Hustle into the 1970s with these eye-popping pictures from when the disco era took over clubs around the world.
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Nostalgia-Inducing ’70s Pictures That Show What Real Life Was Like In The Decade Of Disco
New York Disco Clubs In The 1970s: When Exclusivity Was About Inclusivity
Relive The Decadence Of Studio 54 With These Vintage Photos
1 of 45Andy Warhol (left) on Studio 54’s DJ stage, with Brooke Shields and Calvin Klein engaged in deep kissing (right) nearby.
New York City. 1981.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
2 of 45Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall having fun at Studio 54.
New York City.Michael Norcia/Sygma/Getty Images
3 of 45Woody Allen and Michael Jackson at Studio 54.
New York CityRussell Turiak/Getty Images
4 of 45She exposes her chest while he poses for the camera. Sex, drugs, and fashionable presentation were what going to the discotheque was all about — in addition to dancing, of course.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
5 of 45Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, and fashion designer Halston hang out backstage at Studio 54.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
6 of 45Spectacularly-dressed women take a load off at Studio 54.
New York City.STANLEY BARKER/Tod Papageorge Studio 54
7 of 45This was the same horse Bianca Jagger mounted for her birthday. The 1970s in Manhattan were wild, to say the least.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
8 of 45Mick Jagger’s wife, Bianca, mounted a horse while celebrating her birthday at Studio 54.
New York City. May 2, 1977.Richard Corkery/Getty Images 9 of 45Some take power naps, others power through.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 10 of 45Masked dancers, half-nude, dance together and enjoy their night out on the town.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 11 of 45Clubgoers dressed to the nines during the third annual Halloween party at Studio 54.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1979.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 12 of 45Bethann Hardison, Daniela Morera, and Stephen Burrows at the Studio 54 party for Valentino.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images 13 of 45Curtis Mayfield letting loose in Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images 14 of 45Beloved drag queens Kevin and Michael Schultz at Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images 15 of 45The 1970s also popularized roller disco, through which clubgoers could dance in ways otherwise impossible.
1978H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images 16 of 45Germany became enthralled with disco throughout the 1970s. Seen here is journalist Michael Graeter dancing the night away.
Munich, Germany. 1978.Rufolf Dietrich/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images 17 of 45Clubgoers perform the “YMCA” dance alongside The Village People. The song and dance became an enormous hit.
The “ABC Disco Ball” at the Shrine Auditorium. Los Angeles, California. Oct. 2, 1970. Amanda Edwards/Redferns/Getty Images 18 of 45Dancers in gold paint twirl each other around the dance floor at Club Xenon.
New York City. 1979.PL Gould/Images Press/Getty Images 19 of 45People getting down at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 20 of 45Producer Franco Rossilini and Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell cover each other in birthday cake at Studio 54.
Nov. 16, 1979Richard Corkery/New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images 21 of 45Diana Ross and Richard Gere arrive at Studio 54 and hit the dance floor.
New York City. Aug. 17, 1979.Bettmann/Getty Images 22 of 45Jacqueline Onassis and Sterling St. Jacques at Studio 54. Sixteen years after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the world had completely changed.
New York City. 1979.Images Press/Getty Images 23 of 45Robin Williams dancing with his wife, Valerie Velardi, at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images 24 of 45The main dance floor at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images 25 of 45Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell at his discotheque.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images 26 of 45Sidney Poitier and his wife, Joanna Shimkus, enjoy a night out at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images 27 of 45The former first lady, Betty Ford (right), lounges at Studio 54 with singer and actress Liza Minnelli (left) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (center).
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Twin Images/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images 28 of 45The drinks flowed endlessly at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 29 of 45Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, enjoys his time at club L’Alcazar with Dutch actress Romy Haag, following his concert at the Pavilion.
Paris, France. May 18, 1976.Pictorial Parade/Getty Images 30 of 45Divine, Grace Jones, and friends celebrate Jones’s 30th birthday at Xenon Disco.
