The Best Disco/Dance/Funk Songs from the 70's

[boechsner]

OK, I'm 23 and I LOVE disco. It's by far better than the dance music of today.

So what are your favorite disco/dance/funk songs of the 70s???


Some of my favorites (in no order):

1. Anything by Donna Summer especially:

MacArthur Park
Heaven Knows
Try Me, I Know We Can Make It
Love's Unkind
Bad Girls
Hot Stuff
Last Dance
I Love You

2. Anything by The Bee Gees especially:

You Should Be Dancing
Stayin' Alive
Night Fever
Tragedy

3. Chic's: Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah), Le Freak and I Want Your Love

4. Gloria Gaynor's: Honeybee and Never Can Say Goodbye (I Will Survive is not bad but highly overrated)

5. K.C. & the Sunshine Band's: Boogie Shoes, That's the Way (I Like It), Shake, Shake Shake (Shake Your Booty), Get Down Tonight

6. Village People's: YMCA
7. Sylver's: Hot Line and High School Dance
8. Trammps': Disco Inferno
9. Carl Douglas': Kung Fu Fighting
10. The O'Jays': Love Train
11. Leo Sayer's: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
12. Paul Nicholas': Heaven on the 7th Floor
13. B.T. Express': Express and Do It ('Till You're Satisfied)
14. Andy Gibb's: Shadow Dancing and I Just Want to Be Your Everything
15. Candi Staton's: Young Hearts Run Free
16. Instant Funk's: I Got My Mind Made Up
17. Diana Ross': The Boss and Your Love is So Good for Me
18. Tavares': Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel
19. Thelma Houston's: Don't Leave Me This Way
20. Alicia Bridges': I Love the Nightlife (Disco Round)
21. Jackie Moore's: This Time Baby
22. A Taste of Honey's: Boogie Oogie Oogie
23. Earth, Wind & Fire's: September and Sing a Song
24. Melba Moore's: You Stepped Into My Life
25. Yvonne Elliman's: If I Can't Have You

26. Sister Sledge's: He's the Greatest Dancer (We Are Family is not bad but highly overrated)

27. Cher's: Take Me Home
28. France Joli's: Come to Me
29. Brothers Johnson's: Stomp! and I'll Be Good to You
30. Shalamar's: The Second Time Around
31. Abba's: Dancing Queen and Take a Chance on Me
32. Sylvester's: You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) and Dance (Disco Heat)

[cablejockey]

Some of the songs I've heard from the 70s and like are:
Still The One--Orleans
Fly Robin Fly--Silver Convention
Instant Replay--Dan Hartman
Grooveline--Heatwave
I Love Music--The OJays

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by boechsner
Heaven Knows

I Love You


4. Gloria Gaynor's: Honeybee and Never Can Say Goodbye (I Will Survive is not bad but highly overrated)
7. Sylver's: Hot Line and High School Dance
9. Carl Douglas': Kung Fu Fighting
10. The O'Jays': Love Train
11. Leo Sayer's: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
12. Paul Nicholas': Heaven on the 7th Floor
13. B.T. Express': Express and Do It ('Till You're Satisfied)
14. Andy Gibb's: and I Just Want to Be Your Everything
15. Candi Staton's: Young Hearts Run Free
16. Instant Funk's: I Got My Mind Made Up
17. Diana Ross': The Boss
21. Jackie Moore's: This Time Baby
22. A Taste of Honey's: Boogie Oogie Oogie
23. Earth, Wind & Fire's: September and Sing a Song
24. Melba Moore's: You Stepped Into My Life

26. Sister Sledge's: He's the Greatest Dancer (We Are Family is not bad but highly overrated)


29. Brothers Johnson's: Stomp! and I'll Be Good to You
30. Shalamar's: The Second Time Around


I like all of these and a lot more. Those dance songs were good to LISTEN to not just to shake your groove thing to on the dance floor or go into a trance over. Lots of strings and full orchestras. Minimalism wasn't the trend in music then. I'm surprised you mentioned Jackie Moore's song. That one wasn't a big hit and she wasn't an artist who had a lot of hits but that was a kicking song.

