...AND THE BEAT GOES ON! The GRAND ILM DISCO POLL results are revealed!

Nice post, DL.

Hm. Yeah. I think it's got the beat and a bit of the decorations, but I'm not sure about this. I'd say it 'counts' as disco, but shouldn't be so high, but then you can't control for that stuff with polls, it's all about how many people like something.

xp re Stones

One of my favorite songs by anybody.

Miss You is completely marvellous, glad to see it here. Usually it's clogging up 'worst disco track ever' type lists instead.

in 2013?!?

btw no it's quite a disco song so much as "disco-influenced" but the Bob Clearmountain 12" is a guaranteed floor filler.

51. George Benson - Give Me the Night (1980)

yessss

I'm seeing a pattern emerging where parallel lists seem to be counting down, alternating between deep disco culture and crossover pop. I mean, that's what was going on at the time too. It's just interesting to see it play out here.

Not much from my list, though, which admittedly was mostly made up of disco songs about outer space.

One of my favorite songs by anybody.

"Native New Yorker" is the first of my picks to place. That particular feeling it expresses is so real and so beautifully captured. Some disco records hit their moments of bliss with an instrumental phrase or a great chorus. "Native New Yorker" gets there with stabs of pure emotion and recognition that you feel from lyrics like those quoted by DL upthread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_9f9LieNF4

Argh, I can't believe I missed Carly Simon's Why. I must have missed it in the nomination list

"miss you" is great but that's way too high

LISTEN, MAN. I'm gonna come 'round twelve with some Puerto Rican girls who're just DYIIIN to meet you!

love the extra verse of Miss You ("I feel ABANDONED.. ") baffled that it was never on the Radio Mix.

I'm seeing a pattern emerging where parallel lists seem to be counting down, alternating between deep disco culture and crossover pop. I mean, that's what was going on at the time too. It's just interesting to see it play out here.

― Alfre, Lord Woodard (Eric H.), Wednesday, December 11, 2013 11:00 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

word that's why i can't be mad at all the beej tracks placing, it's like in love saves the day: uptown and downtown; studio 54 and the loft

47. Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown (1979)
284 points, 7 votes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/R-1121957-1385313887-7783_zpsd0aeb403.jpeg

http://youtu.be/w6pg18bJt-A

Although I must profess I claimed to hate disco in 1978. (This was before "Funkytown," of course.)

― X. Y. Zedd, 14. kesäkuuta 2001 3:00

I can lose myself in say, "Funkytown" or "Lost In Music" in a way that feels like a total out-of-body experience. (Like Ned would have while enjoying Slowdive ;). Some of the production is marvellous, never bettered - I think in the main because they didn't clutter the grooves too much - just concentrated on getting the essentials right.

― Dr. C, 5. marraskuuta 2001 3:00

"Hey, what's that song where the hook goes like this?"
"That's 'Funkytown.'"
"I thought 'Funkytown' was the one where the hook went like this."
"That's 'Funkytown' too."
"How does it get from that first one to this second one?"
"With this bit."
"I thought that bit was the Commodores."
"No, it's 'Funkytown.'"
"Damn, 'Funkytown' kicks ass."

― Nitsuh, 20. maaliskuuta 2002 3:00

I moved from Jersey to Minneapolis after hearing "Funkytown" on the radio.

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), 2. toukokuuta 2003 22:19

did you see the MTV MADE where the little Jewish kid wanted to be a rapper and was ashamed of his dad because he wrote Funkytown and would always play it and shit? Im like.. kid your dad wrote Funkytown go get the man a beer.

― howell huser (chaki), 26. tammikuuta 2006 23:06

The rhythm guitar sound! The processed violin! The plinky synthesizer melody! The vocoder!

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), 26. tammikuuta 2006 23:07

i never liked the chorus - way too cheesy depressing supermarket shopping. Everything up until the chorus comes in - absolutely amazing. The two-note arpeggio, the vocodered bit going into the proper singing. Smashing.

