Disco music developed in the early 1970s to cater to nightclub audiences. For this reason, there is a mostly consistent beat to keep people moving on the dancefloor. The basic tempo of disco is approximately 120 beats per minute (that's about 2 beats per second), with alternating bass and snare drumbeats, and often cymbals filling the gaps between the beats. While most disco falls into the range of 115-130 beats per minute, disco can be as fast as 135-140 beats per minute, or as slow as approximately 100 beats per minute. At a minimum, in addition to the beat (which must be sustained at about 2 beats per second through substantial portions of the song, usually for at least 30 seconds worth), disco usually features a bass guitar player, and often a rhythm guitar player as well. This bass playing usually must be in a disco/funk style rather than the kind of rock style heard in songs like "How Long" by Ace or most of "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard. In the absence of the bass guitar or a synthesized sound indistinguishable from live bass to still qualify as disco the overall sound must trend towards disco rather than electro and there usually must be one of the following combinations: (a) prominent rhythm or rock guitar combined with horns and/or real strings, or (b) prominent real strings combined with two or more other real instruments. If any lyrics can be heard in the song, at least some of those lyrics have to be sung rather than spoken, or else the song is generally classified as rap. Songs are not disco if they have the pattern 2 standard beats per second then 3 beats in the next second and 2 and 3 in succession in the beat pattern that continues; exceptions are hustle-disco songs where the extra beat does not break the consistency in the timing of the other beats and does not sound the same because it is played on a different type of drum.
TRADITIONAL DISCO
---- Examples of disco:
"Turn
the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson (1976)
"Shake
Your Groove Thing" by Peaches and Herb (1978)
"Pick Me Up, I'll Dance" by
Melba Moore (1978)
"Dance With You" by Carrie Lucas
(1979)
---- Examples of Eurodisco:
"Fly,
Robin, Fly" by Silver Convention (1975)
"Spring
Affair" by Donna Summer (1976)
"In the Navy" by the Village
People (1979)
"Soy tu Venus" by Baccara (2004)
---- Examples of stripped-down
disco:
"Good
Times" by Chic
(1979)
"I
Shoulda Loved Ya" by Narada Michael Walden (1979)
"Paradise"
by Change (1981)
"Rock
It" by Lipps, Inc. (1979)
ELECTRO-DISCO
This kind of disco lacks violins throughout the duration of the song but
does have electronics or keyboards present.
DISCO-SOUL / R&B-DISCO
Since disco was largely born from African-American soul music, it is only
natural for disco to draw from the soul tradition. Disco-soul tracks have
noticeable roots in 1960s Motown and 1970s Philly soul. The singing is
ultra-soulful and deep in meaning. The messages are often about
romance.
---- Examples:
"You'll
Never Find Another Love Like Mine" by Lou Rawls (1976)
"Hold On I'm Coming" by Precious Wilson (1979)
"Can't Do Without You" by Eddie Horan (1978)
"Helpless"
by Jackie Moore (1980)
GOSPEL-DISCO
These tracks are very soulfully sung, with religious themes drawn from the
African-American church tradition. Sometimes a gospel chorus sings
along.
---- Examples:
"My Sweet Lord" by Roberta Kelly (1978)
"Sell
My Soul" by Sylvester (1980)
"He's
a Friend" by Eddie Kendricks (1976)
"God Helps Those Who Help Themselves" by the Gospelaires of Dayton, O. (1978)
FUNK-INFLUENCED DISCO
The most distinctive element here is the extra-funky bass playing, more
funky than usual! You may also find prominent horns.
ROCK-DISCO
This popular form of disco incorporates classic rock stylings. Usually
the rock influence is the use of a prominent rock guitar, and often
there's a 1970s hard rock attitude in the way the lyrics are sung.
Altogether this style is gritty and raw. Many rock musicians during the
1970s appreciated disco and tried their hand at it, but somehow a sharp
split emerged between rock fans and disco fans by the end of the 1970s,
even though there was potential for additional cross-polination between
the two genres.
