The Disco craze of the 1970s was fascinating. It started as a musical subgenre and evolved into its own culture. Its attractiveness on the dance floor was one of its defining characteristics. Here are 25 disco movies that will inspire you to dust off your dance shoes.
1 – Thank God It's Friday (1978)
The disco club, The Zoo in Los Angeles, is where the employees and patrons gather on a Friday night to dance their worries away in the film Thank God it's Friday, which is unquestionably a time capsule of the 1970s. The film shows the club scene in the heyday of disco fame and notoriety. Some disco queens dismiss the band Kiss as “kid stuff” while showcasing an aspiring disco singer in this comedy about everyday life, played by the actual Donna Summer.
2 – Xanadu (1980)
This cult favorite, sometimes derided as one of the worst films ever, captures the disco obsession. A failed painter finds his muse in the Greek goddess, who tells him his destiny is to create a disco club called Xanadu. Even though the picture was released as disco drew its final breath, the styling and locations all evoke the disco era.
3 – The Apple (1980)
An innocent couple seeks to get into the music business in a dystopian musical set in 1994. Still, the dark side of the industry greets them in The Apple. Despite being set in the future (by 1980 standards), the film captures the disco era's style and extravagant luxury. The costumes are sparkly and designed to seem like the iconic disco trends of the late 1970s.
The movie's depiction of the seedy side of the music business is also influenced by the decadence of many disco clubs, particularly Studio 54, where patrons indulged in every vice imaginable.
4 – Can't Stop The Music (1980)
Model Samantha enlists a cop, a cowboy, a builder, a soldier, an American Indian, and a biker in this fictional account of the Village People's beginnings to assist her buddy in landing a record deal. The Village People had numerous disco songs, including “YMCA,” “Macho Man,” and “In the Navy.” It was inevitable that the disco group would appear in a movie in some capacity, given their enormous fame.
5 – The Main Event (1979)
Hillary Kramer (Barbra Streisand) was the reigning queen of the perfume industry until her accountant stole all of her money and fled. When Hillary is down to her final few valuable items, she discovers a contract for Eddie Kid Natural Scanlon, a boxer played by Ryan O'Neal. Kramer is so desperate that she believes he is her path back to fame even though he is an utter failure as a fighter. Despite his weaknesses, she promotes him relentlessly and falls in love in the process.
6 – Mahogany (1975)
Tracy (Diana Ross), a struggling fashion design student from Chicago, transforms from rags to riches after an accidental encounter with Sean, a hotshot fashion photographer, in the department store where she works, which results in a runway life as a model in Rome. Tracy's sudden fame and ambitions help her succeed professionally as a designer. Still, her diva behavior could endanger her friendship with social activist Brian and her standing in the industry.
7 – Disco Godfather (1975)
Disco Godfather, a movie directed by Rudy Ray Moore and one of the titans of the Blaxploitation subgenre, centers on an ex-cop tasked with halting an angel dust manufacturer. The costumes in the movie are next-level disco; the polyester budget for this picture has to be enormous. The film also fully exploits the craze for discos at the time by placing its plot in a discotheque and portraying the disco-inspired dancing prevalent in the time's nightclubs.
8 – Saturday Night Fever (1977)
In Saturday Night Fever, a landmark movie on disco culture, Tony escapes his broken family and grim future by spending nights in the disco. Tony sees the approaching disco dancing competition as an opportunity to escape Brooklyn and fulfill his aspirations of becoming a professional dancer. From the perspective of its main character, the movie encapsulates disco culture, from the Bee Gees soundtrack to the crisp disco clothing and dancing techniques.
9 – That's The Way of The World (1975)
Named after the album of the same name by the multi-genre band Earth, Wind, and Fire, it centers on a successful music producer (the talented Harvey Keitel) who struggles to find the next big musical sensation while dealing with business-minded record executives and his standards. Since the group had a ton of successes, many of which were in the disco genre, it is appropriate that Earth, Wind, and Fire play the band that Keitel develops an interest in during the film. It doesn't get much more disco than when Earth, Wind, and Fire performed at a roller disco rink.
10 – Car Wash (1976)
This popular comedy's day-in-the-life plot revolves around pals working at Sully Boyar's Car Wash in the Los Angeles slums. The group cracks politically incorrect jokes while interacting with dozens of odd clients, such as an ex-convict, a smooth-talking preacher (Richard Pryor), and a crazy cab driver (George Carlin). While some employees discover love as the day progresses, most are content to complete another shift.
11 – Nocturna (1975)
Old Dracula converts his castle into Hotel Transylvania because he owes taxes. His granddaughter Nocturna hires a disco band, discovering that she enjoys dancing and that she turns mortal every time she dances. Then she decides to move to New York to start a life and find love.
