The Best and Worst of Disco

[irock]

The Ring My Bell thread got me thinking about this.  Since everyone seems to be pretty well familiar with disco music, I thought I'd ask what you all think of as the best and worst of this much-deservedly-maligned genre.

To me, the 'Best Of Disco' catalog is damned short.  There are only a few of these tunes that I ever enjoy hearing at all, and even these I might, depending on my mood,  tune out if they came on the radio (although probably not the first two, I still love those).  From the third one on the order isn't significant:

Parliament - Flashlight
Zapp ft. Roger - More Bounce To The Ounce
Change - A Lover's Holiday
The Rolling Stones - Miss You
Amii Stewart - Knock On Wood
The Supremes Medley - Dianna Ross and the Supremes (a remix of hits from the 60s)
Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown
Donna Summer - Sunset People
Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Katmandu - The Break
Sister Sledge - We Are Family

Also in no particular order, here are some of the worst imo:

Rod Stewart - Do You Think I'm Sexy?
Anita Ward - Ring My Bell
Most anything by The Gap Band
Anything by Patrick Hernandez
Johnnie Taylor - Disco Lady
Kool and the Gang - Celebration (except as a mix with the above-mentioned 'A Lover's Holiday').
Van McCoy - The Hustle
Anything by The Bee Gees
Anything by The Village People
Anything by Dianna Ross (other than the above-mentioned remix medley).

I may add to these two lists if I think of more.

[Deleted]

I'd put that Sister Sledge song in worst. "He's The Greatest Dancer" was a LITTLE less cheesy. Add to worst, "Kung Fu Fighting," "I Love The Nightlife," "Young Hearts Run Free," "I Will Survive," "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real," "Shake Your Booty," "Disco Inferno," "More More More," "Car Wash," "Brick House," "YMCA," "Don't Leave Me This Way," ...eh screw it anything by KC & The Sunshine band... "Rock Your Baby," "If I Can't Have You," "Lady Marmalade," "Rock The Boat"..... ehh I'm done for now.

[Bob]

RING MY BELL is too hot to be called bad, come on!!!

Bests:
"Aint No Stopping Us Now" McFadden & Whitehead
"Before I Let Go" Frankie Beverly
"Don't Leave Me This Way" Thelma Houston
"Forget Me Nots" Patrice Rushen
"It Seems to Hang On" Ashford & Simpson
"Just a Touch of Love" Slave
"Make that Move" Shalamar

etc


oh irock, Zapp & Roger are NOT disco

Worsts:
Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees
Upside Down _ Diana Ross

[620 Soul Train]

Best:


Trammps - Disco Inferno (the pop version)
Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
Abba - Dancing Queen
Supremes - I'll Let My Heart Do The Walking
Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way
Olivia Newton John - You're The One I Want
Bee Gees- Staying Alive
Van McCoy - The Hustle
Tavares- Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel
Tavares - It Only Takes A Minute
Patrick Hernandez - Born To Be Alive
Alicia Bridges - I Love The Night Life
Diana Ross - Love Hangover
McFadden & Whitehead - Ain't No Stoppin Us Now

Worst :

Rod Stewart - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy
Anything by the Village People
Melba Moore - This Is It
Anita Ward - Ring My Bell
Lipps Inc - Funkytown

[sirkaliber]

I Rock, I love that Supremes medley. I guess I'll have to add Don't Leave Me This Way, Knock On Wood, and Runaway.

[irock]

sirkaliber said:

I Rock, I love that Supremes medley.

Yeah, it's pretty good. The remix was well-done on technical grounds but I had complaints about the editing. You get (on average) the first half of each of the songs, then switch to the next song. I would have preferred that some editing of the individual selections themselves had been done before mixing. In other words, the individual songs might have been edited down to a minute or so, retaining the very best parts which usually come toward the end, rather than simply letting each song play thru the first half, then switching to the next.

And btw I agree with Joshjoel about the Trampps' Disco Inferno. I made my own edit of that, a bit longer than the single in order to preserve some of the extended ending. That ending droned on a bit too long for the dancefloor, and most deejays would mix out of it in such a way that they were virtually playing just the single.

[irock]

Bob said:

oh irock, Zapp & Roger are NOT disco

That song was considered disco at the time, and if you listen to any other of Zapp & Roger's music you might see why. By comparison, MBTTO is certainly mainstream - which, for dance music at that time, meant disco.

Worsts:
Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees
Upside Down _ Diana Ross

Agreed on both counts, but Diana gets at least one star (out of five) for a truly wicked intro on the 12-inch single version. Once that intro is over, though, the song isn't worth a crap.

[Ezekiel 23:20–21]

The Best
Anything by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, First Choice, Loleatta Holloway, Claudjia Barry, Jocelyn Brown, Gloria Gaynor, Sylvester.

[stevie nice]

These are among my favorites, I can't really say whether they are the best or the worst, altho I'm sure many can make a case for them being in the latter list:

Dancer - Gino Soccio
Spank - Jimmy Bo Horne
Supernature - Cerrone
Heart To Break The Heart - France Joli
You Make Me Feel Mighty Real - Sylvester
Mondolay - La Flavour
I Feel Love - Donna Summer
Angel Eyes - Lime
After Dark - Patti Brooks
You Know How To Love Me - Phyllis Hyman (I dont consider this disco. however some do.)
She Has A Way - Bobby O (ditto above comment)
Plug Me To Death - Erotic Drum Band
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Esmeralda Suite - Santa Esmeralda
Native Love - Divine
Beat The Clock - Sparks
The Break - Katmandu
Forbidden Love - Madleen Kane
Love In C Minor - Cerrone
Let's Start The Dance (any mix actually) - Bohannon
Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
You & Me = Love - Undisputed Truth
Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight - Lime
In The Bush - Musique (more for the album cover)
War Dance - Kebekelectrik
Play At Your Own Risk - Planet Patrol (see Bobby O)
Keep On Dancing - Gary's Gang
Try It Out - Gino Soccio