New York City. June 12, 1978.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images 31 of 45"Disco Granny" was a fixture at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Images Press/Getty Images 32 of 45A mod dances behind a bustier-wearing clubgoer at Studio 54’s 1977 Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 33 of 45A semi-nude couple dances on top of the speakers at Studio 54’s first Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 34 of 45A confetti-covered man in a leotard writhes around in pleasure at Le Clique.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 35 of 45A dancer at Le Clique, wearing a leopard-print sachet and underwear.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 36 of 45A couple wearing bow ties and tuxedos. Gender fluidity and expression was fully embraced and supported in the 1970s disco scene.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 37 of 45Go-go dancers at G.G.’s Barnum Room put on quite a show.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 38 of 45Three clubgoers mimic the painting behind them at G.G.’s Barnum Room.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 39 of 45Dancing all night takes a lot of energy, making couches like this one a necessary element of discotheques like Studio 54.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 40 of 45Truman Capote and his editor friends from Harper’s Bazaar and Interview hang out at Studio 54.
New York CityBokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 41 of 45Nudity wasn’t reprimanded, particularly when done in a glamorous aesthetic. This clubgoer was covered in gold paint from head to toe.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 42 of 45A costumed clubgoer stands in a line of hopefuls outside Studio 54 disco where the more imaginatively dressed stand a greater chance of getting in.
New York City. 1979.Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis/Getty Images 43 of 45Clubgoers let loose on the dance floor, letting everyone else become invisible as they get lost in a trance.
New York City.Waring Abbott/Getty Images 44 of 45The spirit of disco was welcoming to people of all walks of life: from yuppies and cross-dressers to young jocks and blue-collar workers.
New York City.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
Decadence, Drugs, And Dancing: 44 Pictures Of The Disco Era View Gallery
Disco began as an active shift away from the political folk music of the 1960s. People were eager to dance, and found sexual liberation and acceptance in disco’s celebratory flamboyance.
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Nostalgia-Inducing ’70s Pictures That Show What Real Life Was Like In The Decade Of Disco
New York Disco Clubs In The 1970s: When Exclusivity Was About Inclusivity
Relive The Decadence Of Studio 54 With These Vintage Photos
1 of 45Andy Warhol (left) on Studio 54’s DJ stage, with Brooke Shields and Calvin Klein engaged in deep kissing (right) nearby.
New York City. 1981.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
2 of 45Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall having fun at Studio 54.
New York City.Michael Norcia/Sygma/Getty Images
3 of 45Woody Allen and Michael Jackson at Studio 54.
New York CityRussell Turiak/Getty Images
4 of 45She exposes her chest while he poses for the camera. Sex, drugs, and fashionable presentation were what going to the discotheque was all about — in addition to dancing, of course.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
5 of 45Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, and fashion designer Halston hang out backstage at Studio 54.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
6 of 45Spectacularly-dressed women take a load off at Studio 54.
New York City.STANLEY BARKER/Tod Papageorge Studio 54
7 of 45This was the same horse Bianca Jagger mounted for her birthday. The 1970s in Manhattan were wild, to say the least.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
8 of 45Mick Jagger’s wife, Bianca, mounted a horse while celebrating her birthday at Studio 54.
New York City. May 2, 1977.Richard Corkery/Getty Images 9 of 45Some take power naps, others power through.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 10 of 45Masked dancers, half-nude, dance together and enjoy their night out on the town.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 11 of 45Clubgoers dressed to the nines during the third annual Halloween party at Studio 54.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1979.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 12 of 45Bethann Hardison, Daniela Morera, and Stephen Burrows at the Studio 54 party for Valentino.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images 13 of 45Curtis Mayfield letting loose in Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images 14 of 45Beloved drag queens Kevin and Michael Schultz at Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images 15 of 45The 1970s also popularized roller disco, through which clubgoers could dance in ways otherwise impossible.
1978H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images 16 of 45Germany became enthralled with disco throughout the 1970s. Seen here is journalist Michael Graeter dancing the night away.
Munich, Germany. 1978.Rufolf Dietrich/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images 17 of 45Clubgoers perform the “YMCA” dance alongside The Village People. The song and dance became an enormous hit.
The “ABC Disco Ball” at the Shrine Auditorium. Los Angeles, California. Oct. 2, 1970. Amanda Edwards/Redferns/Getty Images 18 of 45Dancers in gold paint twirl each other around the dance floor at Club Xenon.
New York City. 1979.PL Gould/Images Press/Getty Images 19 of 45People getting down at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 20 of 45Producer Franco Rossilini and Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell cover each other in birthday cake at Studio 54.
