Who were the 4 most popular disco artists?

**JimDawg** · January 8th, 2002, 06:10 AM

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

**Outsider** · January 8th, 2002, 11:13 AM

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

**Leanmean** · January 8th, 2002, 11:47 AM

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

[ This Message was edited by: Leanmean on 2002-01-08 12:49 ]

**Outsider** · January 8th, 2002, 03:27 PM

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** · January 8th, 2002, 05:06 PM

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** · January 8th, 2002, 05:30 PM

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** · January 8th, 2002, 05:43 PM

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

[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-01-08 18:48 ]

**Outsider** · January 9th, 2002, 10:08 AM

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** · January 9th, 2002, 10:41 AM

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** · January 9th, 2002, 11:10 AM

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** · January 9th, 2002, 12:31 PM

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** · January 9th, 2002, 04:01 PM

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** · January 9th, 2002, 08:37 PM

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** · January 10th, 2002, 03:44 AM

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** · January 10th, 2002, 08:19 AM

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.

[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-01-08 18:48 ]

**Jeff H** · January 14th, 2002, 12:10 PM

Well, I was going to add my two (or three or four) cents on the debate over the Bee Gees (ugh) and ABBA and sexual orientation as it relates to disco music, but Marky has--once again--pretty much taken the words out of my mouth! (Do you ever get any WORK done on the office computer, buddy?!

)

**The Lord of Flatbush** · April 7th, 2002, 07:18 AM

On 2002-01-08 12:47, Leanmean wrote:

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

[ This Message was edited by: Leanmean on 2002-01-08 12:49 ]

Cerrone, Chic, Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor were the top four disco acts.

If there was a fifth entry, it would be Sylvester.

**Fantomas** · April 8th, 2002, 06:24 AM

The Bee Gees and Abba never made any significant contribution to Disco music. If you think that playing a song is a contribution, then yes, they did----and so did every other artists that had a night club hit. The Bee Gees were shoved down people's throat by Bob Stigwood. The Bee Gees became more famous after the Disco era had passed. I remember that at the night clubs I went to (La Elegante, Soap Factory, Brother's III, the Funhouse, etc.), the DJ hardly ever played the Bee Gees and when he did, he was booed or most people would leave the dance floor.

I dislike it when people make Disco into a racial or sexual things. Disco was for all races and sexual orientations. I'm straight and White and I think ther Bee Gees sucked.

I also know that Disco didn't start as a Gay thing----as much as gay like to claim Disco their own---it isn't. Disco was for everybody and most Disco acts were not Gay. That Gays adopted Disco as their favorite sound, it's a total different subject.

There seems to be a backlash in this forum against people who are straight and White. The greatest sound in Disco were Black AND White. Don't forget Cerrone, Moroder, Lalo, AWB, and others.

As for my top 4---Gaynor, Summer, B. White, and the Trammps. I can't see anybody that was here into Disco (as they claim) placing the Bee Gees over the Trammps.

So much for Bubble Gum Disco.

[ This Message was edited by: Fantomas on 2002-04-08 10:28 ]

**Robbie** · April 8th, 2002, 01:46 PM

Abba and the Bee Gees are "whitebread"?? Hmm, I can see where his prejudices are coming from...

**Fantomas** · April 8th, 2002, 03:02 PM

Yes, Whitebread is not a very nice word. I wonder what the "politically correct" would say if I start using "racial" slangs for people of the Non-White race. Once again, keep your racial comments and sexual preferences to yourself if you don't want to hear what other people might have on their minds. It would be so much nice if we didn't have to deal on the basis of skin color or sexual preference. I don't like the Bee Gees, not because they're White, but because they're bubble gum Disco. I don't like this new Rap ****, not because they're Black, but because its mostly worthless and untalented.

[ This Message was edited by: Fantomas on 2002-04-08 16:28 ]

**The Lord of Flatbush** · April 8th, 2002, 06:31 PM

On 2002-04-08 16:02, Fantomas wrote:

Yes, Whitebread is not a very nice word. I wonder what the "politically correct" would say if I start using "racial" slangs for people of the Non-White race. Once again, keep your racial comments and sexual preferences to yourself if you don't want to hear what other people might have on their minds. It would be so much nice if we didn't have to deal on the basis of skin color or sexual preference. I don't like the Bee Gees, not because they're White, but because they're bubble gum Disco. I don't like this new Rap ****, not because they're Black, but because its mostly worthless and untalented.

