Disco Timeline: 1978
Kevin Brook
1978 Disco
This was the year when songs from the "Saturday Night Fever" and
"Thank God It's Friday" soundtracks hit the top of the charts and
propelled the Trammps, the Bee Gees, Kool and the Gang, Donna Summer,
and other artists to new heights. Among the best songs of the year are
"I Want Your Love" by Chic, "He's the Greatest Dancer" by Sister
Sledge, "Take That to the Bank" by Shalamar, and "From East to West"
by Voyage.
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Disco Music released during 1978:
A Taste of Honey - "Boogie Oogie Oogie"
Afro-Cuban Band - "Rhythm of Life"
Alec R. Costandinos - "Romeo and Juliet"
Alicia Bridges - "I Love the Nightlife (Disco Round)" - electro-disco
Amant - "If There's Love"
Amii Stewart - "Knock on Wood" - rock-disco remake of an Eddie Floyd
song
Amii Stewart - "Light My Fire/137 Disco Heaven" - electro-disco medley
Amii Stewart - "You Really Touched My Heart"
Antonio Rodriquez - "La Bamba"
Arpeggio - "Let the Music Play"
Arpeggio - "Love and Desire"
Azymuth - "Jazz Carnival" - electro-disco
Baccara - "(Baby, Why Don't You Reach Out?) Light My Fire" - remake of
the Doors original
Baccara - "Darling"
Baccara - "My Kisses Need a Cavalier"
Baccara - "Parlez-vous francais?"
Baccara - "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy"
Barry Manilow - "Copacabana (At the Copa)"
Barry White - "Your Sweetness is My Weakness"
Beautiful Bend - "Ah-Do It"
Beautiful Bend - "Boogie Motion"
Beautiful Bend - "Make that Feeling Come Again"
Beautiful Bend - "That's the Meaning"
Bell and James - "Livin' It Up (Friday Night)"
Betty LaVette - "Doin' the Best that I Can"
Bill Anderson - "I Can't Wait Any Longer" - country-disco
Billy Preston and Syreeta - "Go For It"
Bionic Boogie - "Cream (Always Rises to the Top)"
Bionic Boogie - "Hot Butterfly" - mellow disco
Black Sun - "Big Money"
Black Sun - "Black Sun"
Bohannon - "Let's Start the Dance"
Bohannon - "Me and the Gang"
Boney M - "Dancing in the Streets"
Boney M - "Rasputin"
Brainstorm - "We're on Our Way Home"
Buffalo Smoke - "Stubborn Kind of Fella"
Bumblebee Unlimited - "Lady Bug"
C.J. and Co. - "Deadeye Dick"
Candi Staton - "Victim"
Carly Simon - "Tranquilo (Melt My Heart)" - disco-pop
Carol Douglas - "Burnin'"
Carol Douglas - "Fell in Love for the First Time Today"
Carol Douglas - "I Want to Stay with You"
Carol Douglas - "Night Fever" - cover of the Bee Gees original
Carolyne Bernier - "Secret Agent Love"
Celi Bee and the Buzzy Bunch - "Comin' Up Strong"
Celi Bee and the Buzzy Bunch - "Disposable Love"
Celi Bee and the Buzzy Bunch - "Hold Your Horses, Babe"
Celi Bee and the Buzzy Bunch - "Macho (A Real, Real, One)"
Cerrone - "Look for Love"
Charo - "Ole Ole"
Cheryl Lynn - "Got to Be Real" - disco/R&B
Cheryl Lynn - "Star Love"
Cheryl Lynn - "You Saved My Day"
Chic - "Chic Cheer"
Chic - "Happy Man"
Chic - "I Want Your Love"
Chic - "Le Freak" - funky disco
Chic - "Sometimes You Win"
Chilly - "For Your Love"
Cissy Houston - "Think It Over"
Cissy Houston - "Somebody Should Have Told Me"
