Disco: Freedom of Expression
- Music History Hall
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
I Love the Night Life.
Disco started in the 1970s in the underground clubs of New York City. Disco had a four-beat rhythm with every beat stressed with equal emphasis to create a consistent, thumping bass line. This made the music easy to dance to; the disc jockeys called it "four to the floor."
The music was played in clubs by DJs instead of live musicians or bands, which allowed the dancers to be the main performers. The music was dramatic with a high level of emotion. Disco became so popular that it took over radio, billboard charts, nightclubs, and roller skating rinks for several years in the late 1970s.
Disco music coincided with the Gay Pride Movement in the U.S. The movement was sparked by the Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969, which was a week-long protest initiated by police raids of gay bars in NYC. The first gay pride parade was held in 1970 on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The rainbow flag arrived as a symbol in 1978.
The gay rights movement found its soundtrack during the Disco craze. Themes in the music included the liberation of women and gay people and general freedom for all.
The fashion of the Disco era was glittery with gold chains, sequins, slinky dresses, platform boots, and shiny satin shirts and jackets. Stars of the Disco era included Donna Summer and the Bee Gees. The 1977 film, Saturday Night Fever, with a soundtrack developed by the Bee Gees, marked the pinnacle of the Disco era.
The rise of Disco had usurped the hard rock 1970s, and not everyone was pleased. There was pushback against the freedom and excess of the genre. The Disco era ended abruptly with a Disco Demolition Night at a Major League Baseball game in 1979.
