As the 70’s came along, the disco scene began to thrive. The popularity of discos peaked during the mid to late 1970s. By the late 1970s most major U.S. cities had thriving disco club scenes, but the largest scenes were in San Francisco, Miami, and most notably NYC. The roots of the disco can be traced back to black, gay, psychedelic and other various communities mostly in in the NYC area. Disco was used as a reaction against both the domination of rock music and the beginning of dance music during this period. Women embraced disco as well, and the music eventually expanded to several other popular groups of the time.
Disco DJs played "a smooth mix of long single records to keep people dancing all night long.” Some of the most prestigious clubs also had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music. The typical disco songs usually had a soaring, often reverberated vocals over a steady four-on-the-floor beat, an eighth note or sixteenth note hi-hat pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and a dominant, syncopated electric bass line. Various sounds and instruments such as strings, horns, electric pianos, and electric guitars were used to create a lush background sound. Orchestral instruments such as the flute were also often used for solo melodies.
In addition to the huge popularity of the disco, the increase in drug use and sex drastically increased. Disco goers would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights with various drugs such as cocaine “blow” and amyl nitrate which was known as “poppers.” To make the “disco” experience even better, disco goers would have sex in the clubs. While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction, sex usually took place in the “less crowded” areas of the disco such as the bathrooms, stairwells, and even the balconies. A perfect example of a club that would have these experiences on a “daily basis” was Studio 54. Studio 54 was arguably considered to be the most well known club in the world. It was so popular that it even played a major role in the growth of disco music and nightclub culture in general.
When the 80s rolled around, the popularity of discos in the United States declined markedly as a result of a backlash. Although it began to be quite unpopular in the United States, it continued to grow elsewhere in the world. The word “disco”was soon replaced by "dance music" and "dance pop.” In the decades since, dance clubs have remained highly popular and influential, and the disco beat has even informed the sound of many of music's biggest stars. The disco was not only a dance, but it was a music, a fashion, and a lifestyle.
sources-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco
http://www.saskschools.ca/~nlsd/grassroots/life/dance/docs/disco.html
6 comments:
Hey Roman, great article an facts on the 70's with having Disco involved. I personally love Disco music and the funk it brings into life and how you talk about with the increase in funk music, also was an increase in other uses like drug and sex. Great blog post.
Roman, I really enjoyed this blog. We never really got into disco in class, but it is a topic I am very interested in. Your quotes and pictures really made this article pop. I also enjoyed how you incorporated various facts about disco I was unaware of. Great job choosing this topic, and excellent sources.
Great job, Roman! I really enjoyed this article. I liked the disco music we listened to in class so to learn about the history of disco music was extremely helpful. I can tell that you took a lot of time researching background and facts as well.
Nice job Roman! This topic is really interesting. After reading this learning more about the disco. Also, I like how you talk about the problem that disco bring.
Good work, Roman. This may be your best yet. Remember that you should have hyperlinks in the body of your post, and you should identify your sources when you refer to them.
Studio 54 is a very interesting place. Worth researching to learn about the leading society stories of the 70's.
Good blog Roman. This was a very interesting topic. If it were not for disco in the 70's there would not be the clubs that there are today. Disco revolutionized the way people party today. The lights that go along with the music along with the rest of the party atmosphere is what made our clubs today.
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