Cissy Houston - "Warning-Danger (This Love Affair May be Hazardous to
You)"
Class - "Get Your Chic Together"
Claudja Barry - "Dancin' Fever" - electro-disco
Claudja Barry - "Johnny, Johnny Please Come Home"
Claudja Barry - "Take It Easy"
Constellation Orchestra - "Cosmic Melody"
Constellation Orchestra - "Dancing Angel"
Constellation Orchestra - "Perfect Love Affair"
Crown Heights Affair - "I'm Gonna Love You Forever"
Crown Heights Affair - "Say a Prayer for Two" - funky disco
D.C. LaRue - "Do You Want the Real Thing"
D.C. LaRue - "Let Them Dance"
Dalida - "Génération 78" - French disco
Damon Harris - "It's Music"
Damon Harris - "Silk"
Dan Hartman - "Countdown/This is It"
Dan Hartman - "Instant Replay"
David Christie - "Don't Stop Me, I Like It" - electro-disco
David Naughton - "Makin' It"
Delegation - "Back Door Love"
Delegation - "Soul Trippin'"
Dennis Coffey - "Calling Planet Earth"
Deodato - "Whistle Bump"
Dexter Wansel - "I Just Want to Love You" - electro-disco
Dinosaur - "Kiss Me Again"
Disco Circus - "Over and Over" - electro-disco
Dolly Parton - "Baby I'm Burnin" - country-disco
Don Downing - "Doctor Boogie"
Don Ray - "Got To Have Loving"
Don Ray - "Midnight Madness"
Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams - "Heaven Knows"
Donna Summer - "Last Dance"
Donna Summer - "MacArthur Park" - remake of the Richard Harris song
Donna Summer - "With Your Love" - electro-disco
Doobie Brothers - "What A Fool Believes" - disco-pop
Earth, Wind, and Fire - "September" - disco-R&B
Eastbound Expressway - "Cloudburst"
Eastbound Expressway - "Never Let Go"
Eastbound Expressway - "Turn Back the Tide"
Easy Going - "Baby I Love You" - electro-disco
Edwin Starr - "Contact" - electro-disco
El Coco - "Afrodesia"
El Coco - "Dancing in Paradise"
Erotic Drum Band - "Love Disco Style"
Evelyn Thomas - "Back to Reality"
Evelyn Thomas - "I Wanna Make It On My Own"
Evelyn Thomas - "It's the Magic of Your Touch"
Evelyn Thomas - "Look No Further"
The Fania All Stars - "Space Machine (Ride Ride Ride)" - funky disco
The Fania All Stars - "Spanish Fever" - latin-disco
Fantasia featuring Peggy Santiglia - "Go On and Dance to the Music"
Fatback Band - "(Do the) Boogie Woogie" - funky disco
Fever - "Standing in the Shadows of Love" - electro-disco
First Choice - "Hold Your Horses"
Flower - "How"
Foxy - "Get Off" - electro-disco-funk
Foxy - "Lucky Me"
Foxy - "Ready for Love"
Freda Payne - "I'll Do Anything for You"
G.B. Experience - "Disco Extravaganza"
GQ - "Boogie Oogie Oogie" - electro-disco cover of the A Taste of
Honey original
GQ - "Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)" - electro-disco
Gary's Gang - "Keep on Dancin'" - electro-disco
Gene Chandler - "Get Down" - electro-disco
George McCrae - "Hey Sexy Dancer"
George McCrae - "Let's Dance, Dance"
George McCrae - "Let's Dance (People All Over the World)" -
latin-disco
George McCrae - "(You've Got) My Love, My Life, My Soul" - funky disco
Gibson Brothers - "Cuba"
Glass Family - "Mr. DJ You Know How to Make Me Dance"
Gloria Gaynor - "Anybody Wanna Party?"
