4. Most Popular Recordings in Clubs, October 1974 to June 1981
Weeks in Billboard Disco Chart Top 15 Top 5
1. That's Where The Happy People Go, Trammps, 1976 29 25 2. Bad Luck, Harold Melvin & Bluenotes, 1975 21 17 3. A Lover’s Holiday, Change, 1980 21 13 4. I Love Music, O’Jays, 1975 20 16 5. We Are Family, Sister Sledge, 1979 20 8 6. You + Me = Love, Undisputed Truth, 1976 20 4 7. After Dark, Pattie Brooks, 1978 19 15 8. Don’t Leave Me This Way, Thelma Houston, 1976 19 12 9. Hijack, Herbie Mann, 1975 19 10 10. Where Is The Love, Betty Wright, 1975 19 9 11. Dance Dance Dance, Chic, 1977 18 15 12. Cherchez La Femme, Dr Buzzard, 1976 18 14 13. Love Hangover, Diana Ross, 1976 18 12 14. E-Man Boogie, Jimmy Castor Bunch, 1974 18 7 15. I’ll Be Holding On, Al Downing, 1974 17 14 16. If My Friends Could See Me Now, Linda Clifford, 1978 17 13 17. I Feel Love, Donna Summer, 1977 17 12 18. Express, BT Express, 1974 17 11 19. Rumour Has It, Donna Summer, 1977 17 11 20. Uptown Festival, Shalamar, 1977 17 6 21. Tell Me What You Want, Jimmy Ruffin, 1974 15 after peak 22. Ask Me, Ecstasy Passion & Pain, 1974 10 after peak 23. Get Dancin’, Disco Tex, 1974 10 after peak
Most popular recordings, determined by longevity as defined as number of weeks in Top 15 of Billboard Disco Playlist charts for recordings that logged more than 4 months of heavy club play. Refer to Appendix 10 for details.
Because Billboard’s Disco Chart was compiled from DJ feedback regarding audience response in a revolving roster of clubs, the Top 15 was used as an indicator of heavy rotation across discotheques (see Appendix 9 final note for qualifiers). In cases of ties for weeks in Top 15, number of weeks in Top 5 determined frequency of play during those 4 months. While the weeks a recording was played is a measure of a recording’s longevity and popularity, recordings from 1979, 80, and 81 had more competition in the increased number of releases from record companies. Playlists from prior to 1978 were comprised of far fewer available recordings and thus popular hits endured for longer periods. This is reflected in Billboard’s expansion of the Disco Chart from 10 entries in 10/74 to 15 entries in 11/74, then to 40 entries in 9/76, 80 entries in 4/79, and 100 entries 9/79.
“Tell Me What You Want,” “Ask Me,” and “Get Dancin’” were among the first entries in the Disco Charts; each spent at least 10 weeks after their respective peaks in the Top 15, and as the average life of top tracks was 9 weeks rising to and at their peak, these three tracks were included. Three recordings from the most popular club cuts did not fit the parameters of this North American survey: all were European acts produced outside North America. Voyage’s “Souvenirs” spent 20 weeks in the Disco Top 15 and 11 weeks in the Disco Top 5. Silver Convention’s “Fly Robin Fly” spent 18 weeks in the Disco Top 15 and 10 weeks in the Disco Top 5. Abba’s “Lay All Your Love On Me” spent 17 weeks in the Disco Top 15 and 8 weeks in the Disco Top 5.
There is no compilation of discotheque airplay prior to October 1974. Therefore, the list of most popular club recordings cannot measure the relative longevity of many early hits such as “Move On Up,” “Scorpio,” “Date With The Rain,” "Use My Imagination," or “Mainline.”
Top Radio Hits, October 1974 to June 1981
Ranking in Billboard’s Top 500 Singles
1. Le Freak, Chic, 1978 75 2. Call Me, Blondie, 1980 113 3. Hot Stuff, Donna Summer, 1979 118 4. Best Of My Love, Emotions, 1977 161 5. Upside Down, Diana Ross, 1980 174 6. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor, 1979 179 7. Bad Girls, Donna Summer, 1979 200 8. Boogie Oogie Oogie, Taste Of Honey, 1978 207 9. Funkytown, Lipps Inc, 1980 229 10. Rock With You, Michael Jackson, 1979 249 11. Ring My Bell, Anita Ward, 1979 271 12. MacArthur Park, Donna Summer, 1978 289 13. Good Times, Chic, 1979 338 14. Play That Funky Music, Wild Cherry, 1976 381 15. Rise, Herb Alpert, 1979 453 16. Celebration, Kool & The Gang, 1980 474
Top disco recordings as ranked in the first 500 of 2003’s Billboard’s Hottest Hot 100 Hits Top 5000 Singles chart. "Stayin' Alive" (ranked 80), "Night Fever" (91), and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" (216) fell out of the parameters of this survey: recordings made outside North America by non-North American acts.
This chart indicates Billboard's calculus for radio play added to sales. From a strictly sales perspective, according to Platinum Record stats, the disco that was selling the most vinyl was the crass novelty record. The typical household disco collection in America may have stopped at Saturday Night Fever, perhaps supplemented by a couple of 45s--"Disco Duck" and “Copacabana.” Maybe an added album-- Meco’s Star Wars or Village People's Cruisin'. These stats make it clear that what was purchased by general consumers and what was aired on radio was quite distinct from what was played in the seminal clubs.