When Exactly Did Disco Die and When Was the Beginning of the End?

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Alcastar

The Knack's "My Sharona" owes much of its success to disco. There was a concerted effort by radio programmers, djs and punk and rock music fans to turn that song into a huge hit as a sign that a new direction in music was underway.

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You are so right about this
The reaction to that record was so exaggerated as was the heralding of this song as signaling a change in the wind in music . So much trumped up hype about a one hit wonder . The only reason it stayed #1 for five weeks was because its sound was so isolated ..... there weren't more records of the style to displace it . So there it perched all by its lonely.

Listening to it today , MY SHARONA sounds more like a novelty record than a representation of any particular movement ...


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[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by Alcastar

The Knack's "My Sharona" owes much of its success to disco. There was a concerted effort by radio programmers, djs and punk and rock music fans to turn that song into a huge hit as a sign that a new direction in music was underway.

Donna Summer, Village People and many of the legendary djs, arrangers and producers behind-the-talent who helped make the songs what they were also deserve much blame in disco's demise. If fear of losing their credibility and chart standings hadn't forced them to make drastic changes in their careers, disco may have rebound. But because much of the high quality talent abandoned it, disco went underground, evolved and has become the mere trend it's remembered as today.

Great assessment of the industry, especially disco back then, but on the whole I disagree with this post because it wasn't really the artists that changed, it was several factors as someone mentioned previously in this thread; Comiskey was one, over-glut of the music with stupid brainless albums and songs coming out was another, the public was basically tired and over inundated with disco and mindless albums and music and were in essence ready to move into another direction; and then the Producers were basically forced to abandon the music or voluntarily gave up as sales plunged to virutally zero non-profit levels.

Disco also became too commercial.

It was the responsibility of the Disco "powers that be" in those days to positively respond to the negative backlash that happened in the late 70's that basically killed disco as we knew it. All Discoers during that time (Producers, Fans, and some artists) just gave up, didn't fight back, and surrendered the disco music, trend, and style to its death. Now looking back, if they had maybe all got together and responded to Comiskey, attacked and subdued the stupid disco record and albums that were being pumped out like cars in an assembly line, and searched for ways as a team to ensure the music and trend survived positively, then we may not have ever had this forum, and the name disco would still be spoken as it once was.

Garry

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by remicks

I suspect the "best " disco years are those that were the best as experienced by each person as they experienced them . Chances are .... a person that was clubbing from 1975 would be getting a bit burned out by '78. But there was much great disco yet to come for those still arriving. I bet 1979 was a great disco year for someone just turning club age then .

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I'm also curious Garry , about what disco albums come to mind that were created just for art's forms sake ????


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Best disco years for me were 1975 to 1980; I turned 19 in Oct 75 so the whole disco era was indeed "my time." Anyone else want to list when their favorite disco years or "time" was during the era? This would only apply to the disco scene and era and not post disco.

Garry

[niqueybaby]

Let me say that I attened that Disco Sucks rally, or whatever it was, when I was 4 years old. I had a Disco 45 in hand. I can't remember what it was but I remember asking my mother, "this isn't the song I like is it?" (meaning the tomtom club 45, genious (please excuse my spelling) of love). lol That she owned. I also remember her telling me what it was and me saying, "but mom I like that song", her reaction to that was shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hahahahaha Funny that we did listen to some disco in our house but were still at that horrid rally

[KoolChris]

IMO, The best disco years have to be 1977-1979, with the high point being 1979. So many excellent tracks were released then, and the sound had matured into, no longer just an offspring of funk or soul, but a distinct sound with highly distinguishable characteristics.

I only turned 9 in late 1979, but I was crazy about disco music, and had been introduced to disco early on by my friends' older brothers & sisters, and listened to their records or disco-only radio stations any time I wasn't in school. Living in a black/mexican neighborhood in Los Angeles, music was constantly blaring out of open windows from homes or passing cars, so it seems from my memories disco was the sountrack to anytime I was at home or outdoors, so basically anytime I was awake.

[deltablues2]

I'd clock the "public" death around 1980.

The truth is that disco did not die. It went back underground to the black and gay clubs where it began. It then re-emerged in the mid-80's as "dance" music, spear-headed by pop superstars like Madonna & Janet Jackson. Madonna's 12" of Angel introduced the general public to what a 12" Single was. People bought it to get the then-otherwise-unavailable song Into The Groove.

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by KoolChris

IMO, The best disco years have to be 1977-1979, with the high point being 1979. So many excellent tracks were released then, and the sound had matured into, no longer just an offspring of funk or soul, but a distinct sound with highly distinguishable characteristics.

I only turned 9 in late 1979, but I was crazy about disco music, and had been introduced to disco early on by my friends' older brothers & sisters, and listened to their records or disco-only radio stations any time I wasn't in school. Living in a black/mexican neighborhood in Los Angeles, music was constantly blaring out of open windows from homes or passing cars, so it seems from my memories disco was the sountrack to anytime I was at home or outdoors, so basically anytime I was awake.

I agree KoolChris, those were the best years; my most favorite years were 1978 and 1979 as disco had evolved into it's own. I disagree though about no longer being an offspring of funk, soul, or even light rock, because remember, the beat had took off to 130 bpm plus and a firm 4/4 beat and ryhthm; if you listen closely to disco during its last years, those music elements were still there, just hyped up and speeded up.

