The Origins of Disco

What are the cultural, economic, and geographic origins of Disco and how has the genre been presented, remembered, and represented in popular culture?

Know (knowledge):

• The experiences/discrimination of Queer people and/or people of color in the 1960s and 1970s in major cities
• Prominent Disco artist Sylvester
• That artists make intentional choices in their medium to make a point about identity, culture, and politics.

Mastery Objective

• In this lesson, students will be able to identify the major themes and elements of Disco by examining photographs of social movements from the 1970s, watching Disco music videos, and reading an article about Disco musician Sylvester.

In this lesson, students will examine the sociocultural origins of Disco and how it has been presented in popular culture through analysis of music, photographs, videos, and articles. Students will engage in active note taking activities, group discussion, reflective writing, creative writing, and creating visual art.

On February 14th, 1970, a local New York City deejay named David Mancuso hosted a dance party in his Manhattan loft apartment. Mancuso’s party was inspired by “rent parties” that had been popularized in Harlem during the 1920s. During this time, Harlemites would invite bands to play in their apartments and charge a fee to help pay the rent. However, Mancuso didn’t hire musicians to play at his rent party on Valentine’s Day 1970. Instead, he provided the music by deejaying and he played Soul, Funk, and R&B music from his record collection to get attendees dancing. This night is often cited as the birth of Disco, and the beginning of a movement that centered Black, Brown, and Queer people.

During this time, New York City was a center of political and social activism. In response to the growing economic disenfranchisement among many communities of color, groups such as the Black Panthers and the Gay Liberation Movement created supportive networks that served both as mutual aid and advocacy organizations. Through events and parties, they also created a space for escapism from violence, poverty, and other forms of oppression and marginalization many in the city were experiencing.

Meanwhile, discothèques, a term from which Disco derives its name, had been popular in Europe for decades leading up to the 1970s. These nightclubs thrived by playing Black American music, originally Jazz. In the U.S., underground dance scenes for Black, Latinx, and/or Queer people were common in many northern cities such as New York and Philadelphia. Gay clubs such as the Stonewall Inn provided space for Queer people to dance, socialize, and engage in music listening. This origin in queerness can be seen in Disco’s aesthetics, featuring androgynous fashion, extravagant makeup, and bright colors. Parties like those hosted by Mancuso became increasingly popular in the 1970s as these communities grew in size and reach, and with that growth, the music grew in popularity as well.

The Disco sound became characterized by driving “four on the floor” beats, the integration of synthesizers and electronic production tools, and song arrangements often featuring strings and horns. Disco songs were intentionally long to encourage dancing and movement. With successful songs and albums from a variety of musicians such as Sylvester, Donna Summer, Village People, and Gloria Gaynor, Disco became noticed by the music industry at large. More Disco clubs emerged and those such as Studio 54 drew a celebrity audience.

The Disco sound became mainstream as the 1970s progressed, but as it rose in popularity, the attention shifted away from the communities it had been born in. The success of the film, Saturday Night Fever and its soundtrack, featuring white artists and actors, cemented the genre as profitable. By the end of the 1970s, Disco music was being produced by major companies and acts far removed from its Soul and R&B, Queer, and Black and Brown origins.

While popular, there was also a noted backlash to the rise of Disco. Some criticism of Disco came from its production techniques and style, with some criticizing it as “overproduced” and lacking emotion. Yet, the symbolic representation of Black, Brown, and/or Queer communities that Disco presented was also a key part of the backlash. This rejection of Disco culminated with Disco Demolition Night at Chicago’s Comiskey Park in July 1979. At that event, local Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl led the implosion of thousands of Disco records to chants and signs of “Disco Sucks,” and ultimately the several thousand attendees rioted.

While some claim that Disco “died” in the 1980s, its legacy lives on in the creation and evolution of House music, Synthpop, EDM, and club remixes. Creating spaces for Queer people and people of color, these genres continue to thrive in clubs and in urban areas all over the country. Contemporary artists such as Beyoncé, Lizzo, and Silk Sonic draw from the vocal styles, fashion, instrumentals, and production techniques of Disco records.

1. Display images from Gallery Walk - Disco and Society around the room.