Gloria Gaynor - "I Will Survive"
Gonzalez - "Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet"
Goody Goody - "#1 Dee Jay"
Goody Goody - "It Looks Like Love"
Grace Jones - "Do or Die"
Grey and Hanks - "Dancin'"
Harvey Scales - "Shake-A-Matic" - electro-disco
Heatwave - "The Groove Line" - electro-disco or R&B
Herbie Hancock - "I Thought It Was You"
Herbie Mann - "Body Oil"
Herbie Mann - "Django"
Herbie Mann - "Etagui"
Herbie Mann - "Jisco Dazz"
Herbie Mann - "Rock Freak"
Herbie Mann - "Stomp Your Feet"
Herbie Mann - "Superman"
Hot Chocolate - "Every 1's a Winner"
Hot Chocolate - "Put Your Love in Me"
Instant Funk - "I Got My Mind Made Up" - disco-funk
Irma Thomas - "Breakaway"
Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta - "A Ba Ni Bi"
The Jacksons - "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" - funky disco
James Wells - "My Claim to Fame"
James Wells - "That's the Way the Wind Blows"
James Wells - "True Love is My Destiny"
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - "Dance Across the Floor"
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - "Spank"
Jimmy James - "I Can't Stop My Feet (From Dancing)"
Joe Farrell - "Night Dancing" - electro-disco
Joe Thomas - "Plato's Retreat"
Joe Thomas - "Two Doors Down"
Joe Simon - "Going Through These Changes"
Joe Simon - "I.O.U."
Joe Simon - "If You Got the Time (I Got the Place)"
Joe Simon - "It Must Be Love"
Joe Simon - "Love Vibration"
Joe Simon - "Somebody for Everybody" - R&B-disco
John Davis and the Monster Orchestra - "Ain't That Enough for You"
John Gibbs and the U.S. Steel Orchestra - "Trinidad"
John Paul Young - "Love is in the Air"
Johnnie Taylor - "Keep on Dancin'"
Jon Faddis - "Good and Plenty" - jazzy disco
Jon Faddis - "Western Omelette" - jazzy disco
Johnny Taylor - "Hey Mister Melody-Maker"
Joy Fleming - "The Final Thing"
K.C. and the Sunshine Band - "Do You Feel All Right" - funky disco
K.C. and the Sunshine Band - "Who Do Ya Love"
Karen Young - "Baby You Ain't Nothing Without Me"
Karen Young - "Bring on the Boys"
Karen Young - "Hot Shot"
Keith Barrow - "Turn Me Up"
Kikrokos - "Jungle D.J." - electro-disco
Kleeer - "I Love To Dance"
Kleeer - "It's Magic"
Kleeer - "Keep Your Body Workin'"
Kleeer - "To Groove You"
Kongas - "Anikana-o"
La Bionda - "One for You, One for Me"
Le Frank O - "Keep on Gettin' Down" - disco-funk
Leif Garrett - "Feel the Need" - disco-pop
Leif Garrett - "I Was Made for Dancin'"
Lemon - "A-Freak-A"
Lemon - "Chance to Dance"
Len Boone - "Love Won't Be Denied"
Lenny Williams - "Freefall (Into Love)"
Lenny Williams - "I Still Reach Out"
Lenny Williams - "Midnight Girl" - soul-disco
Lenny Williams - "You Got Me Running"
Linda Clifford - "If My Friends Could See Me Now"
Liquid Gold - "My Baby's Baby"
Loleatta Holloway - "Catch Me on the Rebound"
Lonnie Liston Smith - "Sunburst" - jazzy disco
Lonnie Smith - "Funk Reaction" - disco-funk
Lorraine Johnson - "Feed the Flame"
Lorraine Johnson - "I'm Learning to Dance All Over Again"
Love and Kisses - "Thank God It's Friday"
Love and Kisses - "You're the Most Precious Thing in My Life"
Love Committee - "Just As Long As I Got You"
Love De-Luxe - "Here Comes That Sound Again"
Love Symphony - "Let Me Be Your Fantasy"
Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Don't You Know How Much I Love You" -
disco with unique rhythm
Luv You Madly Orchestra - "Moon Maiden"
Luv You Madly Orchestra - "Rocket Rock"
Macho - "I'm A Man"
Madleen Kane - "Rough Diamond"
Major Harris - "I Wanna Dance With You" - soul-disco