Nov. 16, 1979Richard Corkery/New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images 21 of 45Diana Ross and Richard Gere arrive at Studio 54 and hit the dance floor.
New York City. Aug. 17, 1979.Bettmann/Getty Images 22 of 45Jacqueline Onassis and Sterling St. Jacques at Studio 54. Sixteen years after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the world had completely changed.
New York City. 1979.Images Press/Getty Images 23 of 45Robin Williams dancing with his wife, Valerie Velardi, at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images 24 of 45The main dance floor at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images 25 of 45Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell at his discotheque.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images 26 of 45Sidney Poitier and his wife, Joanna Shimkus, enjoy a night out at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images 27 of 45The former first lady, Betty Ford (right), lounges at Studio 54 with singer and actress Liza Minnelli (left) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (center).
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Twin Images/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images 28 of 45The drinks flowed endlessly at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 29 of 45Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, enjoys his time at club L’Alcazar with Dutch actress Romy Haag, following his concert at the Pavilion.
Paris, France. May 18, 1976.Pictorial Parade/Getty Images 30 of 45Divine, Grace Jones, and friends celebrate Jones’s 30th birthday at Xenon Disco.
New York City. June 12, 1978.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images 31 of 45"Disco Granny" was a fixture at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Images Press/Getty Images 32 of 45A mod dances behind a bustier-wearing clubgoer at Studio 54’s 1977 Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 33 of 45A semi-nude couple dances on top of the speakers at Studio 54’s first Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 34 of 45A confetti-covered man in a leotard writhes around in pleasure at Le Clique.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 35 of 45A dancer at Le Clique, wearing a leopard-print sachet and underwear.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 36 of 45A couple wearing bow ties and tuxedos. Gender fluidity and expression was fully embraced and supported in the 1970s disco scene.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 37 of 45Go-go dancers at G.G.’s Barnum Room put on quite a show.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 38 of 45Three clubgoers mimic the painting behind them at G.G.’s Barnum Room.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 39 of 45Dancing all night takes a lot of energy, making couches like this one a necessary element of discotheques like Studio 54.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 40 of 45Truman Capote and his editor friends from Harper’s Bazaar and Interview hang out at Studio 54.
New York CityBokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 41 of 45Nudity wasn’t reprimanded, particularly when done in a glamorous aesthetic. This clubgoer was covered in gold paint from head to toe.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 42 of 45A costumed clubgoer stands in a line of hopefuls outside Studio 54 disco where the more imaginatively dressed stand a greater chance of getting in.
New York City. 1979.Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis/Getty Images 43 of 45Clubgoers let loose on the dance floor, letting everyone else become invisible as they get lost in a trance.
New York City.Waring Abbott/Getty Images 44 of 45The spirit of disco was welcoming to people of all walks of life: from yuppies and cross-dressers to young jocks and blue-collar workers.
New York City.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
Nostalgia-Inducing ’70s Pictures That Show What Real Life Was Like In The Decade Of Disco
New York Disco Clubs In The 1970s: When Exclusivity Was About Inclusivity
Relive The Decadence Of Studio 54 With These Vintage Photos
1 of 45Andy Warhol (left) on Studio 54’s DJ stage, with Brooke Shields and Calvin Klein engaged in deep kissing (right) nearby.
New York City. 1981.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
2 of 45Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall having fun at Studio 54.
New York City.Michael Norcia/Sygma/Getty Images
3 of 45Woody Allen and Michael Jackson at Studio 54.
New York CityRussell Turiak/Getty Images
4 of 45She exposes her chest while he poses for the camera. Sex, drugs, and fashionable presentation were what going to the discotheque was all about — in addition to dancing, of course.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
5 of 45Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, and fashion designer Halston hang out backstage at Studio 54.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
6 of 45Spectacularly-dressed women take a load off at Studio 54.
New York City.STANLEY BARKER/Tod Papageorge Studio 54
7 of 45This was the same horse Bianca Jagger mounted for her birthday. The 1970s in Manhattan were wild, to say the least.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
8 of 45Mick Jagger’s wife, Bianca, mounted a horse while celebrating her birthday at Studio 54.
