For anyone who thinks disco wasn’t “important, interesting, or influential,” consider the number of rock legends (McCartney, the Stones, Bowie, Rod Stewart, Queen, the Kinks, etc., etc.) who “went disco” in the late 70s. Of course, all those songs sucked—which makes sense, considering that all these “legends” were old white British guys. But still.
R&B/Soul
Disco Instrumental
As a 6th grader in the late 70s, nothing beat practicing the steps to the “Saturday Night Fever” dances while waiting for the school bus—at least until Mr. Ryan came outside and said to stop acting like a girl. Sometimes being a gayboy-in-training in mid-Atlantic suburbia was not a lot of fun.
Dionne Warwick
OK, I know she went all “psychic friend network” weird, and once she connected with the Bee Gees it was all over … but late 60s/early 70s Dionne Warwick is some of my favorite pop music of all time. And if my future husband doesn’t agree to play “Then Came You” as our song at the reception, the wedding’s off.
Curtis Mayfield
You know those cartoons with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? Curtis Mayfield might win the award for most dramatic switch from one team to the other. From “People Get Ready” and “Move on Up” to “Pusherman” and “If There’s a Hell Below” … it’s kind of impressive.
Chaka Khan/Rufus
My old roommate Larry (sorry … Lawrence) is a big Chaka Khan fan, so I guess that makes me a fan by association. I hated “I Feel for You” when it first came out, which goes to show that even music junkies make mistakes.
Bo Diddley
Forget hits—he has a whole beat named after him. That is the epitome of awesome.
Aretha Franklin
How embarrassed should I be that the first time I put Aretha Franklin the person together with all those great Aretha Franklin songs was seeing her sing “Think” in “The Blues Brothers”? (Answer: Very.) All I know is, you can have Whitney, Mariah, and all those other female R&B singers who can “really sing”—I’d rather listen to Aretha Franklin 1,000 times over.
Al Green
If hearing an Al Green song doesn’t instantly make you smile, you must be having a really bad day.
Playlist of the Day 