Who were the 4 most popular disco artists?

[JimDawg]

Looking for what people feel is the 4 most popular disco artists?

[Outsider]

I would say the four most popular disco artists are Donna Summer, KC and the Sunshine Band, Chic, and the Bee Gees.

[Leanmean]

Ugh! Outsider, my friend. The Bee Gees and KC?! Well, you may be right although you know the Bee Gees aren't really disco, they just had a disco-like song or two as did some other bandwagon jumpers.



KC I'll grant you although I am loathe to, just because his music was so bubble gum.



But, if you consider that most of America is straight and they think the Bee Gees are disco, then the few of us in the 10% who aren't and don't, just have to sit here and grit our teeth. After all, popularity is usually drawn from the majority of the population.



In my opinion, it would be:

Donna Summer

Chic

Gloria Gaynor

Sylvester





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Leanmean on 2002-01-08 12:49 ]</font>

[Outsider]

I know that the Bee Gees aren't actually a disco band, but they did go through a disco phase (1975-1979), and they had a long string of hits during that time, so that's why I listed them (by the way, I don't like either their music or KC and the Sunshine Band's). When I came up with my list, I was looking at the number of hits that each artist had.



You noticed I didn't list the Andrea True Connection. As much as I love them, I realize that they only had one hit (that of course being "More, More, More"). But this thread is about listing the most popular disco artists, not my favorite ones.

[Outsider]

By the way, what does sexual preference have to do with thinking the Bee Gees are disco are not? I don't see a connection between the two.

[sempaug]

In Italy the most famous disco artist of the seventies are Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Village People, Kool & the Gang. Unfortunately few people have knowledge of wonderful band like Erotic Drum, First Choice, Salsoul Orchestra, el Coco, Blackbirds, John Davis and so on…

[markydefad]

Ah, this old can of worms has been opened again!



We've argued this is the past--let me summarize.



There are some here on the board who don't think certain acts, notaby The Bee Gees and ABBA are disco acts. Leanmean & Fantomas, notably, have reacted most unfavorably whenever I have had the audacity to mention that either of them had an impact on disco. I think they did; they say I'm living on another planet. I'm not gonna get into it again. At least not now.



The gay/straight thing comes from the idea that straight people think the Bee Gees are first and foremost DISCO because they identify them with their beloved disco epic "Saturday Night Fever" a film loathed by many here as being the mainstream nail in the coffin of disco, because it caused it to become so popular that a backlash was inevitable.



So I guess, the assumption is that gay people know better than to classify whitebread pop groups like the Bee Gees & ABBA as disco. Only straight people would think so.



It's all a matter of taste and perspective. I say they both had songs that were played heavily in discos and thefore had an impact--particularly The Bee Gees before SNF with 2 songs in particular "Jive Talkin'" & "You Should Be Dancing". ABBA ,later with "Voulez-Vous", "The Visitors" and especially the mammoth hit "Lay All Your Love On Me". Hey I posted what Tom Moulton said about ABBA being one of his faves and how much he regretted turning down a chance to remix "Dancing Queen". If they're good enough for Tom, they're good enough for me!!!







_________________

Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-01-08 18:48 ]</font>

[Outsider]

Marky, I fully agree with you. I wasn't trying to start controversy with my first message on this thread. I was just listing who I think are the most popular disco artists, which means who had the most impact on the genre. And the Bee Gees did have a major impact on disco, and not just with "Saturday Night Fever" (though that movie was their biggest impact on disco). If they brought disco to a wider audience (which I think they did), wouldn't that be a good thing? And like you said, it's just a matter of taste and perspective. I don't even like the Bee Gees. And the fact that I'm straight has absolutely nothing to do with thinking they had disco hits.



The last thing I want to do is start a fight over this. I've been in a fight before with someone over music (at another message board), and I don't want to go there again.

