Posted on 07/10/2009 2:29:08 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
In 1979 the disco industry was worth an estimated $4bn - more than movies, television or professional sport - and accounted for up to 40% of the singles chart.
But that same year on 12 July, the actions of one disgruntled rock DJ sparked a revolution that some believe signalled the death of disco.
Steve Dahl had left his radio show in Detroit in protest when it adopted an all-disco play list.
He found a new home at Chicago's WLUP Loop radio - it was the station "where Chicago rocked".
With fellow DJ Garry Meier, they tapped into a growing resentment of disco. They thought it was stupid music, so they mocked it and blew up records on air...
The promotion was simple: For a mere 98 cents listeners could bring all their unwanted disco records and watch them being blown up in a bin by Dahl and his fans.
On the evening of Saturday 12 July 1979, 70,000 people, mainly white teenage boys, thronged the streets, all armed with 98 cents and a disco record...
"The media was talking about this 'wonderful disco culture' - it was very style over substance," he says.
"I think a lot of people who were rock fans at the time felt this stuff was being shoved down their throats and they reacted against it, they were resistant to it, that's why it became so vehement..."
Earth, Wind and Pyre can be heard on Radio 2 on 11 July Saturday at 2200BST.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
No. It didn’t usher in metal. But it did usher in hair bands. I will always believe that hair bands are nothing more than heavy metal disco.
Look at a winger video(”she’s only seventeen”, for instance) and tell me that does not look and sound like the BeeGees trying to do metal.
Remember “coke spoons”?
Fortunately the hair bands caused groups like Metallica to arise in response to the generic hair band music.
I don’t know where you went to school (I’m from South Jersey too), but my Latin teacher in high school used to tell me about the fights that went on in the school over Rock vs. Disco, and the school got a real bad reputation for it! I was just a kid when this happened, but I liked both kinds (still do, though more rock), and didn’t understand it much. The saddest part is the state of popular music today. I miss the ‘80’s!
The problem was market failure caused by groupthink. A large market segment, who did not like disco was not catered to as the industry twits follow each other like drugged up zombies.
Ok, it ushered in bad metal.
“Juuuuust a bit outside.”
I think the home team had to forfeit the game because of the condition of the field.
Oh, and, “disco sucks”.
The late 1970s to mid 1980s was the best period for Popular Music IMHO, especially for Rhythm and Blues. Out of the ashes of Disco came great groups like Cameo ("Shake Your Pants" is a dance floor classic), Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, and LTD (Jeffrey Osborne's lead vocals on "Love Ballad" still bring tears to my eyes whenever I listen).
And as you stated, this was a great period for Rock, too: Many of the 'Big Hair' bands, including REO Speedwagon, Metal rockers Quiet Riot, and Foreigner put out some terrific stuff that even I like to listen to. During this time I got into two of the most quirkiest bands to hit the spotlight: Devo and The B52s.
I’ve always wanted one of those DEVO whips, that when cracked, women’s clothes fly off.
One of my all time favorite songs is “rock lobster”. I can’t explain why. When I hear it, it makes me smile.
Years ago I worked in a small company with a lot of Baby Boomers. They had the most close minded attitude in regard to music: if it wasn't from the 1960s / 1970s everything sucked.
It never made any sense to me. These people grew up listening to music which was considered quite radical but at a certain point in their life they shut themselves off to new music. I try to keep an open mind with all music - one of lifes life pleasures is hearing some new piece that appeals to you.
As an aside, I saw Joe Stummer fill in for Shane McGowen of The Pouges some years ago. McGowen was tossed from the band but none of us concert goers knew it at the time. Out comes Stummer and he said
“ Shane McGowen isn't with the band any more. I'm Joe Strummer and I'm filling in. If you don't like it F*&& off “ ( or something like that ) It was an excellent concert. Was too young to have seen The Clash when they were touring but what a great surprise to see Stummer perform.
The promotion was done between games of a double header. The field was not playable; the Sox being the home team forfeited the night cap.
And don't forget those wonderful red flower pot hats they wore in the Whip It video. A total crack up.
Strobe Light is a B-52s song that I've hit the repeat button on my CD player many a time for. Great for dancing...and giggles.
A small price to pay for putting an end to disco.
"This is WZAZ in Chicago, where disco lives forever!" * CRASH *
No doubt, there were people at the school who DEFENDED disco!
But there are holdouts who didn’t like the new funk and disco grooves who DID like soul and r&b.
And they packed the dancehalls from the 1970s onward.
In England, it is referred to as “Northern Soul” (term comes from the North England soccer fans who didn’t want that 70s sounding crud, they wanted the “real deal”; they’d come into the record stores while in town to catch a football match).
The term is in use in America too but it doesn’t make much sense. It’s a sound, not a “location”.
You’re missing my point. Yes, there were those in the school who defended disco, but what I mean by a “bad” reputation was thay they were a tough bunch, both the rock and disco crowds; so much so that other schools knew not to mess with them!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.