Disco music is a type of dance music that developed in the 1970’s. Disco music features a strong, rhythmic bass and a steady beat. Disco is short for the French word discothèque << DIHS kuh tehk >> . A discothèque is a type of dance club.
Disco music developed primarily in African American and Hispanic American dance clubs in New York City and Philadelphia in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The disco sound was influenced mainly by funk , soul , and a form of Latin dance music called salsa . Early disco hits included the 1974 songs “Rock the Boat” by the trio the Hues Corporation and “Rock Your Baby” by George McCrae. The American singers Gloria Gaynor, Isaac Hayes, and Barry White were among the most notable early disco performers.
Disco’s popularity peaked during the middle to late 1970’s. Most major cities in the United States had many successful disco clubs. Well-known disco performers during this period included the American groups Chic, the Jacksons , KC and the Sunshine Band, and the Village People; the American singer Donna Summer ; and the Swedish quartet ABBA . In 1977, the motion picture Saturday Night Fever, with its best-selling sound track by the British-born Australian band the Bee Gees , helped gain disco a worldwide audience.
During the height of disco’s popularity, a number of nondisco performers recorded disco-influenced songs. Among the most notable were the American rock group Blondie and the British rock performers David Bowie , Queen , Rod Stewart, and the Rolling Stones . However, many traditional rock performers and fans strongly rejected disco. They objected to what they considered its technical, impersonal sound.
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Interest in disco declined by the end of the 1970’s as other forms of music became more popular. As the audience for disco music began to drop off, disco clubs and radio stations began to incorporate rhythm and blues , new wave , and country music into their programming. This new mix became known as “dance music” or “dance pop.”
In the 1980’s, a number of popular performers had dance music hits with a strong disco sound. These performers included the Americans Michael Jackson , Kool & the Gang, Madonna , the Pointer Sisters, and Prince ; and the Australian singer Kylie Minogue . Elements of disco continue to appear in many forms of popular music today.
