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Study Guide for the History of Disco

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As a child of the 1980s, everything I knew about disco music came from “That 70s Show” and compilation CD commercials shown on TV.  

But, with a little help from my local public libraries, I found lots of books to help me learn “more, more, more” about the subject. Once I started, I was fascinated!  Did you know that disco actually has its roots in soul music and salsa dancing?  Or that popular disco artist, Donna Summer, got her start performing in the musical Hair? “Hot Stuff!”

Here, you'll find some sources to begin your own studies of disco music. These sources cover music history, dance history, New York culture, popular culture studies, and social studies.  So, hustle on down to your local library, check out these books, and “Don’t stop til you get enough!”

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One good place to get started on any sort of research project is your local library.  The reference deparment at any library should have a lot of different types of sources to help you.  These include:

Directories, Handbooks/Almanacs/Yearbooks, Biographical Sources,Bibliographies, Indexes, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Geographical Sources, Government Documents, and Statistical Analyses

Such  reference sources are easy to use and give you general  information on a variety of different topics in one handy source.

If you want a background on disco that's "got to be real," I'd highly recommend starting with some of these sources:


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Almanacs/Guidebooks

All Music Guide: the Definitive Guide to Popular Music, 4th ed.  Ed. by Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, and Stephen Thomas Erlewine.  Ann Arbor, MI: AMG, 2001.

Includes brief biographies of artists/groups, reviews of albums, essays about genre, and flow- charts showing development of musical styles. Entries arranged by genre of music, with an introductory essay defining each genre. 

The Greenwood Guide to American Popular Culture, Ed. By Thomas Inge and Dennis Hall.  Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.

Four volume guide with thematic essays on popular culture.  Also includes a critical guide of the most useful reference sources and research centers or collections for each essay.

The Guide to United States Popular Culture, ed. By Ray B. Browne and Pat Browne.  Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 2001.

Features short entries on many topics, with bibliographical sources after each entry.  Has some photography.

The African American Almanac, 9th ed.  Ed. By Jeffrey Lehman.  Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group, 2003.

In-depth and user-friendly survey of black culture in the U.S. and around the world.  Twenty-nine chapters profile many noteworthy African Americans and cover a wide range of subjects. Chapters arranged by subject matter (and generally, by chronology).

 

Dictionaries

Morehead, Philip D.  The New American Dictionary of Music.  New York: a Dutton Book, 1991.

Covers classical and popular music, with an emphasis on American composers, works, and musicians. Includes 225 illustrations and musical examples.

Shaw, Arnold.  Dictionary of American Pop/Rock.  New York: Schirmer Books, 1982.

Includes definitions of music terms and styles, and descriptions of prominent pop/rock personalities, land-marks, organizations, and awards.  Definitions range from one line to several pages.  Intended for use by musicians and music lovers.

 

Encyclopedias

Pendergast, Tom and Sara Pendergast, ed.  St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, vol. 1.1: A-D.  Farmington Hills, MI: St. James Press, 2000.

Five volume encyclopedia has over 2,700 essays on elements of American 20th century pop culture.  Essays range from brief to in-depth, providing both factual and cultural context about topics.

Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Culture.  Gary W. McDonogh, Robert Gregg, and Cindy H. Wong, ed.  New York: Routledge, 2001.

A primary guide to contemporary American culture, meant to facilitate further research.

Who’s New Wave in Music: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1976-1982 (the First Wave), ed. By David Bianco.  Ann Arbor, MI: Pierian Press, 1985.

Comprehensive source on the New Wave music scene includes list of bands/artists, record companies/labels, fanzines, glossary of terms, and multiple indices.

Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America, ed. By Marc Stein.  New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2004.

Three volume encyclopedia provides historical, cultural, political, and societal contexts to LGBT topics.  Entries are extensive (several pages long), include cross-references.

Gay Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia (vol. 1), ed. By George E. Haggerty, New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 2000.

Features cross-references, bibliographies at the end of every entry, and a subject guide (where topics get classified).

