THE First 100 BILLBOARD DISCO CHART No. 1s. More: tomorrow.

Caffè  Lattè looks back on:

 

60 YEARS

OF THE

BILLBOARD

DISCO/DANCE

CHART

 

Billboard began ranking the top Disco and Dance tracks in 1974. Six decades of dancefloor favourites have kept us in discotheques and clubs to this day. This is a focus on the first 100 number ones on that chart which span the Disco Era:

 

THE FIRST 100 NUMBER ONE TRACKS

Oct. 26^th, 1974:         The Disco Chart debuts in Billboard.

 

11.

BRAZIL

The Ritchie Family 7 weeks

This was a disco remake of a 1943 song which peaked at #2 Pop for Xavier Cugat. It was the first Disco Chart entry for the female trio and enjoyed the then second longest run at the top.

12.

FLY ROBIN FLY

Silver Convention 3 weeks

The German studio group was the first to reach #1 Pop and Disco with the same song. “Get Up And Boogie” also reached the Disco Top 5.

13.

CASANOVA BROWN / (IF YOU WANT IT) DO IT YOURSELF / HOW HIGH THE MOON

Gloria Gaynor 1 week

The first act to achieve a second Disco Chart #1 was Gloria Gaynor. She had scored the inaugural No. 1 in 1974 with “Never Can Say Goodbye”. In between, she peaked at #2 with “Honey Bee/ Never Can Say Goodbye/ Reach Out, I’ll Be There”. The three tracks from ‘Experience Gloria Gaynor’ were the first to be listed at #1 simultaeneously, a feature of the chart that would recur frequently.

14.

LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY

Donna Summer 4 weeks

Donna Summer’s first Disco Chart entry saw her immediately challenge Gloria Gaynor for the title of Queen Of Disco. The song was was created in Europe and led to her relocating back to the U.S.A.

15.

I LOVE MUSIC

The O’Jays 8 weeks

The last Disco Chart #1 of 1975 was the first of 3 entries for R&B trio The O’Jays. It enjoyed the second longest reign at #1 at the time.

1976

16.

MIGHTY HIGH

Mighty Clouds Of Joy 5 weeks

The most successful Disco Chart entry for the gospel group from Los Angeles.

17.

MOVIN’

Brass Construction 4 weeks

The only Disco chart #1 of 9 entries by the Brooklyn, New York disco group.

18.

TURN THE BEAT AROUND

Vicki Sue Robinson 4 weeks

The Philadelphia-born singer peaked at #2 in 1977 with “Hold Tight”. She died of cancer in 2000.

19.

LOVE HANGOVER

Diana Ross 2 weeks

After Diana Ross quit The Supremes in 1969, the remaining members of the trio failed to top the Pop or Disco lists. “Love Hangover” was the Motown star’s first Disco #1 and also topped Billboard’s Pop and Soul charts.

20.

TRY ME I KNOW WE CAN MAKE IT

Donna Summer3 weeks

Donna Summer’s second Disco Chart #1 was lifted off her third studio album ‘A Love Trilogy’. She then reached the Top 10 with the Disco hits “Could It Be Magic” (#3) and “Wasted/ Come With Me” (#7).