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The Dengler Domain: Disco

Disco, the music of the 1970s. It took the country by storm, and it established a place in pop culture lexicon for better or worse ever since. Performers like ABBA, The Bee Gees and KC and the Sunshine Band breathed this electronic sound. Disco was so powerful it infiltrated the silver screen in the films Saturday Night Fever Thank God It’s Friday. It also spawned dance moves known as the “Robot” and “The Hustle.” While it was all the craze in the ’70s, its demise started in 1979 at the Chicago White Sox’s Disco Demolition Night. As part of a promotion with a local radio station, disco records were blown up on the field. Disco is a divisive topic on whether it is good or bad music, and I am here to settle this debate by listening to three disco songs.

The first song comes from Saturday Night Fever the Bee Gees singing Stayin’ Alive. I am familiar with this wonderful song. It is on my iPod, and this song currently exists mainstream pop culture. The beat in Stayin’ Aliveis wonderful causing my legs to get up and strut down the sidewalk. This song was meant to be played for everyone was feeling good on a Friday or Saturday night. The type of electronic sound in this song is which is different than today’s music. Barry’s falsetto voice reigns supreme like a T-Rex over any other feature in this song. Stayin’ Alive’s groove, beat and Barry’s voices puts this song into a good space.

The next song is I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor. I danced to this song in junior high wearing a green wig, and this event led me to buy a disco hits CD. From these events, I Will Survive positively influenced me. While this song is not as great as Stayin’ Alive, Gloria Gaynor’s phenomenal voice is the equivalent of Stayin’ Alive’s down the sidewalk capabilities. Gloria’s voice and sassiness with being strong after a breakup carries this song to a wonderful place. While Stayin’ Alivemakes me want to walk, I Will Survivemakes me want dance. This dancing one of many reasons including her voice which makes this song phenomenal.

The last song is Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby. This song is different than the previous songs. It was released before Stayin’ Alive I Will Survive, and it is more of a love song. The best part of the song is Donna Summer’s very light voice. The ease it flows at, and the sultry vibe enters the song to a passionate place. Disco exists in Love to Love You Baby, but the love part of the song is stronger. The lyrics, “love to love you baby” are repeated at excessive levels. While the album version is 16:50 long, I listened to the short version. Not a chance exists where I could sit through a song this long unless it has the words “Free” and “Bird” in it. While the first two songs were positively influential for disco’s, Love to Love You Baby not.

After reaching the end of this disco fueled column, my conclusion is disco could still resonate in today’s culture. While Donna’s song was not the best, the Bee Gees and Gloria Gaynor’s songs were later and better represented disco. While these three songs would stand out and are starkly different than today’s music, parts of disco live on in today’s hit songs. Look no further than today’s top ten hits like “Uptown Funk” and “Sugar.” Both of these hit songs have a disco flavor. While gone are the disco sheer dresses and shiny polyester shirts with pointy collars, the disco culture lives on whether people like it or not.

Email Sean with your thoughts and ideas for future columns at: sean.h.dengler@gmail.com

The Dengler Domain: Disco

Disco, the music of the 1970s. It took the country by storm, and it established a place in pop culture lexicon for better or worse ever since. Performers like ABBA, The Bee Gees and KC and the Sunshine Band breathed this electronic sound. Disco was so powerful it infiltrated the silver screen in the films Saturday Night Fever Thank God It’s Friday. It also spawned dance moves known as the “Robot” and “The Hustle.” While it was all the craze in the ’70s, its demise started in 1979 at the Chicago White Sox’s Disco Demolition Night. As part of a promotion with a local radio station, disco records were blown up on the field. Disco is a divisive topic on whether it is good or bad music, and I am here to settle this debate by listening to three disco songs.

The first song comes from Saturday Night Fever the Bee Gees singing Stayin’ Alive. I am familiar with this wonderful song. It is on my iPod, and this song currently exists mainstream pop culture. The beat in Stayin’ Aliveis wonderful causing my legs to get up and strut down the sidewalk. This song was meant to be played for everyone was feeling good on a Friday or Saturday night. The type of electronic sound in this song is which is different than today’s music. Barry’s falsetto voice reigns supreme like a T-Rex over any other feature in this song. Stayin’ Alive’s groove, beat and Barry’s voices puts this song into a good space.

The next song is I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor. I danced to this song in junior high wearing a green wig, and this event led me to buy a disco hits CD. From these events, I Will Survive positively influenced me. While this song is not as great as Stayin’ Alive, Gloria Gaynor’s phenomenal voice is the equivalent of Stayin’ Alive’s down the sidewalk capabilities. Gloria’s voice and sassiness with being strong after a breakup carries this song to a wonderful place. While Stayin’ Alivemakes me want to walk, I Will Survivemakes me want dance. This dancing one of many reasons including her voice which makes this song phenomenal.

The last song is Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby. This song is different than the previous songs. It was released before Stayin’ Alive I Will Survive, and it is more of a love song. The best part of the song is Donna Summer’s very light voice. The ease it flows at, and the sultry vibe enters the song to a passionate place. Disco exists in Love to Love You Baby, but the love part of the song is stronger. The lyrics, “love to love you baby” are repeated at excessive levels. While the album version is 16:50 long, I listened to the short version. Not a chance exists where I could sit through a song this long unless it has the words “Free” and “Bird” in it. While the first two songs were positively influential for disco’s, Love to Love You Baby not.

After reaching the end of this disco fueled column, my conclusion is disco could still resonate in today’s culture. While Donna’s song was not the best, the Bee Gees and Gloria Gaynor’s songs were later and better represented disco. While these three songs would stand out and are starkly different than today’s music, parts of disco live on in today’s hit songs. Look no further than today’s top ten hits like “Uptown Funk” and “Sugar.” Both of these hit songs have a disco flavor. While gone are the disco sheer dresses and shiny polyester shirts with pointy collars, the disco culture lives on whether people like it or not.

Email Sean with your thoughts and ideas for future columns at: sean.h.dengler@gmail.com