We have reached the conclusion of our countdown of the Top 100 disco records of all time. You can backtrack and check out other entries in the series here.
So this is the creme de la creme, folks. 10 guaranteed party-starters. Songs that make you feel good in your mind, your heart, and your feet. Play these records back to back and you’d better make sure you have some water nearby to re-hydrate after you sweat your ass off. If you’re in Boston, though, just make sure it’s bottled water. The water supply’s kinda janky round these parts.
Anyhow…
10. “And the Beat Goes On” by The Whispers
The Solar sound that Leon Sylvers Jr. (of the “Boogie Fever” Sylvers) helped create was melodic, danceable and full of peppy synthesizers. Along with guiding the careers of acts like Shalamar, he also resurrected the career of veteran soul group The Whispers with this slice of disco heaven.
9. “Flash Light” by Parliament
If you’re a hardcore funk purist, you’re probably wishing I would slip under the wheels of a bus after calling a Parliament/Funkadelic track “disco”, but all the signs are there. Propulsive beat? Check. Itchy bassline? Check. Simple chorus chant? Check. What’s left?
8. “Set it Off” by Strafe
It’s become more familiar as a sample than the original song was (everyone from C&C Music Factory to Lisa Lisa to 2Pac has used it), but this track is guaranteed to set any dance floor ablaze. Y’all want this party started right??
7. “Good Times” by Chic
One of the most influential tracks in multiple genres. Where would hip-hop be without “Good Times”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvI0S-137J4
6. “There But for the Grace of God Go I” by Machine
A very ballsy record to make in the late Seventies. This has one of the best sociopolitical lyrics of any disco song ever.
5. “Let the Music Play” by Shannon
From the tail end of the disco era, what a great production!! (this version is WAY sped up, by the way).
4. “(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real” by Sylvester
This song oozes sex.
3. “Heartbeat” by Taana Gardner
A little slower than the average disco record, this track is another heavily-sampled classic. Anyone ever noticed how much Taana sounds like Stephanie Mills (or vice versa)?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiYQzvc_x4Q
2. “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer
Maybe dropped down a spot because this song spawned decades of bad Eurofag music.
…and the number one disco song of all time???
Well, it’s a great track to close a night with. It’s got a slow build, leading up to total musical ecstasy. It’s got a great message (what? So I’m a hippy), and encapsulates the Philly sound, which owes a very great deal to disco. Enjoy! It’s also a nice way to start off a Monday morning!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuUvGh9-Ef4