Disco

:"Discothèque" redirects here. For the U2 song, see Discothèque (song).

Backlash in US and U.K.

Mainstream American popular culture briefly embraced disco. The popularity of the film Saturday Night Fever prompted the major record labels to mass-produce hits, turning the genre from something vital and edgy into a safe "product" homogenized for the mass audience. Disco music had several years of popularity but the novelty faded and the US public lost its taste for the genre. American anti-disco sentiment was marked by an impatient return to rock (loudly encouraged by worried rock radio stations). Disco music and dancing fads were depicted as not only silly (witness Frank Zappa's satirical song "Dancin' Fool"), but effeminate.

Related Topics:
Frank Zappa - "Dancin' Fool" - Effeminate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Britain, however, during the same year as the first American anti-disco demonstration, see below, The Young Nationalist publication of the British National Party reported that "disco and its melting pot pseudo-philosophy must be fought or Britain's streets will be full of black-worshipping soul boys," though this had been true for twenty years with many white male English teens considering themselves "soul freaks".

Related Topics:
Below - British National Party

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rock vs Disco

Strong disapproval of disco among some rock fans, who perceived rock as more serious and valuable, existed throughout the disco era, growing as disco's influence grew, such that the expression "Disco Sucks" was common by the late 1970s among these fans.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1979, Chicago rock deejay Steve Dahl and Michael Veeck (son of legendary sports markerter Bill Veeck) staged a promotional event with an anti-disco theme, "Disco Demolition Night", between games at a White Sox doubleheader. The event involved exploding disco records with a bomb, and ended in a near-riot. The second game of the doubleheader had to be forfeited.

Related Topics:
1979 - Steve Dahl - Michael Veeck - Bill Veeck - Disco Demolition Night - White Sox

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~