[ This Message was edited by: Fantomas on 2002-04-08 16:28 ]

Fantomas:

Check you out! First of all, you come off with the nonsense about The Bee Gees being bubblegum Disco. What's that all about? Jive Talkin' was out in 1975 before the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack was ever released. Didn't you know that the Bee Gees wrote "You stepped into my life" by Melba Moore? Would you consider that song as "Bubblegum Disco"?

As for Hip/Hop and Rap, are you trying to say that Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, KRS-ONE, Tupac and Chuck D from Public Enemy weren't talented MC's? I'm calling you out bro! Are you black or white? What's up? I'm a brother who happens to like all types of music. You were originally from Elizabeth, NJ and now you reside in Miami, Fl. In case you didn't check the tourist guide, some New Yorkers moved down to Miami, but most are going to Atlanta and other places.

Probably, you don't understand that "Ebonics" is now a language that's being taught in schools. It might not be proper English, but learning about the word "Son" might keep you from catching a bad one.

**DJ P** · April 8th, 2002, 06:57 PM

Ummm... seems like a lil rif going on amongst some posters here. This I will definitly stay out of! The top five DISCO artists? If they were 'Rock', 'Soul', 'R+B' or any other 'gender' of a 'music styles' and had a DISCO hit they might make my list (and in no particular order!!). 1). The Boystown Gang-(for a disco anthem 'Disco Kicks' and the campy 'Crusing The Streets', 2). Donna Summer-(as 99% of her releases made any club or club patron DANCE!!), 3). Santa Esmerald-(classic disco as with Donna Summer and alot of other artists that created and preformed songs that told a story), 4). Michal Zagar Band (basically a 'One Hit Wonder', but what a hit that has been left us with!), 5). Gloria Gaynor (Yes we did and the music also 'Survived!!). Music is a part of life. You might love a song you hear, but upon learning the singer/band for some reason a 'dislike' might happen. Forget the names, ENJOY the MUSIC!!!!

**NickNack** · April 8th, 2002, 07:35 PM

[ This Message was edited by: NickNack on 2002-04-08 22:42 ]

**Funky Dude** · April 8th, 2002, 08:07 PM

From what I've heard on mainstream retro radio the most popular bands in Australia doing disco during the 1970's were:

KC & The Sunshine Band

Bee Gees

Village People

Donna Summer

They had more hits in Australia than any other disco group had. And of course Australia was swamped by ABBA fever during the mid 1970's especially around 1976. I've heard a story that on our old pop show "Countdown", they played ABBA's "Fernando" or "Dancing Queen" clip so many times on Countdown that after a while it got monotonous and Countdown barred that clip to be shown even though it was still at No. 1.

Anyhow here's my personal top disco songs at the moment:

Ace Spectrum - If You Were There 1974

Jackson 5 - Hum Along & Dance 1973

Curtis Mayfield - Junkie Chase 1972

Gary Criss - The Girl From Ipanema & Brazilian Nights 1978

Commodores - Superman 1974

George McCrae - Love In Motion 1976

Crown Heights Affair - Dancin' 1976

And here are some songs I play quite a lot:

Olympic Runners - Get It While You Can 1978

Undisputed Truth - You + Me = Love 1976

Softones - That Old Black Magic 1975 (7 minute version)

Dennis Coffey - Scorpio 1971

Ultrafunk - Kung Fu Man 1974

Ultra High Frequency - We're On The Right Track 1973

Eastside Connection - You're So Right For Me 1977

Brass Construction - Movin' 1975

Isaac Hayes - Chocolate Chip 1975

Deodato - Skyscrapers 1973

**jim** · April 8th, 2002, 09:03 PM

The top disco artist from 1984 to present can be summed up in one word.

Madonna

Now if only she could do a duet wuiith Donna Summer as opposed to Britney