Disco would reach a pretty intense end by the time 1980 rolled around, but back in 1977, disco songs were topping charts. And even those at the time who weren’t big fans of the genre couldn’t help but enjoy the following three disco hits from that year. These tunes might have even turned some disco detractors into serious fans.
“Got To Give It Up” by Marvin Gaye from ‘Live At The London Palladium’
Marvin Gaye was a once-in-a-generation artist and performer who stunned audiences live just as much as he did with his studio recordings. This live recording of “Got To Give It Up” from Live At The London Palladium is a free, funky party song that boasts Gaye’s impeccable high-note vocal tricks. It sounds like a crazy party, and it was played at actual crazy parties for a few years after it first debuted in 1977.
“Got To Give It Up” by Marvin Gaye topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977 and reached No. 7 on the UK Singles chart.
“Another Star” by Stevie Wonder from ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’
Stevie Wonder didn’t exclusively make disco music by any stretch, but the disco tracks he did dish out were hits. “Another Star” is just one example, a lovely disco smash that has some Latin percussive elements that make it stand out. And, of course, Wonder’s vocal track just hits so good. This is the kind of disco tune that even haters couldn’t sit still through; they just had to get up and groove.
“Another Star” by Stevie Wonder made it to No. 32 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the National Disco Action Top 40 chart in the US.
“I Feel Love” by Donna Summer from ‘I Remember Yesterday’
There was no way I’d leave this forward-thinking disco classic off our list of 1977 songs. Even people who were sick of disco heard “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer and thought they had stepped into the future. This does not sound like a 70s tune. It could easily have dropped in the 80s, and “I Feel Love” was a preview of what was to come from synth-pop and new wave in the coming decade.
“I Feel Love” by Donna Summer, co-written by disco icon Giorgio Moroder, peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart. It reached the Top 10 almost globally, too.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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