The Return of Disco

There was a time when it seemed that everyone was recording disco music. According to a new book, Disco: Music, Movies, and Mania Under the Mirror Ball, even Mickey Mouse, Ethel Merman, and Karen Carpenter joined the bandwagon. So did classic rock veterans such as Elton John, Rod Stewart, and Mick Jagger. 

The writer, Frank DeCaro, also came up with a list of ''discofied classics.'' Among them were new versions of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, Van Morrison's Gloria, Marc Bolan's Bang a Gong (Get It On), and Gordon Lightfoot's If You Could Read My Mind.

While Studio 54 will always be associated with the movement, DeCaro says it began in another area of New York City--DJ David Mancuso's downtown loft. David was known for his creative approach to mixing songs and for co-founding a music distribution program which allowed club DJs (not just radio station employees) to make or break a song. 

In other parts of the U.S., dance floor moves were offered by Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire studios. There were guides, too, like Let's Disco!

Nor were kids left out. They could purchase disco lunchboxes. A popular one featured the Bee Gees. There's such a lunchbox at the Smithsonian, which cites their contribution to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. And a variety of dolls were available, including the Darci Cover Girl in a strapless silver jumpsuit. 

Disco, which is believed to have led to hip-hop and house music, made a comeback during the pandemic. Sophie Ellis-Bextor hosted Kitchen Disco Live shows on Instagram, for instance, and Kylie Minogue recorded the bulk of her album, Disco, in her home studio. 

One can also credit advertisers with the resurgence, be it Nutella using the Diana Ross hit Upside Down, or JCPenney borrowing We Are Family from Sister Sledge.