Readers’ Poll: The Best Disco Songs of All Time
The world lost two of the great icons of Seventies disco, Donna Summer and Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, last week. We asked you to name your favorite disco song of all time, and unsurprisingly, Summer and the Bee Gees dominated your picks. Given the enduring popularity of their biggest hits and their close association with the genre, the results for this poll probably would have turned out about the same even if they hadn't just passed away. Click through to see your selections.
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10. Chic ‘Le Freak’
Chic, one of disco's greatest bands, peaked with "Le Freak" in 1978. Like all of their best tunes, it's sleek, lush and funky, anchored by a rich, deep bass groove by Bernard Edwards.
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9. Bee Gees ‘Night Fever’
"Night Fever," the third of the Bee Gees' five hit singles from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, emphasizes the luxurious textures of classic era disco, with the lush arrangement and harmonies contrasting sharply with its lean rhythm.
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8. Thelma Houston ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’
Thelma Houston's rendition of "Don't Leave Me This Way" was a massive international hit. It broke big as a single in its own right, but became even bigger when it was included on the soundtrack of Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
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7. Bee Gees ‘You Should Be Dancing’
The Bee Gees' first major disco tune, "You Should Be Dancing," marks the first time Barry Gibb showed off his famous falsetto. It was an inspired move, and managed to push a funky, fun tune way over the top into greatness.
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6. The Trammps ‘Disco Inferno’
The Bee Gees weren't the only act to get a huge boost from Saturday Night Fever. The Trammps released "Disco Inferno" to only modest success in 1976, but it became a smash after appearing on the film's soundtrack a year later.
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5. The Rolling Stones ‘Miss You’
The Rolling Stones embraced disco on Some Girls in 1978. "Miss You," the album's biggest hit, ranks among the band's greatest works, seamlessly blending the elegant groove of the disco movement with elements of raw blues and rock that have always been the group's stock in trade.
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4. Donna Summer ‘Last Dance’
Donna Summer's most famous songs with producer Giorgio Moroder veered off course from typical disco sounds and textures, but their 1978 hit "Last Dance" is pure disco bliss, with glorious high-hats and orchestration that took the sound of the day and pushed it further toward perfection.
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3. Donna Summer ‘I Feel Love’
Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder's breakthrough hit "I Feel Love" is one of the most visionary pop hits of all. Its minimal electronic sound presaged all manner of electronic pop and laid the groundwork for house music.
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2. Gloria Gaynor ‘I Will Survive’
Gloria Gaynor's 1979 smash is one of pop's most enduring tunes. The sound may be very much rooted in peak-era disco, but its sentiment about self-belief and triumph over adversity is evergreen. Seriously, just try to imagine how many times this song gets sung at a karaoke bar in any given week. The mind boggles!
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1. Bee Gees ‘Stayin’ Alive’
Saturday Night Fever is the high-water mark of the disco movement, and the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" is the high-water mark of Saturday Night Fever. The band's most iconic hit is forever associated with disco's biggest cultural moment, and it's probably one of the first songs that comes to mind when anyone thinks of disco in general.