Manu Dibango - "Big Blow"
Marathon - "I Wanna Dance" - electro-disco
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. - "Shine on Silver Moon"
Marlena Shaw - "More"
Melba Moore - "You Stepped into My Life" - disco cover of a Bee Gees
song
Metropolis - "I Love New York"
Michael Jackson - "You Can't Win" - from the soundtrack to The Wiz
Michael Jackson and Diana Ross - "Ease on Down the Road" - from the
soundtrack to The Wiz
Michael Zager Band - "Dancin' Disney"
Michael Zager Band - "Freak"
Michael Zager Band - "Love Express"
Michael Zager Band - "Music Fever"
Michael Zager Band - "Soul to Soul"
Mick Jackson - "Weekend"
Miquel Brown - "Dancin' with the Lights Down Low"
Miquel Brown - "Symphony of Love"
Miquel Brown - "The Day That They Got Disco in Brazil"
Musique - "In the Bush"
Musique - "Keep on Jumpin'"
N.Y.C.C. - "I'll Keep My Light in My Window"
Norma Jean Wright - "I Like Love"
Norma Jean Wright - "Saturday"
Norma Jean Wright - "Sorcerer"
Nuggets - "New York"
O.R.S. - "Body to Body Boogie"
The O'Jays - "Use Ta Be My Girl"
Pablo Cruise - "Don't Want to Live Without It" - disco-pop
Patrick Juvet - "Got A Feeling"
Patrick Juvet - "I Love America"
Patrick Juvet - "Where is My Woman"
Pattie Brooks - "After Dark"
Paul Jabara - "Disco Queen"
Paul Jabara - "Pleasure Island"
Peaches and Herb - "All Your Love (Give It Here)"
Peaches and Herb - "Shake Your Groove Thing"
Philly Cream - "Jammin' at the Disco"
Philly Cream - "Soul Man" - disco-soul
Phreek - "Have a Good Day"
Phreek - "Weekend"
Players Association - "Going to the Disco"
Quartz - "Beyond the Clouds"
Queen Samantha - "1864" - electro-disco
Queen Samantha - "Don't Stop I Feel Good" - electro-disco
Queen Samantha - "Singing Hallelujah" - electro-disco
Queen Samantha - "The Letter" - electro-disco cover of a 1968 song by
The Box Tops
The Raes - "A Little Lovin' (Keeps the Doctor Away)"
Rice and Beans Orchestra - "Dancing Vibrations"
Rice and Beans Orchestra - "Music in the Air"
Rick James - "You and I" - disco-funk
Rod Stewart - "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
Ronnie Jones - "Groovin'"
Ronnie Jones - "Me and Myself" - electro-disco
Ronnie Jones - "Number One"
The Rolling Stones - "Miss You" - rock-disco
Saint Tropez - "One More Minute"
Sandra Feva - "If You Want It, You Got It"
Santa Esmeralda - "Sevilla Nights"
Sarah Brightman and Hot Gossip - "I Lost My Heart to a Starship
Trooper"
Sarah Dash - "Sinner Man"
Serge Gainsbourg - "Sea, Sex and Sun"
Shalamar - "Cindy, Cindy"
Shalamar - "Shalamar Disco Gardens" - funky electro-disco
Shalamar - "Take That to the Bank"
Shalamar - "Tossing, Turning, and Swinging"
Sheila and B. Devotion - "You Light My Fire"
Sister Sledge - "He's the Greatest Dancer"
Sister Sledge - "We Are Family"
Silver Convention - "Breakfast in Bed"
Silver Convention - "Love in a Sleeper"
Silver Convention - "Mission to Venus"
Silver Convention - "Spend the Night with Me"
Supermax - "Lovemachine" - electro-disco
Sticky Fingers - "Wastin' My Love" - electro-disco
Sylvester - "Dance (Disco Heat)" - electro-disco
Sylvester - "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" - electro-disco
Sylvie Vartan - "Disco Queen" - French disco
T-Connection - "At Midnight"
T-Connection - "Saturday Night"
THP Orchestra - "Two Hot for Love"
Tasha Thomas - "Shoot Me (With Your Love)"
Tavares - "The Ghost of Love"
Tavares - "Slow Train to Paradise"
Teddy Pendergrass - "Only You" - electro-disco
Teri DeSario - "Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me from You"
