POP & SOUL STYLE

Disco drum patterns.

Four-on-the-floor kicks with open hats on every offbeat, the dance-floor groove that house was later built on.

74 grooves
1971–2022
5 landmarks

The Disco timeline

17 of 17 grooves

1971
Landmark
Theme from Shaft Open Theme from Shaft in a new tab
Isaac Hayes
Root: Willie Hall's constant 16th-note hi-hat, taken from a Stax break; counted among the first disco singles
1972
Landmark
Love Train Open Love Train in a new tab
The O'Jays
Philadelphia's MFSB rhythm section; called one of the first disco songs and MFSB's first Hot 100 No. 1
1975
Get Down Tonight Open Get Down Tonight in a new tab
KC and the Sunshine Band
TK Records' Miami sound: fast tempo, a steady dance beat and a repeated hook; the band's first No. 1
1975
Jive Talkin'Open Jive Talkin' in a new tab
Bee Gees
Arif Mardin steered the Bee Gees toward R&B grooves; Dennis Bryon's chugging beat began their disco era
1976
Disco Inferno Open Disco Inferno in a new tab
The Trammps
Earl Young, MFSB's drummer and the Trammps' bass voice, plays the hi-hat-heavy Philly disco beat he helped shape
1976
Don't Leave Me This Way Open Don't Leave Me This Way in a new tab
Thelma Houston
James Gadson locks a four-on-the-floor kick to the bass, turning a Philly ballad into a Motown disco No. 1
1977
Shame Open Shame in a new tab
Evelyn "Champagne" King
Scotty Miller's drums; the extended 12-inch remix rearranged them to push the beat harder for clubs
1977
Supernature Open Supernature in a new tab
Cerrone
Drummer-producer Cerrone fuses synths with a kick-forward Euro disco beat; the album even had a drum-solo track
1977
Landmark
Stayin' Alive Open Stayin' Alive in a new tab
Bee Gees
With the drummer away, two bars of Night Fever's drums were tape-looped: a played beat used like a drum machine
1978
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)Open You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) in a new tab
Sylvester
Patrick Cowley rebuilt a gospel tune as synth disco after I Feel Love; a step toward hi-NRG
1978
I Will Survive Open I Will Survive in a new tab
Gloria Gaynor
James Gadson's steady four-on-the-floor under Gloria Gaynor: the textbook disco drum pattern
1979
Landmark
Good Times Open Good Times in a new tab
Chic
Tony Thompson and Bernard Edwards's tight, syncopated groove; its bassline became Rapper's Delight
1979
Hot Stuff Open Hot Stuff in a new tab
Donna Summer
Rock-disco hybrid: power-chord guitar over the disco pulse, winning the first Grammy for female rock vocal
1979
Landmark
Ring My Bell Open Ring My Bell in a new tab
Anita Ward
A Synare electronic drum's falling tom on beat one of every bar is the hook: electronic drums as disco's signature
1980
Funkytown Open Funkytown in a new tab
Lipps Inc.
Late-disco No. 1 built from synthetic sounds and a vocoder, pointing toward 80s synth-pop
1980
I'm Coming Out Open I'm Coming Out in a new tab
Diana Ross
Written and produced by Chic's Rodgers and Edwards, carrying their crisp late-disco groove to Motown
2022
Free Yourself Open Free Yourself in a new tab
Jessie Ware
Stuart Price's drums under diva-house piano stabs: the 2020s disco revival in club form