[Shine]

Originally posted by boechsner


2. Anything by The Bee Gees especially:

You Should Be Dancing
Stayin' Alive
Night Fever
Tragedy
:rock:

[boechsner]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
I'm surprised you mentioned Jackie Moore's song. That one wasn't a big hit and she wasn't an artist who had a lot of hits but that was a kicking song.

Yeah, I love that song. I heard it on a disco compilation cd and instantly loved it.

I almost forgot some other disco/dance hits:

Anita Ward's Ring My Bell
Odyssey's Native New Yorker
Rose Royce's Car Wash
Van McCoy's The Hustle

[Brian]

Disco Inferno by The Trampps.

[vashti1999]

I like practically every damn song boeschner mentioned in the first post. The only one I'm not familiar with is Paul Nicholas': Heaven on the 7th Floor, but I love each and every one of those. Disco is my music. There are too many disco songs for me to mention as favorites (but I'll mention some anyway :) )

Like you said: anything by Donna Summer
Most Sister Sledge
Most Sylvester
Most Village People
Most KC & The Sunshine Band
Most Chic (especially I Want Your Love/Good Times)
Take me Home - Cher
Boogie OOgie OOgie - Taste of Honey
Come To Me - France Joli




Ones I can't believe nobody mentioned
Do Ya Think I'm Sexy - Rod Stewart
Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead
Disco Nights (Rock Freak) - G.Q.
Right In The Socket - Shalamar
Shame/I Don't Know if It's Right - Evelyn Champagne King
Doctor Love/Let no Man Put Asunder - First Choice
Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches & Herb
Turn The Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson
In The Bush/Keep On Jumpin' - Musique
There but For The Grace of God - Machine
Found A Cure - Ashford & Simpson
Take Your Time - SOS Band
Boogie Wonderland - Earth Wind & Fire

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by vashti1999
I like practically every damn song boeschner mentioned in the first post. The only one I'm not familiar with is Paul Nicholas': Heaven on the 7th Floor,

I remember that one. It was a top 10 single in late 1977 and had handclapping in it. I'm sure the lyrics are online someplace.

Ones I can't believe nobody mentioned
Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead
Disco Nights (Rock Freak) - G.Q.
Turn The Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson


I'd say that McFadden and Whitehead's tune is my favorite disco record. GQ's record is great fun too. I heard they gave a very good live show. Vickie Sue's record is very enjoyable but the radio station in my area in NYC insists on playing Gloria Estefan's soulless cover.

A disco number that is very obscure to many that I liked was #1 DJ by Goodie Goodie from 1978 but very few people that I have spoken to have any idea what I am talking about.

[vashti1999]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
A disco number that is very obscure to many that I liked was #1 DJ by Goodie Goodie from 1978 but very few people that I have spoken to have any idea what I am talking about.

God, I remember that song. I think I had that, I might still have my old 45 single. It was Atlantic Records if I remember correctly. "You're my #1 DJ, you're my #1 man..."

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by vashti1999
God, I remember that song. I think I had that, I might still have my old 45 single. It was Atlantic Records if I remember correctly. "You're my #1 DJ, you're my #1 man..."

That's the song.

You're my #1 DJ
I'm you're #1 fan
I can't lose with the songs you choose...

I forget the other lyrics but the hook was

#1 DJ with the #1 songs of today.

I think I read in one of those Billboard books that it had a very low ranking like in the 90s on the Hot 100, but it must have gotten a lot of airplay in NYC where I lived because I remember it very distinctly.

[vashti1999]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
it must have gotten a lot of airplay in NYC where I lived because I remember it very distinctly.

Must've been listening to Paco on 92 WKTU or Frankie on WBLS. That's most likely where I remember it from.