 

Biographical Sources

Who’s Who Among African Americans.  17th edition.  Ed. Jennifer M. York.  Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2004.

Features biographical profiles of over 20,000 prominent present-day African Americans.  Entries list occupation, family information, education, career information, organizational affiliation, honors/awards, and (sometimes) address of each individual.

Contemporary Musicians: Profiles of the People in Music.  Ed. Leigh Ann De Remer.  Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2002.

54 volume series features biographical information on a wide range of popular artists.  Entries list personal information, biographical/critical essays, selected discography, and photographs. Each volume has a cumulative musician index, showing in which volume of the series the artist’s profile is located.

 

Bibliographic Sources

Music Reference and Research Materials: An Annotated Bibliography.  5th ed.  Ed. Vincent H. Duckles and Ida Reed.  Schrimer Books: New York, 1997.

Annotated bibliography of the music sources necessary for building a good music reference collection.  Highlights the definitive sources of particular genres of works. Intended for use by graduate students and music librarians.

Brockman, William S.  Music: A Guide to Reference Literature. Libraries Unlimited, Inc.: Littleton, CO, 1987.

Selective bibliography of current music reference sources published in English.  Intends to summarize other, more extensive music bibliographies.  Intended for us by musicians, music librarians, and other specialists.

 

Indexes

Pollock, Bruce.  The Rock Song Index: Essential Information on the 7,500 Most Important Songs of Rock & Roll.  New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.

Index of rock songs lists producers, album, record label, and song-writers for each entry.  Also includes a list of the one hundred most popular cover songs.

Havlice, Patricia Pate.  Popular Song Index.  Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1975.

Meant to help users find the words and music to various popular songs.  Divided into three sections: 1) a bibliography of songbooks, 2) an index with song titles, first lines of songs, first lines of choruses, and 3) a composer and lyricist index.

 

Directories

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Directory of Services and Resources.  Edited by Alan Fleishman.  Published by the Office of the New York City Comptroller, William C. Thompson.  June 2005.

Compilation of gay, lesbian, and bisexual community organizations, health care facilities, support groups, and recreational and cultural opportunities in the NYC area.  Published semi-annually by the office of the Comptroller.

 

Geographical Sources

Hagstrom Map Company.  New York City Five Borough Atlas.  Third Large Scale ed.  Maspeth, NY: Hagstrom Map Co., 1994.

Large scale, thematic atlas of the streets of the five boroughs. Includes selected points of interest.  Spiral-bound and 106 page length make atlas portable.

Berman, Eleanor.  DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: New York.  New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc., 2001.

Travel guide that describes history of Manhattan’s main attractions, and has a directory of where to stay, eat, shop, or see entertainment.  Includes lots of maps, photographs, and detailed illustrations. Sight-seeing attractions are arranged by neighborhood.

 

Government Documents

National Museum of American History.  Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.   Available: http://americanhistory.si.edu/index.cfm.

General website for the National Museum of American History.  Information on collections, exhibitions, events, programs, and visiting the museum. Check out “History Explorer,” an interactive timeline of stories from the collections and programs.

U.S. Copyright Office.  Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress.  Available: http://www.copyright.gov.

Website outlining U.S. copyright rules and regulations.  Also includes links to publications from the Copyright Office, downloadable forms for copyright registration, instructions for registering works, and searchable databases of copyright records.  Includes a fifteen-minute downloadable video about the function of the U.S. Copyright Office.

 

Statistical Analyses

New York. U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Dept. of Commerce (Economics, and Statistics Administration). 1997 Economic Census: Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation: Geographic Area Series. Available: http://www.census.gov/prod/ec97/97s71-ny.pdf

PDF document includes statistical information about various cultural, entertainment, and recreational establishments in New York state (and parts of surrounding states). Features multiple tables of statistics, arranged alphabetically by geographic area.

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And remember, if you have trouble locating a source, don't let it be your "last dance"-- ask a librarian for help!