Top 20 of 1979

[discodoc]

I've been compiling "Top Hits of 19--" mixtapes every year featuring the hottest in dance music from that given year. I've been working my way back to the year 1974, when Disco was born, and have made it to 1979 so far. I just completed my 1979 mix tape and here's the track listing (I always try to use an alternate remix if an excellent one is available, just to mix things up a bit):

20. "Boogie Wonderland" (Stretch & Vern Remix) - Earth, Wind & Fire
19. "He's The Greatest Dancer" (Brutal Bill Remix) - Sister Sledge
18. "Heaven Knows" - Donna Summer
17. "Born To Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
16. "In The Navy" - Village People
15. "Makin It" - David Naughton
14. "Shake Your Body Down" - The Jacksons
13. "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" - McFadden & Whitehead
12. "Heart of Glass" (Richie Jones Club Mix) - Blondie
11. "Tragedy" - Bee Gees
10. "Good Times" (A Touch of Jazz Mix) - Chic
09. "Rapper's Delight" - Sugar Hill Gang
08. "Disco Nights" (Rock Freak) - GQ
07. "Knock On Wood" - Amii Stewart
06. "Ring My Bell" (Astralasia Remix) - Anita Ward
05. "We Are Family" (Marly Marl Remix) - Sister Sledge
04. "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson
03. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer
02. "Hot Stuff" (Disco Divas Megaremix) - Donna Summer
01. "I Will Survive" ('95 Remix) - Gloria Gaynor

[efunk_adelic]

Is it 1 complete mix? If so... right on...

I like challenges like that... must have been a lot of work doing that.

[discodoc]

It is a continuous mix. It took a while, but since I love mixing music it was not really "work." :D

[jim]

Good list,though many folks hewre would consider it to be pop heavy (every tune made at least the Top 20 on the Hot 100 POP chart)

Personally I tend to stick with the orginal 12" single mix

[rhessel]

Hello discodoc:

Very good selection for this Top Hits. Can you post the other selection??

Cheers

[discodoc]

Hi Jim;

You're right, of course, but it is meant to be pop-heavy. This is DEFINITELY not my list of favorites (although many would be included in my list of favorites, as well!), but rather more of a definitive picture of what was big... HUGE during that year in the world of Dance Music. Also, Jim I didn't mention, but in many cases I DID use original 12" mixes (which I also love!), but often they are "trimmed back" for mixing purposes and time constraints (to fit maximum # of cuts on the Tape/CD). Generally, the cuts on this mixtape were 3:00-4:30 in length.

Rhessel;

By "other selections" do you mean the other years I've compiled so far? (2002 all the way back to 1979, and I'm currently working on 1978). If so, sure, I'd love to post them! :P Are you interested in any particular years or all?

[Com King]

yeah discodoc what you do is really interesting. I am curious to see what tracks you put in your late mix ( I mean 2000, 2001, and 2002 ).

Is it possible that you make a list of every year every 3 days - or week ?

[discodoc]

Com King: Sure, I will post my other "Top Hits" lists... I'll work my way up to 2002. I wanted to comment on why I mix in the new remixes with the old original 12"'s. I consider myself to be a promoter of the Dance Music genre, and mixing the different styles seamlessly has a two-fold benefit. Firstly, it shows people that even though we may have gone from disco to new wave freestyle to hi-nrg to house to techno to trance (and MANY other styles & eras), bottom line is, they are ALL dance music! Some say that disco died, but I prefer Bernie's take: "It just evolved." Secondly, it helps the younger generations who know nothing about music over 5 yrs old (or 5 months in many cases) to realize that there is a wealth of incredible music to be rediscovered from the past 30 years, and that maybe the disco era isn't really as ancient as they might have thought! There are some classic disco tracks that sound right at home on today's dancefloors ("Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood" pops immediately to mind). There were some VERY innovative songs 10, 20 & 30 years ago, made by some true visionaries. Likewise, I continue to study and collect today's dance music, because it at it's core, it is built from the same strong melododic rhythms that were at the foundation of it's disco forebears, and still has the same extreme creativity and those addictive beats! Mixing of dance music is an art all of it's own that was begun and perfected by Dance DJ's, and is still nearly exclusive to our genre. What I'm out to prove is that dance- not rock, hip hop or any other past or future contender is the most creative, versatile, fun, innovative and utterly cool music in the world! :D
-discodoc

[Rab]

I think Boogie Wonderland is from 1980

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Originally Posted by discodoc

It is a continuous mix. It took a while, but since I love mixing music it was not really "work." :D

I applaud you! Those tracks were not easy to program. Being pre-drum-machine and having no real DJ-friendly structures to the mixes, at the time. (Having 2 copies of everything helped me get through!) It takes a lot of pitch-control-savvy to mix them without having the strings, or horns go sour on you from working the pitch control. (I'd love to know how you got from "Disco Nights" to "Knock On Wood") And it'll get tougher as you go back in time. I'm looking forward to your lists, as you venture further back.

How do you make your choices? Do you start with Billboard Lists and work your way from there?

[mrbill]

"Boogie Wonderland" came out in the summer of 79. I remember dancing to it and seeing it on AB. It was such a big hit, it lasted well into 80.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by Rab

I think Boogie Wonderland is from 1980

No, it's definitely '79.