This June on WTIU, discover the surprising and overlooked history of disco—the preeminent popular music of the 1970s—in Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution. This three-part docuseries captures the story of disco: its rise, its fall, and its legacy. From the basement bars of ’70s New York City to the peak of the global charts, along with iconic tracks and remarkable footage, Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution offers a powerful, revisionist history of the disco age, as told by the original musicians, promoters, innovators, and modern-day musical icons.
Disco embodied the height of 1970s glamour: a dance floor culture born in New York City that went on to take over the world. But its success also obscured its wider significance. Inextricably bound up with the major liberation movements of the 1970s, disco speaks to some of the biggest issues of today: LGBTQ+ identity and female empowerment.
Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution also underscores disco’s survival. Co-opted by the commercial mainstream, the genre dominated and flooded the market—the airwaves and record shops—leading to a subsequent hate-fueled backlash. As a result, the music and its ethos went back underground, where it evolved into an electronic dance sound that laid the foundations for contemporary dance culture.
Episode 1: Rock the Boat
Tuesday, June 4 at 8pm
Tuesday, June 18 at 9pm
Sunday, June 30 at 12:30pm
The opening episode of the series examines the roots of disco, which emerged from minority communities in New York City, who were fighting for inclusion, visibility, and freedom.
Episode 2: Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now
Tuesday, June 4 at 9:15pm
Tuesday, June 25 at 9pm
Sunday, June 30 at 1:45pm
Set against the backdrop of Black power and sexual liberation, the second episode takes viewers to the high watermark of disco in the mid-70s. As disco conquers the mainstream, it turns Black women and gay men into superstars and icons.
Episode 3: “Stayin’ Alive”
Tuesday, June 4 at 10:30pm
Sunday, June 30 at 3pm
Tuesday, July 2 at 9pm
The final episode documents the wellspring of resentment from white, straight, male-dominated, rock-loving middle Americans, as they targeted disco for its hedonism, femininity, and queerness.