In the early 1970s, a new sound was bubbling up from the street; a hot mix of rhythm and blues, salsa and funk, with an undeniable beat. Disco was born, creating lively anthems to celebrate black power, promote women's rights, and fuel the liberation of the LGBTQ+ community. The dance floor would never be the same.
Disco celebrated body-positivity with a throbbing beat that made you want to dance along. Meet a stranger, feel the beat, and tear up the dance floor.
Disco brought different worlds together at the legendary Studio 54 in midtown Manhattan, New York City. Legends like Liza Minnelli, Halston, and Andy Warhol lit up the Disco scene along with iconic drag queens and anyone who wanted to feel belonged and seen. In this boogie wonderland, everybody was a superstar, and it spread internationally.
Disco initiated a <<Fashion Explosion>>! Skin was IN, and so were spaghetti straps, feathered hair, and tight designer jeans. Some of the most renowned fashion designers who embraced disco artistic styles in their fashion design include:
Disco gave us legendary flamboyant divas and songs with memorable lyrics such as:
"Let's dance, this Last Dance tonight" - Donna Summer (Last Dance)
"But love taught me, who was, who was, who was the boss!" - Diana Ross (The Boss)
"You make me feel mighty real" - Sylvester (You Make Me Feel)
By the end of the seventees, the disco revolution was under attack. Haters shouted, "DISCO SUCKS". They set disco records on fire, and marginalized communities were under attack. They tried to kill what so many people loved. July 12, 1979, became known as "the day disco died" because of the Disco Demolition Night, an anti-disco demonstration in a baseball double-header at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
But disco never really died. It just changed its name and address. Disco is still popular today, especially in the underground scene. And it took a village to keep it alive in spirit.