Few bands have transformed themselves quite like the Bee Gees. Their early years of pop stardom via a handful of danceable, delightful disco tracks in the 1960s and 1970s evolved into a refined outfit that touched on everything from soft rock to soul. To label them as solely a “disco band” isn’t accurate, and also something that the band came to resent. That being said, some of their best tracks could be defined as disco, and others are so much more than just a rigid label. Let’s take a look at a few essential Bee Gees songs that all fans should know!
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1. “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart”
Odessa was a very ambitious effort, and it was unfortunately one that caused the band to come apart at the seams. The Gibb brothers decided to reform their band with a new sense of creativity and direction… and it worked out. In 1971, they released “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” and hit no. 1 on the US charts for the very first time.
2. “You Should Be Dancing”
“You Should Be Dancing” was one of the first Bee Gees songs to be born out of the band’s experimentation with elements from frunk and R&B music. It’s a recognizable bop that was far from the Bee Gee’s biggest hit, but it’s one that even non-fans and those who weren’t around during the band’s heyday would recognize.
Barry Gibb’s falsetto vocal track on this song is both ridiculous and revolutionary. You don’t hear fun songs like this anymore!
3. “How Deep Is Your Love”
This wouldn’t be a list of next-level Bee Gees songs without including the band’s biggest no. 1 hit. “How Deep Is Your Love” was released in 1977 and spent three weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it lingered on the chart for about 33 weeks.
It’s a lovely little ballad with the perfect amount of disco cheesiness to make it catchy. It’s a standout track on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
4. “To Love Somebody”
The “early” Bee Gees songs were an odd mix of psychedelia and folk. The songs weren’t bad by any means, and it’s a shame that a lot of their earlier work didn’t get as much love as their pop-focused, disco-tinged hits. “To Love Somebody” is a great example of the band’s ability to put together an incredible hook.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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