12 – Roller Boogie (1979)
To cash in on the short-lived roller-disco fad, this cult classic has “a bad guy wants to buy up our favorite place and tear it down” theme. Terry, a vivacious flutist who falls for Bobby, a wannabe professional skater played by real-life professional skater Jim Bray in his lone acting role, is portrayed by The Exorcist's Linda Blair. Earth, Wind & Fire's “Boogie Wonderland” and Cher's specially composed song “Hell on Wheels” are included in the soundtrack.
13 – Skatetown USA (1979)
A competition between two skaters (Patrick Swayze and Greg Bradford) at the Los Angeles roller disco Skatetown, USA, results in the winners taking home a moped and $1,000. The two rivals become buddies following a game of chicken played on motorized roller skates.
14 – The Wiz (1978)
The musical adventure interpretation of The Wizard of Oz aims to convey the core of the African-American experience. Dorothy (Diana Ross), a Harlem schoolteacher, is suddenly transported to Oz, an urban fantasy country, as she tries to save her dog from a storm. Dorothy is informed about a magician who can assist her in returning to Manhattan after she unintentionally kills the Wicked Witch of the East upon her arrival. The Scarecrow (Michael Jackson), Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion accompany Dorothy as she searches for the Wiz.
15 – All That Jazz (1979)
Choreographer/director Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider) spends his free time taking pills and being in company with a seemingly never-ending stream of women when he is not preparing for his upcoming stage musical or working on his Hollywood project. The ragged perfectionist starts to feel the effects of the physical and mental strain. He will soon have to decide if his relentless work schedule and hedonistic lifestyle are worth jeopardizing his life for. The renowned Bob Fosse wrote and directed this semi-autobiographical story.
16 – Staying Alive (1983)
This sequel to Saturday Night Fever continues six years after Tony Manero's (John Travolta) glitzy victory in the disco dance competition of the prequel. Now older and wiser, he works as a dance instructor in New York City and harbors ambitions to make it on Broadway. Manero receives his opportunity when his lover arranges for him to attend an audition for the risky new production Satan's Alley. As soon as Manero accepts a role as a backup dancer, he reverts to his previous behaviors and develops feelings for a lousy Broadway girl.
17 – Foxes (1980)
Four young girls from the San Fernando Valley in California struggle with the pervasive dysfunction in their lives in the late 1970s. Without committing, Deirdre pursues one boy after another. Annie uses drugs to escape her father's abuse and to dull the ache of her awful life. Overweight Madge is constantly pressured to keep up with her friends' wild habits. Jeanie, the most reliable member of the group, has to keep an eye on everyone.
18 – The Stud (1978)
Proposed as a British alternative to Saturday Night Fever, it narrates the story of a woman, Fountain Khaled, who is married to a wealthy businessman but cheats on him with her handsome manager and eventually gets divorced for her extramarital escapades.
19 – The Music Machine (1979)
This first all-British disco film takes us to a London music hall where a contest is held to find two dancers to star in a movie. As one dancer tries to impress another dancer, he ends up swaying with another and is double-crossed.
20 – Grease (1979)
Encounter the friendships, relationships, and experiences of high school students. This is the most popular movie musical ever, with its world of singing and dancing. Will a summer romance between a pristine exchange student (Olivia Newton-John) and a leather-clad Danny (John Travolta) surpass clique boundaries?
21 – The World Is Full of Married Men (1979)
Adapted from the 1968 novel of the same name, it tells of David Cooper; although married and working in advertising, prefers to focus on his romantic relationships. After learning about his girlfriends, his wife Linda chooses to have an affair to exact revenge. It made significant use of disco music, notably Maxine Nightingale's “Right Back Where We Started From,” and even included a cameo from the renowned dance group Hot Gossip.
22 – Disco Fever (1979)
Gary Verna's compositions of “My Turn To Fly” and “Carry On, Carry On” come alive in this movie, also called Jukebox, where a nightclub owner seizes the opportunity to plan the comeback of an ex-teen idol.
23 – Disco 9000 (1977)
The story revolves around Bellamy, an out-of-town music entrepreneur, seeking to convince LA disco king Fass Black to sign a distribution deal. Nobody seems bothered by the fact that Bellamy seems to produce country and Western music while Fass produces and distributes disco. Featured are a group of dancers from the TV show Soul Train and legendary tap dancer Harold Nicholas.
24 – Fame (1980)
Fame is a 1980 American teen musical drama film written by Christopher Gore and directed by Alan Parker. It is based in New York City and follows the struggles of the High School of Performing Arts' students from their auditions through their freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years. Due to its popularity, a media franchise included many television programs, a stage musical, and a 2009 remake.
25 – The B-tch (1979)
A sequel to The Stud, Fountain Khaled continues her tale as a divorcee. Still, she continues to live a lavish jet-set lifestyle without financial security as the wife of a billionaire. Her once-thriving London nightclub, Hobo, is in trouble. She now seeks funding to save it from bankruptcy.
