The War on Disco
“The explosive sound that ignited a culture war”
2023•51m•5.8•Released
DocumentaryHistoryMusic
The War on Disco explores the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music. Originating in underground Black and gay clubs, disco had unseated rock as America’s most popular music by the late 1970s. But many diehard rock fans viewed disco, with its repetitive beat and culture that emphasized pleasure, as shallow and superficial. A story that’s about much more than music, The War on Disco explores how the powerful anti-disco backlash revealed a cultural divide that to some seemed to be driven by racism and homophobia. The hostility came to a head on July 12, 1979, when a riot broke out at “Disco Demolition Night” during a baseball game in Chicago.
Director
Lisa Quijano Wolfinger
Writer
Rushmore DeNooyer
Languages
English
Studio
American Experience Films
Cast
Felipe Rose
Self
Steve Dahl
Self
Linda Clifford
Self
Rich King
Self
Daphne Brooks
Self
Jefferson Cowie
Self
Adam Greenfield
Self
Ray Smith
Self
Joe Shanahan
Self
David Logan
Self
Ayana Contreras
Self
Wayne Williams
Self
Darlene Jackson
Self
Diane Alexander White
Self
Paul Natkin
Self
Production
Company
American Experience Films
Company
GBH
Company
Lone Wolf Media
Company
Robert Stone Productions
Producer
Nicole London
Producer
Rushmore DeNooyer
Producer
Lisa Quijano Wolfinger
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