Fifty Years Ago, This Irresistible Disco Song and Dance Craze Swept the Nation and Changed the Music Landscape

Smithsonian Magazine ^ | April 18, 2025 | Alice George

[Clutch Martin]

“Thanks, now I’m going to have that insipid tune in my head for hours.”

Barry White... you’re welcome

[Fai Mao]

I think It came out in the late 90s or early 00s. It was popular in Asia when we were in Hong Kong. The official video is really weird.

[wjcsux]

“It could be worse....

🎼Shake, shake, shake...

Shake, shake, shake....

Shake your booty...shake your booty....

See?”

Thanks…

[Theophilus]

Super Disco Demolition: The 40th Anniversary Compilation (1979)

[Natty Bumppo@frontier.net]

Paging the Dancing Queen and world-class expert on all things disco….

[mmichaels1970]

My babysitter taught me how to do the Hustle….and the Mexican Hat Dance come to think of it. Must’ve been a pretty awesome sitter to be remembered 50 years later.

[telescope115]

The Hustle is 50 years old? As if I don’t feel old already…

[Big Red Badger]

She was Only 17 !?!
.
My Ex’s Favorite song,,,
She lives in a van now.

[sit-rep]

Btt!!

[Harpotoo]

Me and my future wife got into studio 54 1 time. It was a blast;-)

[doorgunner69]

Never heard of it

[dancusa]

Lots of the young ladies in the 70’s loved disco. I lived it. I did not care for the music. You go to the clubs and dance and meet ladies to get dates for Saturday nights. That’s how it worked in those days and previous generations. No internet like these days to hook up. Guys in those days had to have a good game or be lonely. Face to face talking and getting to know each other, not like keyboard commandos of these days.

[Keyhopper]

It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
Take that

[JohnnyP]

Pan’s People in babydolls is my fave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3kE0rvAJhM

[Keyhopper]

Tube tops were AWESOME

[Veto!]

I was really good at The Twist then, and probably now if I tried.
Had so much fun back then. Everyone’s so darn serious now. Sux.

[Clay Moore]

“I love the clothes of the era...most of them”

One of my greatest fears is that somewhere out there, a picture of me wearing bell bottoms still exists.

[Migraine]

Gloria Gaynor — “I Will Survive” — without parallel as the iconic disco record!

[CletusVanDamme]

Seeing Wendy O. Williams live must have been a trip!

[kelly4c]

You dropped a bomb on me, Super freak, Staying Alive, Heart of glass, Disco inferno, am I wrong for liking those tunes back in the days of having good clean fun roller skating with my older boy magnet Auntie? Lol.