---- Examples:
"Hot
Stuff" by Donna Summer (1979)
"Miss
You" by the Rolling Stones (1978)
"Spacer"
by Sheila and B. Devotion (1979)
"For Your Love" by Chilly (1978)
PUNK-DISCO
Punk rock fans usually didn't like disco, but at least one major punk
band, Blondie, decided to experiment with disco anyway. The result was a
number one hit on the Billboard Pop chart.
---- Example:
"Heart
of Glass" by Blondie (1978)
METAL-DISCO
These songs have a heavy metal sound, especially due to the aggressive
guitars, making these songs edgy and loud.
---- Examples:
"20th
Century Foxes" by Angel (1980)
"I Was Made For Lovin' You" by KISS (1979)
"Fire" by Mantus (1980)
"Danger!
High Voltage" by Electric Six (2001)
COUNTRY-DISCO
Based on country music from the American South, this style of disco is an
unusual and rare blend. Did Americans really need to make such an abrupt
change from "Saturday Night Fever" to "Urban Cowboy"? Maybe they could
have mixed the two some more!
---- Examples:
"Baby
I'm Burnin'" by Dolly Parton (1978)
"Double S" by Bill Anderson (1979)
"I
Can't Wait Any Longer" by Bill Anderson (1978)
"Yippy-i-aye Yippy-i-yo (Ghostriders in the Sky)" by Boots Clements (1981)
BLUEGRASS DISCO
This music evokes the Appalachian Mountains region and Texas with its use
of the banjo and traditional American bluegrass and folk melodies.
---- Examples:
"Tennessee Waltz" by Silver Blue (1978)
"Disco Banjo (Mister Banjo, Yellow Rose of Texas, Oh Suzannah)" by Leslie
O'Hara (1978)
CAJUN AND ZYDECO DISCO
This very rare kind of disco draws from the cajun and zydeco musical
heritages of the French Cajun and Creole peoples of Louisiana, USA.
---- Examples:
"Bayou Village" by Voyage (1978)
"Nuclear Night" by Crystal Disco Band (1979)
"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" by Silver Blue (1978)
JAZZY DISCO
Jazzy disco brings in another uniquely American style of music, jazz,
along with the big band swing variety of jazz. Sometimes the singing is
jazzy, but one constant is the emphasis on the horn section or (in the
case of George Benson's music) the jazz guitar. Improvisation is one of
the great things about jazz, and you can hear creative jazz musicianship
in many of the songs in this sub-genre of disco. Some of these songs are
original while others are disco remakes of jazz standards.
---- Examples:
"Minnie the Moocher (Disco Version)" by Cab Calloway (1978) -
old-fashioned jazz
"Cherchez
la Femme/Se Si Bon" by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
(1976) - old-fashioned jazz
"Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye" by Tuxedo Junction (1979) - old-fashioned
jazz
"Turn the Music Up!" by the Players Association (1979) - contemporary
jazz
"Love
X Love" by George Benson (1980) - contemporary jazz
INDIAN DISCO
The disco boom in India occurred several years after those in the United
States, Canada, and United Kingdom, especially during 1982 and continuing
until the late 1980s. Indian disco songs were often included on 1980s
Bollywood film soundtracks. They often featured Indian instruments and
Indian-styled sweeping violins and blaring horns. Sometimes extra drums
give them that Indian flavor; other times Indian string or wind
instruments do the trick, such as the sitar. Some of the tracks are in
the English language, while others are in Hindi or another language of
India.
---- Examples:
"I am a Disco Dancer" by Vijay Benedict and the "Disco Dancer" Chorus
(1982)
"Raat Baaqi Baat Baaqi" by Asha Bhosle, Bappi Lahiri, and Shashi Kapoor
(1982)
"Yaar Mila" by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle (1983)
"Osa Osa" by Bappi Lahiri (1983)
PACIFIC ISLANDER DISCO
The tropical islands in the Pacific provided inspiration to several disco
artists. Hawaiian disco songs, for instance, have Hawaiian themes,
instruments, and patterns. The music evokes images of sandy beaches and
dancing women in grass skirts.
