3 Disco-Infused Songs From 1979 That Were Ahead of Their Time, Even When Disco Was Supposedly Dead

By 1979, disco was so loathed in some circles that a promotion at a Chicago White Sox home game turned into a riot as shock jocks exploded a crate of disco vinyl on the field. Yet Disco Demolition Night demolished absolutely nothing as Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Dua Lipa, and many others have proved.

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Meanwhile, pop music continued its evolution, pushed forward by groundbreaking artists blending multiple genres, including disco. Like these three disco-infused songs from 1979 that were ahead of their time. If disco was dead, no one told these legends.

“Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson

Off The Wall was a pivotal release for Michael Jackson. Here was a child pop star attempting to transition into adulthood. To say Jackson succeeded is an understatement. But Off The Wall also marked Jackson’s first collaboration with Quincy Jones. Together, they transformed pop music for decades. “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” has the hallmarks of Jackson’s 80s masterpiece Thriller. It’s kinetic, funky, and features the future King of Pop ascending. And he hadn’t even started moonwalking yet.

“I Wanna Be Your Lover” by Prince

As disco’s popularity waned in 1979, Prince offered one of the last, best, and funkiest hits of the era. Check out the instrumental section, with Prince as a one-man band, dropping the kind of deep groove he’d later perfect in the 1980s. The self-titled follow-up to For You, here’s Prince crooning in falsetto, playing a slew of instruments, and putting his genius in clearer focus. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” felt like the final chapter of 70s funk. But as the instrumental section plays, you get a sense of something new and important being born. He released Dirty Mind the next year.

“Heart Of Glass” by Blondie

Like Prince and Michael Jackson, Blondie’s 1979 hit connected one era to the next. Released as a single in 1979, “Heart Of Glass” blends disco with new wave, and if disco was indeed dying, it sure offered some bangers on its way out. It was Blondie’s first No. 1, followed by “The Tide Is High”, “Rapture”, and “Call Me”. Blondie emerged from New York’s punk scene, with early performances at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB. However, Debbie Harry and her band survived punk’s first wave peak and created a blueprint for No Doubt, Garbage, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

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