Thelma Houston - "Love Masterpiece"
Tina Charles - "Fire Down Below"
Tina Charles - "I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me"
Tony Orlando - "Don't Let Go"
Tony Valor Sounds Orchestra - "Love Has Come My Way"
Tony Valor Sounds Orchestra - "Opus 22"
Toto featuring Cheryl Lynn - "Georgy Porgy" - mellow disco
The Trammps - "Soul Bones"
Tyrone Ashley - "Looks Like Love is Here to Stay"
Universal Robot Band - "Freak with Me"
USA-European Connection - "Come into My Heart"
Van McCoy - "My Favourite Fantasy" - soul-disco
The Village People - "Hot Cop"
The Village People - "I Ain't Got Nobody"
The Village People - "I Am What I Am"
The Village People - "I'm a Cruiser"
The Village People - "Just a Gigolo"
The Village People - "Key West"
The Village People - "Macho Man"
The Village People - "My Roommate"
The Village People - "The Women"
The Village People - "Ups and Downs"
The Village People - "YMCA"
Voyage - "Bayou Village"
Voyage - "From East to West"
Voyage - "Lady America"
Voyage - "Latin Odyssey"
Voyage - "Orient Express"
Voyage - "Point Zero"
Voyage - "Scotch Machine"
Voyage - "Souvenirs"
Walter Murphy - "Dance Your Face Off" - electro-disco
Walter Murphy - "Keep Dancin' (Then It's Back to the Dungeon Again)"
War - "Galaxy" - funky disco
War - "Good, Good Feelin'" - funky disco
The Wonderland Disco Band - "Wonder Woman Disco"
"Chase" and "Theme from Midnight Express" by Giorgio Moroder, as well
as "War Dance" by Kebekelektrik and "Automatic Lover" by Sylvia, are
techno songs. "Love, Livin' and Givin" by Diana Ross could also be
called techno. Claudja Barry's "Boogie Woogie Dancin' Shoes" is
heavily electronic Hi-NRG, not disco, and her songs "Love Machine" and
"Take Me In Your Arms..." are also electronic dance numbers. "Let's
Lovedance Tonight" by Gary's Gang is also electronic. "Was Dog A
Doughnut?" by Cat Stevens is electro-funk. "Shadow Dancing" by Andy
Gibb, "Grease" by Frankie Valli, and "Spend a Little Time With Me" by
Barbara Pennington are R&B songs. The Jacksons' "Blame it on the
Boogie" and Chic's "(Funny) Bone" are tracks that are more funk than
disco. Other 1978 funk songs included "I'm Every Woman" and "Life is a
Dance" by Chaka Khan, "Funk Encounter" by Constellation Orchestra,
"Midnight Ride" by Barbara Pennington, "Disco Dancin'" by A Taste of
Honey, "Let's Go Disco" by Jimmy James, "All Night Long" by Dexter
Wansel, "Dance to the Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly and Life, "Let
Me Party with You (Party-Party-Party)" by Bunny Sigler, "Hi-Tension"
and "British Hustle" by Hi-Tension, "Disco to Go" by Brides of
Funkenstein, and "I Like What You Do" by the Commodores. Don Ray's
"Standing in the Rain", Wilbert Longmire's "Black is the Color", and
Gap Mangione's "Time of the Season" are jazz-funk.
The best disco songs of 1978:
A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie
Bionic Boogie - Hot Butterfly
Chic - I Want Your Love
Constellation Orchestra - Perfect Love Affair
Donna Summer - Last Dance
Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes
Earth, Wind, and Fire - September
John Gibbs and the U.S. Steel Orchestra - Trinidad
John Paul Young - Love is in the Air
Johnny Taylor - Hey Mister Melody-Maker
Love De-Luxe - Here Comes That Sound Again
Melba Moore - You Stepped Into My Life
Norma Jean Wright - Saturday
The O'Jays - Use Ta Be My Girl
The Rolling Stones - Miss You
Shalamar - Take That to the Bank
Sister Sledge - He's the Greatest Dancer
Sister Sledge - We Are Family
Voyage - From East to West