The home for Songs That Saved Your Life Radio on WKNY 107.9FM where Jami explores the very queer roots of rock n roll and plays a lot of great music!
Disco’s queer roots, its rise, and the ‘Disco Sucks’ backlash that tried to silence it.
Before the mirror ball became a symbol of Saturday night excess, disco was the heartbeat of queer New York. Born in underground parties curated by visionary DJs like David Mancuso, Larry Levan, and Nicky Siano, disco offered sanctuary and liberation for those pushed to society’s margins. In this week’s episode of Songs That Saved Your Life, I explore disco’s queer roots, its explosive rise into the mainstream, and the backlash that followed in the form of the “Disco Sucks” movement. It’s a story of joy, resistance, and the erasure and survival of queer culture in popular music.
Music in this episode includes songs from Manu Dibango, Eddie Kendricks, Disco Tex and the Sex-o-lettes, Donna Summer, Sylvester, Chic, Labelle, and more.
If you’re interested in a deeper dive, here are two articles:
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