Other songs that weren't MAJOR:

Shoot Me With Your Love - Tasha Thomas
Work That Body - Taana Gardner
One More Minute - Saint Tropez
Music Is My Way of Life - Patti LaBelle
Hot Shot - Karen Young

[Dr. Jazz]

There are too many disco/funk favorites for me to mention here, but I also like several obscure singles from that era as well. I do remember the ones that Vash & jamesanthony mentioned - those are some of my JAMS! Here's a few favorites that come to mind right off the top of my head:

Come Let Me Love You - Jeanette "Lady" Day
Chains - Bionic Boogie (I don't think this one has EVER made it to CD)
All Night Thing - Invisible Man's Band
Over Like a Fat Rat - Fonda Rae
Thighs High (Grip Your Hips & Move) - Tom Browne
Hot Stuff - Raydio


Vash, you probably remember these :cool:

[vashti1999]

Originally posted by Dr. Jazz

Come Let Me Love You - Jeanette "Lady" Day
Chains - Bionic Boogie (I don't think this one has EVER made it to CD)
All Night Thing - Invisible Man's Band
Over Like a Fat Rat - Fonda Rae
Thighs High (Grip Your Hips & Move) - Tom Browne
Hot Stuff - Raydio


Vash, you probably remember these :cool:

:o Sorry to say "Over Like a Fat Rat - Fonda Rae" is the only one I know. If I do know the others, it's a case where I've heard them but don't know them from the titles/artists names. Hmm, I thought I was the disco king here. You've got me beat.

[Dr. Jazz]

Originally posted by vashti1999
:o Sorry to say "Over Like a Fat Rat - Fonda Rae" is the only one I know. If I do know the others, it's a case where I've heard them but don't know them from the titles/artists names. Hmm, I thought I was the disco king here. You've got me beat.

Man, I just know you would know those songs if you heard them. You're missin' out on some tight old school jams. .
*starts burning CD with those songs for Vashti* :cool:

[vashti1999]

Originally posted by Dr. Jazz
Man, I just know you would know those songs if you heard them. You're missin' out on some tight old school jams. .
*starts burning CD with those songs for Vashti* :cool:

Cool indeed :thumbsup: I do have one cd "Super Rare Disco", I bought it for the song Mainline by Black Ivory. I knew maybe three of the 20 tracks on that cd so I never listened to it very often. I could have those songs and not even realize it.

BTW, add Mainline to my list of favorites.

[Kay Scarpetta]

boechsner, you have excellent taste in music.

I'm only 15, but my mother likes all that music, seeing as she grew up in the 70's, so I basically grew up with it. It's so much better than today's dance music.

[boechsner]

Lately, it seems like I can't get enough disco, and am constantly searching for rare (harder to find) disco songs.

Other hits I've found include:

I'm Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair) by Inner Life
Boogie Motion by Beautiful Bend
Let's Start the Dance by Bohannon
High Society and I Like Love by Norma Jean
Automatic Lover by Dee D. Jackson
I Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet by Gonzales
Love is Really My Game by Brainstorm
If My Friends Could See Me Now by Linda Clifford
Move On Up by Destination
You're My Everything by Lee Garrett
You and Me by Spargo
Groove Me by Fern Kinney

Also, I've recently discovered the sounds of The Boys Town Gang, Delegation and the Crown Heights Affair.

[Dean Winchester]

Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way
Dan Hartman - Vertigo/Relight My Fire
ABBA - Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)
Lime - Your Love
Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing, Jive Talkin'
Donna Summer - MacArthur Park, Could It Be Magic, basically all of the Once Upon A Time and Bad Girls albums
Diana Ross - Lovin' Livin' Givin', Love Hangover, basically all of the diana album from 1980
Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive, Honeybee
Chic - Everybody Dance
Isaac Hayes - Don't Let Go
Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real
Chicago - Street Player (famously sampled in 1995 for "The Bomb" by The Bucketheads)
Sylvers - Boogie Fever
La Flavour - Mandolay
Elton John - Victim Of Love (the album was horrible but the title track was a good disco track)
Jacksons - Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)
Evelyn Champagne King - Shame
Prince - Soft And Wet
Lipps Inc - Funkytown
Foxy - Get Off
Pink Lady - Kiss In The Dark
Irene Cara - Fame
Cher - Hell On Wheels
Bryan Adams - Let Me Take You Dancing (yes, he did a cheesy catchy disco song years before he became the king of AOR)
Stacy Lattisaw - Dynamite