---- Examples:
"Tahiti, Tahiti" by Voyage (1979) - Tahitian flavored
"Blue Hawaii Disco" by Bart Bascone (1979) - Hawaiian flavored
"Moon
of Monakoora" by Nohelani Cypriano (1979) - Hawaiian flavored
"Aloha-Oe,
Until We Meet Again" by Goombay Dance Band (1980) - Hawaiian
flavored
INDONESIAN-FLAVORED DISCO
The European group Voyage explored many international styles of music, and
among these were the Kechak (Kecak) dance songs of the Indonesian island
of Bali. With Kechak, a choir of men sit in a circle and repeatedly chant
something approximating "chak-a-chak-a-chak" in a hypnotic way.
---- Example:
"Kechak Fantasy" by Voyage (1979)
CHINESE-FLAVORED DISCO
These songs draw from the traditional music of China.
---- Examples:
"Take
Me to Chinatown" by Ultimate (1979)
"Disco General" by Oscar and His Orchestra (1980)
"Let Me Be Your Radio (Radio Show)" by Red Dragon Band
"Zhāo cái jìn băo" by Ervinna and Maggie Teng (1979)
JAPANESE-FLAVORED DISCO
This very rare kind of disco utilizes instruments of Japan, such as the
koto (a 13-stringed zither), to create a strikingly beautiful sound.
---- Example:
"Lion Dance" by Hiroshima (1979)
"Doctor Dragon Theme" by Doctor Dragon (1976)
MIDDLE EASTERN FLAVORED DISCO
This type of disco draws from the music of the Arabs, Persians, and
Anatolian Turks.
---- Examples:
"Sandstorm" by La Bionda (1978)
"Orient Express" by Voyage (1978)
"Elmalı" by Nurhan Damcıoğlu (1980) - Turkish flavor
CARIBBEAN-FLAVORED DISCO
Reggae music from Jamaica, with its characteristic staccato guitar
chording, plays a role in several disco songs. The music of other
Caribbean islands is also represented here, such as that of the Bahamas
and of Trinidad. K.C. and the Sunshine Band was influenced by the
junkanoo music of the Bahamas. You can hear prominent Trinidadian steel
drums in the music of John Gibbs and the U.S. Steel Orchestra.
---- Examples:
"Good Times" by Risco Connection (1979) - reggae-influenced
"I'm Caught Up" by Risco Connection (1980) - reggae-influenced
"Nassau's Disco" by Mucho Plus (1979) - Bahamas-influenced
"Trinidad" by John Gibbs and the U.S. Steel Orchestra (1978) -
Trinidad-influenced
"Gotta Go Home" by Boney M (1979)
"Caribbean Girl" by Goombay Dance Band (1980)
"Praise Jah" by Oluko Umo
LATIN-DISCO
Latin American and Spanish influences are very prominent in latin-disco.
This type especially draws from the music of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico,
and Spain. Sometimes the latin flavor manifests itself in the style of
horn playing, other times with the Spanish guitar, often joined by
castanets, and sometimes also the lyrics are in Spanish.
---- Examples:
"Como
Vamos A Gozar (Good Times)" by Charanga 76 (1979)
"Que Sera Mi Vida (If You Should Go)" by Gibson Brothers (1979)
"Don't
Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Santa Esmeralda (1977)
"Everybody Salsa" by Modern Romance (1981)
HUSTLE-DISCO
This crucial sub-genre of disco usually has an extra hustle drumbeat
attached to the end of every 4 beats, and this extra beat doesn't sound
like the other beats, hence maintaining the usual 4/4 disco
bassdrum-snaredrum-bassdrum-snaredrum pattern. This music is often played
for couples dancing to hustle steps. The hustle was a dance that
developed among Latino communities in the USA in the early 1970s, and
became popularized thanks to Van McCoy's monster hit "The Hustle".