New York City. May 2, 1977.Richard Corkery/Getty Images 9 of 45Some take power naps, others power through.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 10 of 45Masked dancers, half-nude, dance together and enjoy their night out on the town.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 11 of 45Clubgoers dressed to the nines during the third annual Halloween party at Studio 54.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1979.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 12 of 45Bethann Hardison, Daniela Morera, and Stephen Burrows at the Studio 54 party for Valentino.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images 13 of 45Curtis Mayfield letting loose in Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images 14 of 45Beloved drag queens Kevin and Michael Schultz at Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images 15 of 45The 1970s also popularized roller disco, through which clubgoers could dance in ways otherwise impossible.
1978H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images 16 of 45Germany became enthralled with disco throughout the 1970s. Seen here is journalist Michael Graeter dancing the night away.
Munich, Germany. 1978.Rufolf Dietrich/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images 17 of 45Clubgoers perform the “YMCA” dance alongside The Village People. The song and dance became an enormous hit.
The “ABC Disco Ball” at the Shrine Auditorium. Los Angeles, California. Oct. 2, 1970. Amanda Edwards/Redferns/Getty Images 18 of 45Dancers in gold paint twirl each other around the dance floor at Club Xenon.
New York City. 1979.PL Gould/Images Press/Getty Images 19 of 45People getting down at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 20 of 45Producer Franco Rossilini and Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell cover each other in birthday cake at Studio 54.
Nov. 16, 1979Richard Corkery/New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images 21 of 45Diana Ross and Richard Gere arrive at Studio 54 and hit the dance floor.
New York City. Aug. 17, 1979.Bettmann/Getty Images 22 of 45Jacqueline Onassis and Sterling St. Jacques at Studio 54. Sixteen years after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the world had completely changed.
New York City. 1979.Images Press/Getty Images 23 of 45Robin Williams dancing with his wife, Valerie Velardi, at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images 24 of 45The main dance floor at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images 25 of 45Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell at his discotheque.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images 26 of 45Sidney Poitier and his wife, Joanna Shimkus, enjoy a night out at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images 27 of 45The former first lady, Betty Ford (right), lounges at Studio 54 with singer and actress Liza Minnelli (left) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (center).
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Twin Images/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images 28 of 45The drinks flowed endlessly at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 29 of 45Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, enjoys his time at club L’Alcazar with Dutch actress Romy Haag, following his concert at the Pavilion.
Paris, France. May 18, 1976.Pictorial Parade/Getty Images 30 of 45Divine, Grace Jones, and friends celebrate Jones’s 30th birthday at Xenon Disco.
New York City. June 12, 1978.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images 31 of 45"Disco Granny" was a fixture at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Images Press/Getty Images 32 of 45A mod dances behind a bustier-wearing clubgoer at Studio 54’s 1977 Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 33 of 45A semi-nude couple dances on top of the speakers at Studio 54’s first Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 34 of 45A confetti-covered man in a leotard writhes around in pleasure at Le Clique.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 35 of 45A dancer at Le Clique, wearing a leopard-print sachet and underwear.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 36 of 45A couple wearing bow ties and tuxedos. Gender fluidity and expression was fully embraced and supported in the 1970s disco scene.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 37 of 45Go-go dancers at G.G.’s Barnum Room put on quite a show.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 38 of 45Three clubgoers mimic the painting behind them at G.G.’s Barnum Room.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 39 of 45Dancing all night takes a lot of energy, making couches like this one a necessary element of discotheques like Studio 54.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 40 of 45Truman Capote and his editor friends from Harper’s Bazaar and Interview hang out at Studio 54.
New York CityBokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 41 of 45Nudity wasn’t reprimanded, particularly when done in a glamorous aesthetic. This clubgoer was covered in gold paint from head to toe.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 42 of 45A costumed clubgoer stands in a line of hopefuls outside Studio 54 disco where the more imaginatively dressed stand a greater chance of getting in.
New York City. 1979.Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis/Getty Images 43 of 45Clubgoers let loose on the dance floor, letting everyone else become invisible as they get lost in a trance.
New York City.Waring Abbott/Getty Images 44 of 45The spirit of disco was welcoming to people of all walks of life: from yuppies and cross-dressers to young jocks and blue-collar workers.