[Dean Winchester]

dance songs of the early 1980's (1980-1983), early 80's dance wasn't too removed from disco, not counting New Wave

Madonna - the entire Madonna album
Pointer Sisters - the entire Break Out album
Miquel Brown - So Many Men, So Little Time
Irene Cara - Flashdance, Why Me
Shannon - Let The Music Play, Give Me Tonight
Michael Sembello - Maniac
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Weather Girls - It's Raining Men
Gloria Gaynor - I Am What I Am
Laura Branigan - Gloria
Prince - DMSR, 1999
Cheri - Murphy's Law
Lime - Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight
ABBA - Lay All Your Love On Me

[vashti1999]

Recommended if you want a collection of disco hits, the four-disc Disco Box. It could be a negative that these are the short, singles versions, but you're not going to find a better selection gathered together in one place. I own it, and it's great.


Disc: 1
1. Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra
2. Dancing Machine - The Jackson 5
3. Rock the Boat - Hues Corporation
4. Honeybee - Gloria Gaynor
5. Doctor's Orders - Carol Douglas
6. Get Dancin' - Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes
7. Shame, Shame, Shame - Shirley and Company
8. Never Can Say Goodbye - Gloria Gaynor
9. Get Down Tonight - KC & the Sunshine Band
10. Hustle - Van McCoy
11. It Only Takes a Minute - Tavares
12. Fly, Robin, Fly - Silver Convention
13. I'm on Fire - 5000 Volts
14. Love Machine, Pt. II - The Miracles
15. You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate
16. Boogie Fever - The Sylvers
17. That's the Way (I Like It) - KC & the Sunshine Band
18. More, More, More, Part III - Andrea True
19. Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton
20. Turn the Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson

Disc: 2
1. (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty - KC & the Sunshine Band
2. Get up and Boogie - Silver Convention
3. Fifth of Beethoven - Big Apple Band
4. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
5. Car Wash - Rose Royce
6. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
7. Best Disco in Town - The Ritchie Family
8. Disco Inferno - The Trammps
9. Boogie Nights - Heatwave
10. I Feel Love - Donna Summer
11. Keep It Comin' Love - KC & the Sunshine Band
12. Dance With Me - Pete Brown
13. Everybody Dance - Chic
14. Shame - Evelyn "Champagne" King
15. Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste of Honey
16. Get Off - Foxy
17. I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round) - Alicia Bridges
18. In the Bush - Musique
19. Hot Shot - Karen Young
20. Got to Be Real - Cheryl Lynn

Disc: 3
1. Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches & Herb
2. Y.M.C.A. - Village People
3. Freak - Chic
4. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
5. Livin' It up (Friday Night) - Bell & James
6. Instant Replay - Dan Hartman
7. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Sylvester
8. I Want Your Love - Chic
9. Knock on Wood - Amii Stewart
10. Disco Nights (Rock Freak) - GQ
11. Love and Desire, Part I - Arpeggio
12. He's the Greatest Dancer - Sister Sledge
13. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead
14. Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
15. Bad Girls - Donna Summer
16. Born to Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez
17. Good Times - Chic
18. Don't You Want My Love - Debbie Jacobs
19. H.A.P.P.Y. Radio - Edwin Starr
20. I Shoulda Loved Ya - Narada Michael Walden
21. We Are Family - Sister Sledge

