Disco in the 70s

Synonymous with the 70s is of course disco music. The groove became big and took off, clashing against the previously dominating rock music.
It contains elements of pop, funk, soul and even psychedelic to create brand new genre that people had not experienced before and were ready to get down to.
Well known performers such as ABBA, The Bee Gees, Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor became the frontrunners for disco music and is the reason it is so popular now (everyone knows a bit of ABBA whether they like it or not)
The main music components of disco music include piano, synth string,  and electroacoustic keyboards, however the core of disco relies in the beat and the prominent bass line on a bass guitar. Backed up with layering using high pitched instruments (to create harmonies) such as the violin, harp, flutes, saxophones and other wind and brass instruments.
With a heavy inference from latin music (such as the samba and the rhumba(, disco relies on a steady four on the floor beat being aided by a rhythm guitar (however it is not as present in disco compared to rock).
All of the instruments used create a soaring and uplifting tune that people associate with having a good time, which disco was all about.

Formed in 1972, ABBA (an acronym of the first letters of all 4 members) are known as one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music (after winning Eurovision in 1974 and becoming the most successful to date)
Selling over 380 million albums worldwide, they quickly dominated the 70s with their disco music and are still the second most successful music groups.

The Bee Gees started out their career as a 'rock' band in the late 60s however in the 70s, they took on a more disco feel to their music and perhaps was one of the most successful career choices to make. Famous for their signature and recognisable 3 part harmonies, the three brothers quickly made a name for themselves and have managed to sell 220 million albums worldwide, again like ABBA, making them one of the best feeling music artists of all time.
"Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees" (1997)
Agreeing to participate in the creation of the Saturday Night Fever was the pivotal moment in their careers where they experimented with disco, prolonging their success as well as disco's.
"Fever is credited with kicking off the whole disco thing - it really didn't. Truth is, it breathed new life into a genre that was actually dying" (Kashner, 2007).
'Night Fever' charted at number one in both the UK and the US with other songs such as 'Stayin Alive' 1 in the US, 4 in the UK

In today's music scene, disco is still present in some songs. In particular, 'Meet Me In The Pale Moonlight' by Lana Del Rey features a funky guitar in the background, very disco. Furthermore, 'I Want It All' by Karmin also has a disco feel with the funky bass line, the horn sections in the chorus, the rhythm guitar and the faint 'cowbell' sound in the background. Finally, 'Take Back The Night' by Justin Timberlake is a fusion of both disco and R&B with its use of high vocals (falsetto), horns, guitar and keyboard.