― the next grozart, 8. heinäkuuta 2008 16:31

But anyhow, "Disco" is a lazy (but convenient) catchall term amongst those of us old enuff to recall when disco music was a going concern, and too old/bored to bother to investigate the minutiae of techno or ambient or house or garage or toolshed or whatever the hell it's called now. It all leads back to disco anyways. And everything labeled "disco" back then sounded different anyways. "Funkytown", "Night Fever", "I Feel Love", "MFSB" - none of 'em sounded at all alike and had nothing in common, aside from being great DANCE music.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), 31. elokuuta 2005 16:40

ugh this song

The chorus is marginally less annoying than in Pseudo Echo's iteration.

Gotta agree with Nabisco's anf Tim Ellison's comments there: this is song is an amazing showcase of various disco hooks and sounds. Though they feel oddly compartmentalized, as if the band was going "Hey, check this out! Wasn't that cool? Now check this out!" etc... That makes the whole feel a bit disjointed and collage-like, though I guess that's part of its charm. But it certainly isn't the funkiest or the smoothest of disco hits.

as a compendium of today but not the future it works, I suppose.

"native new yorker" was the song i most regretted forgetting from my list, really glad that made it. and of course, "give me the night" is fantastic.

nervous how many acts haven't even showed up yet -- where's the earth wind & fire, kool & the gang, diana ross? i can only assume they'll appear higher up on the list!

46. Michael Jackson - Rock with You (1979)
295 points, 6 votes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/R-2087278-1301175944_zps05dedf29.jpeg

http://youtu.be/5X-Mrc2l1d0

my loathing of MJ is well-documented but you kinda can't fuck with Rock With You.

― job kreaytor (Shakey Mo Collier), 13. tammikuuta 2012 1:35

Not completely sour on it, but at this point I much prefer "Rock With You," which I will still turn up very loud in the car (and also play at a lot of weddings, just not as one of the "big-deal" type of songs expected to cause tremors)

― sw00ds, 19. lokakuuta 2009 21:47

Also bonus points to anyone who skated in a dinky roller disco rink to "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" or "Rock With You". You folks are my bros.

― Disruptor of Morals (Bimble), 26. huhtikuuta 2009 23:47

BTW even though I heard Rock With You plenty of times in my childhood, it was only a few years ago when I was in a porn store of all places and I heard it over their sound system or the radio or whatever it was and I had this "ah hah" moment about it and that was what made me seek out the entirety of Off The Wall.

― Crispy Ambulance Douchebag (Bimble), 7. kesäkuuta 2009 11:36

24. Michael Jackson's spangly bootsox in the "Rock With You" video

― The Reverend, 6. maaliskuuta 2008 1:21

I really don't care for Tavares' "More Than A Woman" - never have. Brothers Gibb, please - one of my favourite dreamy disco songs.

Now, how the hell is Carly Simon's "Why" disco but "Miss You" is not??!! (Despite the Chic connection, "Why" isn't very disco-y.) I nominated "Miss You" because mainstream disco/rock crossovers were asked to be nominated!

I've nothing against that Kiss tune. In fact I was kinda hoping that you folks would nominate some rock-disco hybrids that I might've forgotten about, as my knowledge of rock music is weak.

― Tuomas, Wednesday, October 16, 2013 9:32 AM (1 month ago)

I don't like arguing about what does or doesn't fall into a particular genre (it reminds me too much of punk & metal pissing contests), but a lot of the 80s stuff which is placing really doesn't fall in line with my idea of disco. Electro isn't always disco.

wait 'til One Of These Nights places

Sorry - Ismael nommed "Miss You." I nommed "Emotional Rescue." Still disco.

now I regret not putting up Too Much Blood

An Officer And A Gentleman ... SOMETHING YOU CAN TAKE THE WIFE TO

Knowing "Funkytown" was written by a Minneapolitan who just wanted to move to New York and thought this city was wasting his time ruined the song forever for me. It just makes me mad now.

"Rock With You" is brilliant.

