Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Tuesdays at 9 PM
Wednesdays at 2 AM
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Fridays at 8 PM
This landmark three-part series examines the rise — and fall — of disco and celebrates its continuing musical and cultural legacy. Told by the original musicians, promoters and innovators — and modern-day musical icons — this is the definitive story of the people who forged a new form of music and dance and pioneered a social movement.
Disco embodied the height of 1970s glamour: a dance floor culture born in New York City that went on to take over the world. But its success also obscured its wider significance. Inextricably bound up with the major liberation movements of the 1970s, disco speaks to some of the biggest issues of today: LGBTQ+ identity and female empowerment.
Part 1
Rock the Boat
Explore the origin of a global music phenomenon born among gay and Black communities coming together in apartments and basement bars in 1970s New York, where dance floors became a platform in their battle for visibility and inclusion.
Part 2
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now
Experience the pinnacle of disco culture during the 1970s, set against the backdrop of Black power and sexual liberation. As disco conquers the mainstream, Black women and gay men rise as superstars and icons.
Part 3
Stayin’ Alive
Disco seemed untouchable by the end of the 1970s, but an incited violent backlash led to its demise. Dive into disco's underground return, where it laid the foundations for all future electronic dance music.