Playlist: Liberating Disco

With commentary by Darryle

To fully understand the magic that was disco music in the 1970s, listen to the Liberating Disco playlist. The curated collection of songs does its best to celebrate the Black and Queer roots of disco music both in the past and present. Some standout tracks are:

“I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross. Everyone knows this song. It has been sampled hundreds of times, and it is well known for its iconic trombone solo. However, on Liberating Diso, you can listen to the original disco version of the song. Following the anti-disco backlash of Disco Demolition Night, the track was reworked to be shorter in length and more uptempo to avoid harming Ross’s career.

Of the modern-day tracks, “Experience” by Victoria Monet, SG Lewis, and Khalid best embodies the essence of disco music: embracing and celebrating one’s identity in the face of adversity. The artists released the track amid racial unrest in the United States following the murder of George Floyd. Khalid and Monet said, “It’s important to us to highlight and celebrate Black joy and love in the middle of so much pain and trauma.”

Closing out the playlist is “Burn This Disco Out” by Michael Jackson. The track itself is infectious with its blaring horns. But more important are the lyrics: “So DJ, spin the sounds/There ain’t no way that you’re gonna let us down/Gonna dance, gonna burn this disco out.” There was an attempt to quite literally burn disco from the music scene with Disco Demolition Night. Yet, the genre still persists in various forms to this day. Here’s hoping that Liberating Disco may ignite (reignite) even the tiniest bit of interest in disco for new or former listeners.