But anyhow, "Disco" is a lazy (but convenient) catchall term amongst those of us old enuff to recall when disco music was a going concern, and too old/bored to bother to investigate the minutiae of techno or ambient or house or garage or toolshed or whatever the hell it's called now. It all leads back to disco anyways. And everything labeled "disco" back then sounded different anyways. "Funkytown", "Night Fever", "I Feel Love", "MFSB" - none of 'em sounded at all alike and had nothing in common, aside from being great DANCE music.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), 31. elokuuta 2005 16:40

Great definition. My definition really only has one major rule: pounding dance beat. It's the heart of the genre. Literally, the heartbeat. Only a few of the songs above, chiefly Ain't Nobody and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' lack that grinding house/disco beat. They are funky rhythms with more complex fills. You can certainly dance to those tunes, but you can't DANCE to them like hard, pounding, sweaty disco kick drums make you dance. The beat, the heartbeat. That is what I'm looking for here. Soaring strings and funky deep bass guitar certainly help too, but I'm just as comfortable with cold, synthesizer bliss or even more traditional rock/funk textures (see Miss You). But that beat. Dat beat.

'Miss You' is ok but meh at it being higher than *insert pretty much anything that's placed lower*

'Native New Yorker' has the magic that makes me feel incredibly jealous of native New Yorkers.

now I regret not putting up Too Much Blood

― Ismael Klata,

oh man

45. Inner Life - Ain't No Mountain High Enough (1981)
288 points, 6 votes, two 1st place votes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/R-1864383-1314235086_zps1ba89b21.jpeg

http://youtu.be/fF8jL1zyjNE

Can we all at least agree that the Inner Life version is untouchable?

― Eric H., 23. marraskuuta 2008 0:45

Inner Life's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" slaughters the original.

― Andy K (Andy K), 9. syyskuuta 2002 16:20

Inner Life - Ain't No Mountain High Enough: disco juggernaut like no other, starts at a gallop and ends up flying through space

― snoop dogey doge (seandalai), 7. marraskuuta 2013 4:30

We can agree that the inner life version is untouchable.

― ♪☺♫☻ (gr8080), 24. marraskuuta 2008 0:52

Sorry, that should be:

Inner Life - Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Larry Levan Mix)

This was my #1. It has everything great about disco: a rollicking groove, a pounding beat, some soaring strings, a far-out synth solo, and of course the energetic, awe-inspiring diva vocal performance by Jocelyn Brown. Perfection.

Also my #1, no way are there 44 disco tracks better than this (I know, I know, that's not how it works)...my favourite version is the John Morales 4AM mix but the Levan (and OG album) mixes are monsters too.

I was just listening to this today.

Incredibly low :( This is a force of nature.

TOO LOW

***TIMPANI DRUMS***

This isn't my favourite disco cover of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", but it's almost certain to be the highest placed.

The second verse is just among the most transcendent things in all disco. "Remember the day, I set you free..."

what Soulwax did on NY Lipps with FunkyTown really made me fall back in love with it again.

This is good. I've never heard it before.

I marched and slept through today's reveals but this is obvs all great stuff. Apart from 'Funkytown' which I have mixed feelings for. Had I known that 'Give Me The Night' was set to do so well I'd have nommed 'Love x Love' which imo is just as good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr1qEOYsaok

I share the widespred ambivalence about Funkytown.

'Miss You' is ok but meh at it being higher than *insert pretty much anything that's placed lower*

"More Than A Woman" (Bee Gees), "Why", "Give Me The Night", "Funkytown" and "Native New Yorker" (even if you people do make a compelling case for this one) all set off my "top 50, really?" sensors way more than "Miss You" or say "Rock With You" (both in my top 10). The Stones creating a brilliant disco single is a thing to be celebrated not scorned.

Didn't vote for Inner Life because I prefer the original. A stupid reason since this is obviously brilliant too.

Could someone knowledgeable and benevolent create a list of all the important djs included on the list so far along with their productions? It would help organize all of these (wonderful) discoveries. A+ poll.

Anyway, something like this*:

Patrick Cowley: Menergy, Sea Hunt
Arthur Russell: Is It All Over My Face, Tell You Today
...

*Those two are easy since there are no multiple projects involved