Disc: 4
1. Heart of Glass - Blondie
2. Lost in Music - Sister Sledge
3. I'm Caught up (In a One Night Love Affair) - Inner Life
4. Got to Love Somebody - Sister Sledge
5. Funkytown - Lipps Inc.
6. Celebration - Kool & the Gang
7. Lover's Holiday - Change
8. I Like What You're Doin' to Me - Young & Company
9. Glow of Love - Change
10. Cruisin' the Streets - Boys Town Gang
11. On the Beat - The Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band
12. Forget Me Nots - Patrice Rushen
13. Get Down on It - Kool & the Gang
14. It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
15. Last Night a DJ Saved My Life - Indeep
16. I.O.U. - Freeez
17. Give It Up - KC & the Sunshine Band
18. Change of Heart - Change
19. Fresh - Kool & the Gang

[vashti1999]

Another great series is Give Your Body Up: Club Classics & House Foundations. There are longer versions of songs included in these collections. There are well known songs and some that may be less popular, but all good. I own volumes 2 & 3.

Volume 1
1. Funky Sensation - Gwen McCrae
2. Over Like a Fat Rat - Fonda Rae
3. Can't Play Around
4. What Can I Do for You? - LaBelle
5. Always There - Side Effect
6. Why Leave Us Alone - Five Special
7. Is It All over My Face? - Loose Joints
8. Free Man [Disco Version] - South Shore Commission
9. Bad for Me - Dee Dee Bridgewater
10. I Love Music - The O'Jays

Volume 2
1. Just Us - Two Tons O' Fun
2. Baby I'm Scared Of You - Womack & Womack
3. Somebody Else's Guy - Jocelyn Brown
4. Touch And Go - Ecstasy, Passion & Pain
5. Love Is The Message - MFSB
6. Running Away - Roy Ayers Ubiquity
7. Now That We Found Love - Third World
8. Bra - Cymande
9. Down To Love Town - The Original
10. Over And Over - Sylvester

Volume 3
1. Girl You Need a Change of Mind - Eddie Kendricks
2. Runaway Love - Linda Clifford
3. I Want to Thank You - Alicia Myers
4. I'll Do Anything for You - Denroy Morgan
5. Clouds - Chaka Khan
6. You Got Me Running - Lenny Williams
7. Vertigo/Relight My Fire - Dan Hartman
8. Weekend - Phreek
9. Music Got Me - Visual
10. Give Your Body up to the Music - Billy Nichols

EDIT - Just checked my collection, I have all three. :doh:

[vashti1999]

Also recommended are the two separate soundtracks to the movie 54. Both feature a number of disco classics and hard to find songs.



54 - Movie Soundtrack

Volume 1
1. Studio 54 - Fifty Four All-Stars
2. Keep on Dancin' - Gary's Gang
3. Boss - Diana Ross
4. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) - Chic
5. Vertigo/Relight My Fire - Dan Hartman
6. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Sylvester
7. Move on Up - Destination
8. Love Machine, Pt. 1 - The Miracles
9. Contact - Edwin Starr
10. Knock on Wood - Mary Griffin
11. Let's Start the Dance - Bohannon
12. I Got My Mind Made Up - Instant Funk
13. Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton
14. Native New Yorker - Odyssey
15. Que Sera Mi Vida - The Gibson Brothers
16. Wishing on a Star - Rose Royce

Volume 2
1. If You Could Read My Mind - Amber Enriquez
2. Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet - Gonzales
3. Heaven Must Have Sent You - Bonnie Pointer
4. Loving Is Really My Game - Brainstorm
5. Disco Nights (Rock-Freak) - GQ
6. Found a Cure - Ashford & Simpson
7. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
8. Come to Me - France Joli
9. Take Your Time (Do It Right) - S.O.S. Band
10. Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Santa Esmeralda
11. Spank - Jimmy "Bo" Horne
12. Galaxy - War
13. I Need a Man - Grace Jones
14. Heart of Glass - Blondie
15. Cherchez la Femme/Se Si Bon - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
16. Fly, Robin, Fly - Silver Convention

[vashti1999]

54 - Volume 1 pic: