Here is a ranking of the 200 most
essential disco songs, taking into consideration: influence, popularity, chart
performance and enduring quality:
The 200 MOST ESSENTIAL
DISCO ERA SONGS
DISCO ERA SONGS
10 Y.M.C.A. Village People 1978
This camp classic has remained a party
favourite and is 1 of the instantly recognized disco hits all over the world.
9 GET DOWN TONIGHT KC & The Sunshine Band 1975
This is the song that saw the funky / disco group break through internationally, becoming the 1st of 5 US #1 singles on the Pop chart for the band.
8 DANCING QUEEN Abba 1976
ABBA drew inspiration from George McCrae's early disco hit "Rock Your Baby" to create a perennial floorfiller for dancefloors around the globe.
7 SUPERNATURE Cerrone 1977
French producer Cerrone was a major influence on the sound of Euro-disco. His "Supernature" was an aural treat years ahead of its time. Only Giorgio Moroder had a more profound impact as a disco producer.
6 LE FREAK Chic 1978
The Chic nucleus of songwriter/ producers Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards created its own brand of disco funk that was not only widely imitated, but has been sampled numerous times in subsequent decades. "Le Freak" was 1 of disco's best sellers.
5 LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY Donna Summer 1975
No other song injected sex into disco the way Donna Summer's "Love To Love You Baby" did. The recording took the genre down uncharted territory in terms of subject matter and her orgasmic delivery made it the "Je T' Aime (Moi Non Plus)" of a new generation. This was 1 of disco's biggest early hits.
4 I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor 1978
Arguably the best known disco song, "I Will Survive" has shown that a dancefloor favourite can become a timeless anthem. Gloria Gaynor's song resonates especially with the women's movement and the GLBT community, but also on a personal level for anyone facing a challenge.
3 STAYIN' ALIVE Bee Gees 1977
"Stayin' Alive" is synonymous with disco. From when we first saw John Travolta strutting to its legendary beat in the opening scene of the genre's box office hit 'Saturday Night Fever', the Bee Gees' track has entrenched itself into our memories. By the time the film exploded in cinemas, disco was running out of steam. Its soundtrack album changed everything. 'SNF' injected the genre with a mighty force. Disco's dwindling record sales not only reversed, but surpassed expectations. This song was the principal factor behind disco's metamorphosis from a niche` genre to crossing over to the mainstream of popular culture.
2 NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE Gloria Gaynor 1974
Gloria Gaynor became disco's 1st star. "Never Can Say Goodbye" was the 1st #1 on Billboard's Disco Chart, launched in October 1974. This remake of the Jackson 5's 1971 smash proved a remake with a dance beat could be lucrative. Many imitations soon followed, but few matched its thrill factor.
1 I FEEL LOVE Donna Summer 1977
Few disco stars wrote their own hits. Fewer still helped create seminal and influential songs the way Donna Summer did. She co-wrote "I Feel Love". Her vocals are perfectly suited to the song's innovative beat. Its other 2 writers and producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte are the other stars on this track. Their electronic Euro-disco production led disco down a radical path that has inspired dance music to this day. It is because of "I Feel Love" that the genes of disco music will continue to live on in the various dance sub-genres.
9 GET DOWN TONIGHT KC & The Sunshine Band 1975
This is the song that saw the funky / disco group break through internationally, becoming the 1st of 5 US #1 singles on the Pop chart for the band.
8 DANCING QUEEN Abba 1976
ABBA drew inspiration from George McCrae's early disco hit "Rock Your Baby" to create a perennial floorfiller for dancefloors around the globe.
7 SUPERNATURE Cerrone 1977
French producer Cerrone was a major influence on the sound of Euro-disco. His "Supernature" was an aural treat years ahead of its time. Only Giorgio Moroder had a more profound impact as a disco producer.
6 LE FREAK Chic 1978
The Chic nucleus of songwriter/ producers Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards created its own brand of disco funk that was not only widely imitated, but has been sampled numerous times in subsequent decades. "Le Freak" was 1 of disco's best sellers.
5 LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY Donna Summer 1975
No other song injected sex into disco the way Donna Summer's "Love To Love You Baby" did. The recording took the genre down uncharted territory in terms of subject matter and her orgasmic delivery made it the "Je T' Aime (Moi Non Plus)" of a new generation. This was 1 of disco's biggest early hits.
4 I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor 1978
Arguably the best known disco song, "I Will Survive" has shown that a dancefloor favourite can become a timeless anthem. Gloria Gaynor's song resonates especially with the women's movement and the GLBT community, but also on a personal level for anyone facing a challenge.
3 STAYIN' ALIVE Bee Gees 1977
"Stayin' Alive" is synonymous with disco. From when we first saw John Travolta strutting to its legendary beat in the opening scene of the genre's box office hit 'Saturday Night Fever', the Bee Gees' track has entrenched itself into our memories. By the time the film exploded in cinemas, disco was running out of steam. Its soundtrack album changed everything. 'SNF' injected the genre with a mighty force. Disco's dwindling record sales not only reversed, but surpassed expectations. This song was the principal factor behind disco's metamorphosis from a niche` genre to crossing over to the mainstream of popular culture.
2 NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE Gloria Gaynor 1974
Gloria Gaynor became disco's 1st star. "Never Can Say Goodbye" was the 1st #1 on Billboard's Disco Chart, launched in October 1974. This remake of the Jackson 5's 1971 smash proved a remake with a dance beat could be lucrative. Many imitations soon followed, but few matched its thrill factor.
1 I FEEL LOVE Donna Summer 1977
Few disco stars wrote their own hits. Fewer still helped create seminal and influential songs the way Donna Summer did. She co-wrote "I Feel Love". Her vocals are perfectly suited to the song's innovative beat. Its other 2 writers and producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte are the other stars on this track. Their electronic Euro-disco production led disco down a radical path that has inspired dance music to this day. It is because of "I Feel Love" that the genes of disco music will continue to live on in the various dance sub-genres.
This concludes the special countdown. You can find past posts for this
countdown too.
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