Disco music was long considered the poor cousin of rock and roll. However, disco’s roots are steeped in counterculture 1960s New York. Early underground clubs were the haunts of blacks, latinos and queers. Disco provided a springboard for many minorities to have their voices heard. It also created a new sound as DJs and producers mixed African sounds with funk, soul, psychedelia and synthesisers to create a pounding four on the floor beat that, at least for a while, changed the USA. In the midst of this revolution @45rpm, disco’s detractors set out to mastermind its downfall.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

COURSE OUTLINE

• The background to the disco movement in 1960s New York
• The emergence of the disco sound in the 1970s and the role of The Loft nightclub
• What was disco music?
• How did disco music and the disco movement transform the USA?
• Disco demolition at Comiskey Park

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Know about the history and sound of disco music
2. The impact of disco on music and society