroquai.

The trend continued in the 2000s with hit songs such as Kylie Minogue’s "Spinning Around" (2000) and "Love at First Sight" (2002), Sheena Easton's "Givin' Up, Givin' In" (2001), Sophie Ellis-Bextor's smash single Murder On The Dance Floor (2002), S Club 7's singles Don't Stop Movin' (2001), Alive (2002) and Love Ain't Gonna Wait For You (2003), The Shapeshifters' "Lola's Theme" (2003),Janet Jackson's "R&B Junkie" (2004), La Toya Jackson's "Just Wanna Dance" (2004), and Madonna’s 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor echoes traditional disco themes, particularly in the single "Hung Up," which samples ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight). Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE, born 28 May 1968 is an Australian pop Singer - Songwriter and occasional Actress. " Spinning Around " British and Australia is a dance &ndash pop song produced by Mike Spencer and written by Ira Shickman Osborne Bingham Love at first sight is an emotional condition whereby a person feels romantic attraction for a stranger on the first encounter with the stranger Sheena Easton (born Sheena Shirley Orr on April 27, 1959) is a Scottish pop singer and theatre and television actress Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is a multi- platinum selling British pop Singer and Songwriter S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, was a pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller. " Don't Stop Movin' " is a song by S Club 7, released as a single on April 23, 2001. " Alive " is a song by S Club, released as a single on November 18, 2002. " Say Goodbye/Love Ain't Gonna Wait For You " was the title of the last single to be released by S Club who split up in spring 2003. Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16 1966 is an American recording artist and entertainer " R&B Junkie " is an R&B – Disco song written by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson, songwriting/production duo Jimmy La Toya Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American Singer - Songwriter, Musician, bestselling Author " Just Wanna Dance " is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Confessions on a Dance Floor is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 15 2005 by Warner Bros " Hung Up " is a pop song written by American singer-songwriter Madonna, Stuart Price, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus " Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight " originally titled "Been and Gone and Done It" is one of Swedish pop group ABBA 's biggest "

In the mid-late 2000s, many disco-influenced songs have been released, becoming hits, including Ultra Nate's "Love's The Only Drug" (2006), Gina G’s "Tonight's The Night" (2006), The Shapeshifters' "Back To Basics" (2006), Michael Gray's "Borderline" (2006), Irene Cara's "Forever My Love" (2006), Bananarama's "Look on the Floor (Hypnotic Tango)", Dannii Minogue's "Perfection" (2006), Akcent's "Kings of Disco" (2007), the Freemasons "Rain Down Love" (2007), Claudja Barry's "I Will Stand" (2006), Suzanne Palmer's "Free My Love" (2007), Pepper Mashay's "Lost Yo Mind" (2007) and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s "Me and My Imagination" (2007) Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder" (2007) Justice’s "D.A.N.C.E." (2007). Ultra Naté Wyche (born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, USA is a popular American House music, Dance-pop and sometimes R&B Gina G (born Gina Mary Gardiner, on 3 August 1970 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) is an Australian Dance-pop Irene Cara Escalera ( March 18, 1959) is an American singer and actress Bananarama are an English Girl group who have had success on the " Look on the Floor " is a pop &ndash dance song written by Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward, David Clewett and Ivar Lisinski for Bananarama Danielle Jane Minogue (born 20 October 1971 known as Dannii, is an Australian singer songwriter Television personality and occasional actress, " Perfection " is a Dance-pop song performed by Australian singer Dannii Minogue and the Soul Seekerz. Akcent is a Romanian Dance-pop act Members Group consisting of Adrian Claudiu Sana Sorin Ştefan Brotnei Freemasons are a Dance / House / Electronica production team from Brighton, England. Claudja Barry, born 1952 in Jamaica, raised in Toronto, Canada and later based in Germany, is a Pop, Hi-NRG and House Suzanne Palmer is a female Progressive Trance, Club/Dance and House music singer songwriter pianist and producer born in Chicago Illinois Pepper Mashay (real name Jean McClain) is a Urban / Soul music, House music and Club/Dance Singer-songwriter who has had success Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is a multi- platinum selling British pop Singer and Songwriter " Me and My Imagination " is a pop song written by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Hannah Robinson and Matt Prime for Ellis-Bextor's third album Maroon 5 is a Grammy Award -winning American Pop rock band Formed with only two members at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts and expanded "Makes Me Wonder" is the Grammy Award winning first single released from Maroon 5 's second album It Won't Be Soon Before Long JUSTICE is a Human rights and law reform organisation based in the United Kingdom. " DANCE " is the second single by Justice, and the first from their album †. Music producer, Ian Levine has also produced many new songs with such singers as George Daniel Long, Hazell Dean, Sheila Ferguson, Steve Brookstein and Tina Charles among others for the compilation album titled, Disco 2008, a tribute to Disco music using original material. Ian Levine is an English Songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known (and often controversial fan of the long-running television Hazell Dean (born Hazel Dean Poole 27 October 1956, Great Baddow, Essex) is an UK Dance-pop Singer-songwriter Sheila Ferguson (born October 8 1947 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) was one of the longest serving singers of 1970s American female Soul Stephen "Steve" Desmond Brookstein (born 10 November 1968) is a British jazz and soul singer who rose to fame in the United Kingdom after becoming Tina Charles (born Tina Hoskins 10 March 1954, Whitechapel, London) is an English Singer, who achieved success as a

In recent years, artists such as Ali Love and Hercules and Love Affair have revived the disco sound. Ali Love (born 1982 is a solo musician He was signed to Columbia Records. Hercules and Love Affair is a musical project from New York based DJ Andy Butler

References

• Michaels, Mark (1990). The Billboard Book of Rock Arranging. ISBN 0-8230-7537-0.
• Jones, Alan and Kantonen, Jussi (1999). Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco. Chicago, Illinois: A Cappella Books. ISBN 1-55652-411-0.
• [8] -- Article on the re-mastered 30th Annversary of Saturday Night Fever DVD by writer John Reed

Further reading

• Brewster, Bill and Broughton, Frank (1999) Last Night a DJ Saved my Life: the History of the Disc Jockey Headline Book Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7472-6230-6
• Lawrence, Tim (2004). Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979 . Duke University Press. ISBN 0-8223-3198-5.
• Angelo, Marty (2006) - Once Life Matters: A New Beginning. Impact Publishing. ISBN 0961895446.
• Peter Shapiro (2005) Turn The Beat Around - The Secret History Of Disco. Faber And Faber. ISBN-10 0865479526 ISBN-13 978-0865479524

See also

• 700 DJ Certified Top Disco Dance Songs
• Saturday Night Fever
• Disco orchestration
• Right On Band
• Funk
• List of disco artists (A-E), List of disco artists (F-K), List of disco artists (L-R), List of disco artists (S-Z)
• Disco punk
• Motown Sound
• Number-one dance hits of 1978 (USA)
• Number-one dance hits of 1979 (USA)
• Philadelphia International Records
• Philly soul
• Soul music
• TK Records
• African American music