---- Examples:
"Hey
Girl, Come and Get It" by the Stylistics (1974)
"The
Hustle" by Van McCoy (1975)
"I'll
Play the Fool" by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (1976)
"Crying" by Instant Funk (1979)
BRAZILIAN DISCO
This style of disco contains the rhythms and/or energetic style of jazz
trumpet playing that are common in Brazil, especially in samba music.
Some of these songs have typical Brazilian percussive instruments like
cuicas, cowbells, claves, conga drums, etc. Others have a Brazilian style
of horn playing. Some of the songs are sung in Portuguese. This music
can evoke the spirit of Carnival.
---- Examples:
"Disco Samba" by Two Man Sound (1979)
"Brazilian Lullaby" by the Mike Theodore Orchestra (1977)
"I'll
Tell You" by Sergio Mendes Brasil '88 (1979)
"Mude
o Baile" by BsB Disco Club (2002)
EUROPEAN-FLAVORED DISCO
This type of disco is inspired by the traditional instrumentation of
various European cultures, and is sometimes sung in European languages to
enhance the regional flavor.
---- Examples:
"Disco Bouzouki" by Disco Bouzouki Band (1977) - Greek flavor
"Marathon" by Neoton Família (1980) - Greek flavor
"Stivali E Colbacco" by Adriano Celentano (1979) - Italian flavor
"Scotch Machine" by Voyage (1978) - Scottish flavor
"Rasputin"
by Boney M (1978) - Russian flavor
"Warsaw Nights" by 2 Plus 1 (1981) - Polish flavor
AFRICAN DISCO
These songs often feature African drumming patterns and may be sung in the
Swahili language.
---- Examples:
"A.I.E.
(A'mwana)" by Black Blood (1975)
"Su Ku Leu" by Tantra (1980)
"Ashewo
Ara" by Kabbala (1982)
"Shakara Oloje-Lady" by Ephraim Uzomechina Nzeka
RAP-INFLUENCED DISCO
Born from stripped-down disco (a specialty of groups like Chic and Change)
and funk, with artists like the Fatback Band, Sugarhill Gang, and Kurtis
Blow leading the way, mainstream rap soon lost its disco undercurrent, but
during the 1980s there were some songs that still incorporated disco
rhythms and sounds with a combination of sung and spoken lyrics. One
minute the song is old-school rap, the next minute it's disco.
---- Examples:
"Use Your Body and Soul" by Crown Heights Affair (1980)
"Queen of the Rapping Scene (Nothing Ever Goes the Way You Plan)" by
Modern Romance (1981)
"Last
Night a DJ Saved My Life" by Indeep (1982)
"Get Down to the Floor (Can You Feel It?)" by James Taylor Quartet (JTQ)
featuring Roy Ayers (2003)
DISCO-HOUSE
House music was largely developed in Chicago during the early 1980s. Many
house songs incorporate the piano as a major instrument. The house beat
is more mechanical and computerized than many kinds of disco beat, and
generally louder, but with hybrid disco-house songs the overall sound
remains disco at its core: there's still a real bass player and often a
real rhythm guitar player and/or even a violin section. Sometimes there
are computer-generated builds and fades within a song. Disco-house became
very popular in nightclubs around the world in the late 1990s and early
2000s. Some disco-house tracks include samples of old disco classics,
while others are entirely original, and others still are remixes of
current pop hits.
---- Examples:
"I Don't Understand It" by Ultra Nate (2001)
"Don't
Stop the Music" by Lionel Richie (2001)
"Love Don't Cost A Thing (Full Intention Club Mix)" by Jennifer Lopez
(2001)
"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" by Modjo (2000)
Conclusion: Far from being uniform, predictable, and boring, disco is in fact the most diverse music there is!
Copyright ©2004-2013 K. A. Brook, all rights reserved.