New York City.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
Nostalgia-Inducing ’70s Pictures That Show What Real Life Was Like In The Decade Of Disco
New York Disco Clubs In The 1970s: When Exclusivity Was About Inclusivity
Relive The Decadence Of Studio 54 With These Vintage Photos
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1 of 45Andy Warhol (left) on Studio 54’s DJ stage, with Brooke Shields and Calvin Klein engaged in deep kissing (right) nearby.
New York City. 1981.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
2 of 45Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall having fun at Studio 54.
New York City.Michael Norcia/Sygma/Getty Images
3 of 45Woody Allen and Michael Jackson at Studio 54.
New York CityRussell Turiak/Getty Images
4 of 45She exposes her chest while he poses for the camera. Sex, drugs, and fashionable presentation were what going to the discotheque was all about — in addition to dancing, of course.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
5 of 45Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, and fashion designer Halston hang out backstage at Studio 54.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
6 of 45Spectacularly-dressed women take a load off at Studio 54.
New York City.STANLEY BARKER/Tod Papageorge Studio 54
7 of 45This was the same horse Bianca Jagger mounted for her birthday. The 1970s in Manhattan were wild, to say the least.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
8 of 45Mick Jagger’s wife, Bianca, mounted a horse while celebrating her birthday at Studio 54.
New York City. May 2, 1977.Richard Corkery/Getty Images 9 of 45Some take power naps, others power through.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 10 of 45Masked dancers, half-nude, dance together and enjoy their night out on the town.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 11 of 45Clubgoers dressed to the nines during the third annual Halloween party at Studio 54.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1979.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 12 of 45Bethann Hardison, Daniela Morera, and Stephen Burrows at the Studio 54 party for Valentino.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images 13 of 45Curtis Mayfield letting loose in Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images 14 of 45Beloved drag queens Kevin and Michael Schultz at Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images 15 of 45The 1970s also popularized roller disco, through which clubgoers could dance in ways otherwise impossible.
1978H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images 16 of 45Germany became enthralled with disco throughout the 1970s. Seen here is journalist Michael Graeter dancing the night away.
Munich, Germany. 1978.Rufolf Dietrich/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images 17 of 45Clubgoers perform the “YMCA” dance alongside The Village People. The song and dance became an enormous hit.
The “ABC Disco Ball” at the Shrine Auditorium. Los Angeles, California. Oct. 2, 1970. Amanda Edwards/Redferns/Getty Images 18 of 45Dancers in gold paint twirl each other around the dance floor at Club Xenon.
New York City. 1979.PL Gould/Images Press/Getty Images 19 of 45People getting down at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 20 of 45Producer Franco Rossilini and Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell cover each other in birthday cake at Studio 54.
Nov. 16, 1979Richard Corkery/New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images 21 of 45Diana Ross and Richard Gere arrive at Studio 54 and hit the dance floor.
New York City. Aug. 17, 1979.Bettmann/Getty Images 22 of 45Jacqueline Onassis and Sterling St. Jacques at Studio 54. Sixteen years after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the world had completely changed.
New York City. 1979.Images Press/Getty Images 23 of 45Robin Williams dancing with his wife, Valerie Velardi, at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images 24 of 45The main dance floor at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images 25 of 45Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell at his discotheque.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images 26 of 45Sidney Poitier and his wife, Joanna Shimkus, enjoy a night out at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images 27 of 45The former first lady, Betty Ford (right), lounges at Studio 54 with singer and actress Liza Minnelli (left) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (center).
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Twin Images/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images 28 of 45The drinks flowed endlessly at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 29 of 45Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, enjoys his time at club L’Alcazar with Dutch actress Romy Haag, following his concert at the Pavilion.
Paris, France. May 18, 1976.Pictorial Parade/Getty Images 30 of 45Divine, Grace Jones, and friends celebrate Jones’s 30th birthday at Xenon Disco.
New York City. June 12, 1978.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images 31 of 45"Disco Granny" was a fixture at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Images Press/Getty Images 32 of 45A mod dances behind a bustier-wearing clubgoer at Studio 54’s 1977 Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 33 of 45A semi-nude couple dances on top of the speakers at Studio 54’s first Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images 34 of 45A confetti-covered man in a leotard writhes around in pleasure at Le Clique.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 35 of 45A dancer at Le Clique, wearing a leopard-print sachet and underwear.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 36 of 45A couple wearing bow ties and tuxedos. Gender fluidity and expression was fully embraced and supported in the 1970s disco scene.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 37 of 45Go-go dancers at G.G.’s Barnum Room put on quite a show.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 38 of 45Three clubgoers mimic the painting behind them at G.G.’s Barnum Room.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 39 of 45Dancing all night takes a lot of energy, making couches like this one a necessary element of discotheques like Studio 54.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex 40 of 45Truman Capote and his editor friends from Harper’s Bazaar and Interview hang out at Studio 54.