1979 was a sad, sad time for all of us discoers because just when we were comfortable and thought the word disco would never disappear, nor the trend or fashion, then comiskey happened and in less than 7 months from that time, no more disco. Not only did it happen in the U.S. but around the world. Disco was a perfect example of how influential the United States is and how important we are to the world; Disco started it's death in the U.S., and it quickly spread worldwide.

1979 was the death knell, 1980 was the burial, and the mid-80's was the resurrection but with disco returning with a different name, not as important, but still needed by the many faithful that love to dance. In addition, disco, after the mid-80's to the present, changed it's sound several times in order to fit the crowd, times, and technology for each era. However, the 4/4 beat is still there with the cymbal hitting off the beat which was a sure disco staple throughout its short lifetime.

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by niqueybaby

Let me say that I attened that Disco Sucks rally, or whatever it was, when I was 4 years old. I had a Disco 45 in hand. I can't remember what it was but I remember asking my mother, "this isn't the song I like is it?" (meaning the tomtom club 45, genious (please excuse my spelling) of love). lol That she owned. I also remember her telling me what it was and me saying, "but mom I like that song", her reaction to that was shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hahahahaha Funny that we did listen to some disco in our house but were still at that horrid rally

Shame on you and your family, shame, shame, shame!!!!!!! (JUST KIDDING).

I would imagine or even think that there are numerous people that attended that rally that really loved disco but felt it was the thing to do or pressured by friends, family, etc. into believing that "disco" was the worse medicine for the cure "back in the day."

[KoolChris]

Originally Posted by garrybcoston

I agree KoolChris, those were the best years; my most favorite years were 1978 and 1979 as disco had evolved into it's own. I disagree though about no longer being an offspring of funk, soul, or even light rock, because remember, the beat had took off to 130 bpm plus and a firm 4/4 beat and ryhthm; if you listen closely to disco during its last years, those music elements were still there, just hyped up and speeded up.

I hear you; but read again: I wrote "no longer just an offspring of funk or soul", which makes all the difference in that sentence. It means that it had evolved and completed from its roots, certainly not that it had excluded them. Just to say we totally agree on the fact.

However, the end of disco may have been situated around 1980-1981 in the U.S., but it dimmed more subtly and later in Europe (I now live in Paris, France), probably until around 1983-1984. In fact, I've been surprised to often hear French press claim disco was a thing of the '80s, which in my opinion is totally ignorant, even by euro standards, unless the grossly 1975-1981 period is considered mostly in the '80s...

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by KoolChris

I hear you; but read again: I wrote "no longer just an offspring of funk or soul", which makes all the difference in that sentence. It means that it had evolved and completed from its roots, certainly not that it had excluded them. Just to say we totally agree on the fact.

However, the end of disco may have been situated around 1980-1981 in the U.S., but it dimmed more subtly and later in Europe (I now live in Paris, France), probably until around 1983-1984. In fact, I've been surprised to often hear French press claim disco was a thing of the '80s, which in my opinion is totally ignorant, even by euro standards, unless the grossly 1975-1981 period is considered mostly in the '80s...

I agree "KoolChris" I agree; I see where you're coming from. I didn't know that Disco took longer to die out in Europe; I do know that in 1980, on a trip to Perth, Australia while I was in the Navy, Disco was dying "down under" as well. But eventually it was snuffed out world-wide as the 80's pop phenomenon took over and replaced it, trend, fad, and all.

Garry

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by deltablues2

I'd clock the "public" death around 1980.

The truth is that disco did not die. It went back underground to the black and gay clubs where it began. It then re-emerged in the mid-80's as "dance" music, spear-headed by pop superstars like Madonna & Janet Jackson. Madonna's 12" of Angel introduced the general public to what a 12" Single was. People bought it to get the then-otherwise-unavailable song Into The Groove.

Yeah Delta Blues, I would agree 1980 too, late 1980; by that time the disco radio stations were gone, the disco sound was gone, but billboard continued to refer to dance (as they later named it) disco well into 1981 I believe. I remember hearing the new pop music (that would later become the next phenom that would replace disco) on radio stations in 1980 (Hall and Oates, etc.) and knew that the music industry had reverted back to "square one" and that disco was finally a thing of the past.

Garry

[Thereza bizarre]

It died when engineers discovered digital drums and recording technology's and they got into the whole movement of whatever it was to be remixed in to oblivion and whalah Hi nrg!! new romantics futurism? remeber that futuerism? yes people wanted to come from sape all of a sudden 9which i thought was great simply cause i am from space i guess) but i don't really think disco died as such it was (at that time) being "superseeded" by producers and technology and fashion movements in a roundabout way..............

[Thereza bizarre]

oops sorry i meant to say "space" in the above post (illiterate trollop i am!)but i typed too fast sorry ...

[Lajazz947]

Disco is still very much alive. I listen to everything from Disco, to jazz to heavy metal classic rock but its still alive.

My brother and I remember enough to keep it alive,

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by Lajazz947

Disco is still very much alive. I listen to everything from Disco, to jazz to heavy metal classic rock but its still alive.

My brother and I remember enough to keep it alive,

So do I; today I had Simon Orchestra blaring, and yesterday it was USA/European Connection (Come Into My Heart/Love's Comin).

Garry