Is Disco really dead or did it evolve?

I think it evolved.  In the 80's they just called it dance music (or even sometimes New Wave like Communards, Heaven 17 & Erasure), then freestyle, house (which was integrated with hip-hop) and then what eventually became techno.

What is now known as the Billboard 'Hot Dance Music / Club Play' chart used to be known as the Billboard 'Disco Action' chart, so yes disco just evolved into dance music

i think it evolved. artists like Shannon ("Let The Music Play"), Madonna (mostly on her debut), Stacey Q, etc. helped it evolve into dance-pop.

Is Disco really dead or did it evolve?


I say the answer is both.  After 1980 or so, a "Disco" song just didn't fly anymore, and many of the true "Disco" artists found themselves washed up.  However, some of the early 80's styles of music either directly evolved from Disco (e.g. dance music as mentioned) or else incorporated Disco elements, even though the name "Disco" became a no-no.

Disco is what you get when White people try to perform Funk.

I say the answer is both.  After 1980 or so, a "Disco" song just didn't fly anymore, and many of the true "Disco" artists found themselves washed up.  However, some of the early 80's styles of music either directly evolved from Disco (e.g. dance music as mentioned) or else incorporated Disco elements, even though the name "Disco" became a no-no.


Disco s'posedly died in 1979, but it kept alive for a few more years.  Diana Ross had a US #1 in 1980 with 'Upside Down'

Disco is what you get when White people try to perform Funk.

OK, then how do you explain "The Average White Band"? They were funky.  ;D

OK, then how do you explain "The Average White Band"? They were funky.  ;D


AWB was an exception.  They were also Scottish, not American.

Most "Disco" was an attempt to take the beat and tempo of Funk, and homogonize and commercialise it.  The problem was that in doing so, they removed the soul from it, leaving it bland.  Almost every disco song sounded the same, being just a minor variant of theme and pitch.  Even Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones got into the act.  Thankfully, it finally died the death it well deserved.

However, I also admit to actually liking some disco songs.  But overall, it was a dull period of musical history, with most artists long forgotten.

Now excuse me while I play some Walter Murphy.

What is Disco anyway? DANCE MUSIC! IMO.... So it's evolved from The Waltz??????

What is Disco anyway? DANCE MUSIC! IMO.... So it's evolved from The Waltz??????
So many of the earlier disco tunes have wonderful string arrangements and classical leanings set to a much higher tempo. 

AWB was an exception.  They were also Scottish, not American.

Most "Disco" was an attempt to take the beat and tempo of Funk, and homogonize and commercialise it.  The problem was that in doing so, they removed the soul from it, leaving it bland.  Almost every disco song sounded the same, being just a minor variant of theme and pitch.  Even Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones got into the act.  Thankfully, it finally died the death it well deserved.

However, I also admit to actually liking some disco songs.  But overall, it was a dull period of musical history, with most artists long forgotten.

Now excuse me while I play some Walter Murphy.


Elton John did some disco songs too.

Disco, IMO...will NEVER be dead! :D ;D

I think there's a difference between a genre itself and its image, which tend to get unfairly lumped together sometimes. Sure, the stereotypical leisure suit fashion, or songs like "I Love the Nightlife" and "Disco Inferno" started petering out after its 1976-mid 1979 peak, but that doesn't mean its influence ever stopped. In that sense, it's underappreciated and never really died musically speaking, it just morphed into different forms.

For instance, I was listening to "Jump For My Love" by The Pointer Sisters from 1984 recently. While it's VERY Eighties with its polished, layered production, it's really just disco with a synthpop makeover. Even if no one would've admitted it at the time. I'd say the same residual influence is true with "What a Feeling", Michael Jackson's Thriller singles, as well as Madonna's debut album, maybe even Hall and Oates and other early MTV era pop. Same with later decade club bands like the Pet Shop Boys.

Let's not forget that it also indirectly influenced new wave production styles, and even hip hop in a way.

Remember when Kiss went disco in 1979 with "I Was Made for Loving You"?  I've heard that it's a toss-up between this and when they went without their makeup a few years later that they ticked off their 'Army' of fans, although I personally think this is a great song.  8)

^ Yeah, alot of a band's hardcore fans resent when they even remotely change their style and accuse them of selling out. I've never understood that, partially because I've become a fan of lots of bands I probably otherwise wouldn't have, if it weren't for their poppier songs. That kind of mainstreamization seemed like it was big among '80s music, probably to get on MTV and radio airplay. Even in the '90s it was still kinda common.

I guess they just feel like they want something that's "theirs" and don't want to share it with people who previously wouldn't have liked it. Heavy metal, rap and indie fans seem to be the most "protective" of their artists in that way. Like no one except themselves and their ten friends should listen to it.

Remember when Kiss went disco in 1979 with "I Was Made for Loving You"?  I've heard that it's a toss-up between this and when they went without their makeup a few years later that they ticked off their 'Army' of fans, although I personally think this is a great song.  8)


The Rolling Stones also went disco (Miss You) as did Rod Stewart (Da Ya Think I'm Sexy).  Neither artist(s) generally cared for the genre, but they did it for the record sales, which worked.  Both were #1 hits in America.  That Rod Stewart one remains his biggest hit to date

The Rolling Stones also went disco (Miss You.)


This song and the brief success of classic disco ruined the Stones. Some Girls was an okay album but the radio success
of "Miss You" launched the Stones into years of "made for radio" music, which in my opinion, Sucks!

Blondie also went disco with "Heart Of Glass". Most people don't seem to think of that as a big deal, but many of thier first fans were really angry that they'd do such a thing. Since they were punk, sort-of.

This song and the brief success of classic disco ruined the Stones. Some Girls was an okay album but the radio success
of "Miss You" launched the Stones into years of "made for radio" music, which in my opinion, Sucks!


With all due respect, why so much hate against poppier songs by harder rock bands? ;)

If it weren't for those, I probably never would've listened to alot of bands in the first place. During the '80s, and really the '90s too, it seems like almost every kind of music was commercialized and toned down to an extent, probably to get radio and MTV airplay. Just personally I like catchy, cleaner sounding music like that - I've never been a headbanger or into, say underground stuff. There's a reason certain songs are popular, because they're tailored to appeal to alot of people. Oftentimes, a band's more "fanbase oriented" material just can't do that.

As far as the Rolling Stones go, they weren't totally '80slike the way some other comebacks were (i.e. "We Built This City" or that period's Rod Stewart), but definitely had some elements of that sound. "Start Me Up", "One Hit To the Body" and "Rock and a Hard Place" were catchy songs though, and sounded like just a natural progression from their classic sound.

With all due respect, why so much hate against poppier songs by harder rock bands? ;)



I was never a fan of top 40 or what I call radio rock. Good rock bands of the 70's changed their style to suit an 80's
MTV crowd and this I didn't like. The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult and even my favorite ELP
and their solo projects all went radio rock, or more to a pop music flair. I like obscure, these bands have excellent
songs on their albums that would never get airplay on the radio or MTV, they're the songs I like. They are more
complex, more syncopated. To me, top 40, or radio rock is too basic, too bland and too boring. 

Blondie also went disco with "Heart Of Glass". Most people don't seem to think of that as a big deal, but many of thier first fans were really angry that they'd do such a thing. Since they were punk, sort-of.


I heard somewhere that Blondie originally recorded "Heart of Glass" as a reggae-style song (of course one of their later hits "The Tide is High" was done that way), but since disco was so popular at the time their record company convinced them to rerecord and release it as a disco song.

it was actually more of a blues song.