The French word discotheque, meaning a record library, kept that meaning until September 1960. In the month, chubby checker had a hit record with The Twist, and the smart sets of New York, Paris and London took up a new dance craze. A Paris nightclub where café society gathered became the first discotheque. The owner installed loudspeakers, and hired a Youngman to choose and announce each record. The coolness of dancing without any physical contact to music from a human jukebox was an immediate success.
For a time the trend was confined to smart clubs, but by the late 1960s discotheques were operating at private parties. Pubs and clubs took the craze to larger groups. The record industry had a large and ready-made market for a different kind of music, dominated by a heavy bass rhythm designed for dancing rather than singing.
With the 1976 release of Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta, the discotheque had come of age, with its own music, dance style, dress code and a new set of teenage fans.
For a time the trend was confined to smart clubs, but by the late 1960s discotheques were operating at private parties. Pubs and clubs took the craze to larger groups. The record industry had a large and ready-made market for a different kind of music, dominated by a heavy bass rhythm designed for dancing rather than singing.
With the 1976 release of Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta, the discotheque had come of age, with its own music, dance style, dress code and a new set of teenage fans.
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