[markydefad]

Hey Outsider,

I don't think anyone's fighting about it. We just agree to disagree. Some people have different opinions--different strokes for different folks--it's all good in the hood.

[originalbigm]

Look,let's not get into arguments as to what did and did not constitute disco.Yes there was definately a disco sound or style as we know it.But there was incorporated into the whole disco lifestyle other genres that people enjoyed and danced to such as R&B,Funk,Reggae and Soca.These were necessary in a lot of club formats to control the pace and mood on the floor.

[sirius]

Fur sure the most popular DiscoStar is the

great DONNA SUMMER with her GIORGIO MORODER.

Then especially in Europe don´t forget FRANK

FARIAN´s BONEY M: They had over 20 Top-10-

Hits in UK and also Germany...from "Daddy

Cool" to this terrible "Rivers Of Babylon".

Then the first Disco-Queen ever: GLORIA

GAYNOR. Also the Miami-Soul-Combo KC & THE

SUNSHINE BAND with endless lists of hits.

For me, neither ABBA nor BEE GEES are Disco:

1st one began with GlamRock and second are

STRAIGHT from the 60ies. I am not very into

them...they are too conservative for my taste

Love & Cosmic Kisses from SIRIUS & DARKTUNES

[Outsider]

On 2002-01-09 11:41, markydefad wrote:

Hey Outsider,

I don't think anyone's fighting about it.

I didn't say that anyone was. I just don't want that to happen, that's all.

We just agree to disagree. Some people have different opinions--different strokes for different folks--it's all good in the hood.

Exactly.

[Mixmachine]

back on topic

My vote goes for Donna Summers we all know her career is full of classics, Gloria Gaynor performed some of the biggest disco hits on her first two albums before she hit the big time with “I will survive”, Barry White and his Love Unlimited Orchestra, from “Honey Please” to “King Kong” and everything else in between he can’t be matched and finally The Salsoul Orchestra you can’t get any more disco than that, especially with guest vocalists like Loletta Halloway, listen to “Runaway” and see what I mean.

[Paulo]

From 1978 up to 1980, here in Brazil the most popular and best loved "disco stars" were:



1 THE BEE GEES(because of the damn movie)

2 DONNA SUMMER

3 VILLAGE PEOPLE

4 SANTA ESMERALDA (they played Live here in 1978 at a famous disco: Papagayo Disco Club, which don't exist anymore)



The names above were perceived by the media as disco stars (independent if they were really 100% disco). This is how they were perceived by the public.



Particularly we all here know Bee Gees are nowhere near Cerrone, Boris Midney, or Le Pamplemousse. But we're talking about "most popular" and although I prefer Cerrone, The Bee Gees are more popular and although they're not a disco band, at least they have some disco songs.



From 1973 to 1976, the most famous soul or "disco" star here were:



1 BARRY WHITE (he ruled over here)

2 KC & SUNSHINE BAND

3 TINA CHARLES

4 ABBA

5 KOOL AND THE GANG





(independent if they were really DISCO)



Now I present the most 4 underrated disco stars (my personal favourites):



1 RINDER AND LEWIS (this includes EL COCO, LE PAMPLEMOUSSE, RINDER AND LEWIS, SAINT TROPEZ, TUXEDO JUNCTION and everything else recorded under their name)



2 SALSOUL ORCHESTRA



3 CERRONE



4 BORIS MIDNEY



If it depended on me they would be the most popular, not ABBA, not BEE GEES, not VILLAGE PEOPLE, etc...

[JussiK]

On 2002-01-08 18:43, markydefad wrote:

Ah, this old can of worms has been opened again!

Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad



And out of the can burst the delightful Spanish duo BACCARA! Along with Boney M these gals went beyond platinium in Europe. USA was the only place crowds were not flamencoing madly to PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS, KOOCHIE KOO, SORRY I'M A LADY, YES SIR I CAN BOOGIE and the rest of Baccara's irritatingly infectous pop boogie.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-01-08 18:48 ]</font>