The Fall of Disco?

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pygmalion

Well-Known Member
When I was little, there were images of discoteque dancers everywhere -- psychodelic music, go-go dancers, you name it. My big brother and sisters did their fair share of disco dancing. Then along came the hustle, and disco was "revived" and grew to the point where it was an international phenomenon.

As you would expect, the popularity of hustle waned in time. Now, when you see references to disco dancing on the web, it's almost always in the context of hustle. (Disclaimer: all this is my opinion)

Anyway, so here we are in 2004. And my question to you is, has disco died? Is it dormant? Or has it just evolved into something new? What do you think?
 
Disco hasn't died. There are people everywhere who do it. What I've noticed, though is that it isn't as popular as it was becak then, with other dances such as hip hop attracting the young crowd.
 
Hmmmm. I wonder if Trance can be classified as new age disco.......
The thriving continuing beat of trance and disco seems closely related to me....
 
peachexploration said:
Hmmmm. I wonder if Trance can be classified as new age disco.......
The thriving continuing beat of trance and disco seems closely related to me....
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The disco of the 21st century!! :wink: :)
 
When I was a tot, the byword was "disco sucks," and disco was referred to as a music, not a dance. Everyone with musical integrity was listening to like, Led Zep and stuff. It wasn't until after I started dancing that I found the appeal of disco. But still not as a music. As a music, I think it is very mercifully dead. Do we really need to revisit "A Fifth of Beethoven"? I don't think so....

There were bright spots--the Village People, for instance, are still a lot of fun. And the hustle did revive a flagging ballroom industry in the 70s. So I guess good comes from all things! :D
 
Genesius Redux said:
It wasn't until after I started dancing that I found the appeal of disco. But still not as a music. As a music, I think it is very mercifully dead. Do we really need to revisit "A Fifth of Beethoven"? I don't think so....

There were bright spots--the Village People, for instance, are still a lot of fun. And the hustle did revive a flagging ballroom industry in the 70s. So I guess good comes from all things! :D
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Since you found the appeal of disco what do you dance to it?

I personally mix in some partner dancing along with disco. Throw in some turns etc etc...
 
Oh--hustle, usually, though I've not focused on it as a dance. Mostly the things that I do in hustle are modified from swing, cha cha, etc.

I do like bringing in music from the 70s, though, which has a kind of kitschy charm. I almost bought a CD of "Disco Madness" or something like that, with Donna Summer, and Andy Gibb, and the Village People. But in the end, I couldn't bring myself to actually add that to a collection of like, Stravinsky and John Coltrane and Robert Johnson.... :wink:

(The music that I bring in, I borrow, BTW!)

Oh, and almost forgot! I was surprised when I went to Europe for the second time in the late 1980s, there were so many discotheques playing this old 70s music--like the theme from "Rocky" and stuff. Especially in Germany.
 
Disco did 'evolve' into something thats still popular today. This new version of disco has been around since the days when disco started to die off. You will find this music on the radio and at all the hottest clubs today.

Its called House. Im sure most of you know this. Its probably the most popular form of [electronic] dance music. It started in the Chicago underground gay scene and spread all over the u.s. underground and to europe (mostly uk rave scene - it was more successful here than in the u.s.) quickly. In the u.s. it had such an impact in underground dance culture, that in Detroit, it was one of the reasons for creation of 'techno' (although, techno gets a huge amount of its influence from old european [namely german] electronic music [e.g. - Kraftwerk]). Then from there it spread to NY causing another genre of music to be created - Garage (there's also a sub-genre of house called ny house). In l.a., another sub-genre was created, which we call LA House. It also impacted france heavily to the point where there was another [unofficial?] sub-genre called French house which have a very funky/disco style. Another huge sub-genre was acid house which originated in chicago around the time house was born.

Acid house impacted the uk very heavily in the rave scene. It was so huge, that it [undoubtedly] strengthened the rave scene and made it grow. Acid house was a huge influence on a new genre of dance music that spawned during the uk rave scene called - Hardcore. This will always be one of the most significant forms of dance music from the rave scene. Almost every uk raver from the late 80s to early 90s, when asked about music and raves from that time, will recall Hardcore (and acid house of course; although, there were many other genres of music played).

So, yes, House is and has been the new form of disco for more than two decades.
 
The first I ever heard of house was in the mid-eighties or so. I had a friend, Blair, who DJ'd. A lot of the stuff he played was more on the R&B side, but still house. (If I think a while, I may be able to remember some of the artists.) I didn't realize house was still such a force. But yes, it's been around a long time. 8)

Thanks, pelao. :D
 
pelao said:
....... electronic music [e.g. - Kraftwerk]). .......
Click to expand...

Absolutely love this group! Favorites are "Trans Europe Express", "Numbers" and "It's More Fun to Compute". They have an awesome interactive website. 8)
 
Needless to say, I've already been to the site. It's cool. The background music on the home page really grabs you. I'll have to go back and peruse at my leisure. 8)
 
pelao said:
Disco did 'evolve' into something thats still popular today. This new version of disco has been around since the days when disco started to die off. You will find this music on the radio and at all the hottest clubs today.

Its called House. Im sure most of you know this. Its probably the most popular form of [electronic] dance music. It started in the Chicago underground gay scene and spread all over the u.s. underground and to europe (mostly uk rave scene - it was more successful here than in the u.s.) quickly. In the u.s. it had such an impact in underground dance culture, that in Detroit, it was one of the reasons for creation of 'techno' (although, techno gets a huge amount of its influence from old european [namely german] electronic music [e.g. - Kraftwerk]). Then from there it spread to NY causing another genre of music to be created - Garage (there's also a sub-genre of house called ny house). In l.a., another sub-genre was created, which we call LA House. It also impacted france heavily to the point where there was another [unofficial?] sub-genre called French house which have a very funky/disco style. Another huge sub-genre was acid house which originated in chicago around the time house was born.

Acid house impacted the uk very heavily in the rave scene. It was so huge, that it [undoubtedly] strengthened the rave scene and made it grow. Acid house was a huge influence on a new genre of dance music that spawned during the uk rave scene called - Hardcore. This will always be one of the most significant forms of dance music from the rave scene. Almost every uk raver from the late 80s to early 90s, when asked about music and raves from that time, will recall Hardcore (and acid house of course; although, there were many other genres of music played).

So, yes, House is and has been the new form of disco for more than two decades.
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THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU!! Somebody else that has obviously witnessed or worshipped in Jack's House! I grew up with hip-hop from its infancy. It is a part of my very being. But I was introduced to house in Baltimore in '86 and slowly but surely was sucked HEAVILY into the scene. From 88-92 House pretty much ruled the mid-atlantic area (NY-VA). It is the child of disco. Disco NEVER died, just went underground. Now different genres of House more closely resemble the parent than others. Techno, Gabber, Jungle, Progressive, Tribal, Trance...sometimes it's hard to hear the connection. But with Garage, Acid, and ironically enough Disco House it's right smack in your face. A 4/4 beat with heavy bassline and layered arrangements. Doesn't get any better than that!! :D (Sorry, just the House DJ in me speaking!!)
 
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