New York CityBokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 41 of 45Nudity wasn’t reprimanded, particularly when done in a glamorous aesthetic. This clubgoer was covered in gold paint from head to toe.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54 42 of 45A costumed clubgoer stands in a line of hopefuls outside Studio 54 disco where the more imaginatively dressed stand a greater chance of getting in.
New York City. 1979.Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis/Getty Images 43 of 45Clubgoers let loose on the dance floor, letting everyone else become invisible as they get lost in a trance.
New York City.Waring Abbott/Getty Images 44 of 45The spirit of disco was welcoming to people of all walks of life: from yuppies and cross-dressers to young jocks and blue-collar workers.
New York City.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
1 of 45Andy Warhol (left) on Studio 54’s DJ stage, with Brooke Shields and Calvin Klein engaged in deep kissing (right) nearby.
New York City. 1981.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
2 of 45Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall having fun at Studio 54.
New York City.Michael Norcia/Sygma/Getty Images
3 of 45Woody Allen and Michael Jackson at Studio 54.
New York CityRussell Turiak/Getty Images
4 of 45She exposes her chest while he poses for the camera. Sex, drugs, and fashionable presentation were what going to the discotheque was all about — in addition to dancing, of course.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
5 of 45Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, and fashion designer Halston hang out backstage at Studio 54.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
6 of 45Spectacularly-dressed women take a load off at Studio 54.
New York City.STANLEY BARKER/Tod Papageorge Studio 54
7 of 45This was the same horse Bianca Jagger mounted for her birthday. The 1970s in Manhattan were wild, to say the least.
New York City.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
8 of 45Mick Jagger’s wife, Bianca, mounted a horse while celebrating her birthday at Studio 54.
New York City. May 2, 1977.Richard Corkery/Getty Images
9 of 45Some take power naps, others power through.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images
10 of 45Masked dancers, half-nude, dance together and enjoy their night out on the town.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
11 of 45Clubgoers dressed to the nines during the third annual Halloween party at Studio 54.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1979.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images
12 of 45Bethann Hardison, Daniela Morera, and Stephen Burrows at the Studio 54 party for Valentino.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images
13 of 45Curtis Mayfield letting loose in Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images
14 of 45Beloved drag queens Kevin and Michael Schultz at Studio 54.
New York City. 1977.Rose Hartman/Getty Images
15 of 45The 1970s also popularized roller disco, through which clubgoers could dance in ways otherwise impossible.
1978H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images
16 of 45Germany became enthralled with disco throughout the 1970s. Seen here is journalist Michael Graeter dancing the night away.
Munich, Germany. 1978.Rufolf Dietrich/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images
17 of 45Clubgoers perform the “YMCA” dance alongside The Village People. The song and dance became an enormous hit.
The “ABC Disco Ball” at the Shrine Auditorium. Los Angeles, California. Oct. 2, 1970. Amanda Edwards/Redferns/Getty Images
18 of 45Dancers in gold paint twirl each other around the dance floor at Club Xenon.
New York City. 1979.PL Gould/Images Press/Getty Images
19 of 45People getting down at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images
20 of 45Producer Franco Rossilini and Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell cover each other in birthday cake at Studio 54.
Nov. 16, 1979Richard Corkery/New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images
21 of 45Diana Ross and Richard Gere arrive at Studio 54 and hit the dance floor.
New York City. Aug. 17, 1979.Bettmann/Getty Images
22 of 45Jacqueline Onassis and Sterling St. Jacques at Studio 54. Sixteen years after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the world had completely changed.
New York City. 1979.Images Press/Getty Images
23 of 45Robin Williams dancing with his wife, Valerie Velardi, at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images
24 of 45The main dance floor at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images
25 of 45Studio 54 co-founder Steve Rubell at his discotheque.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Images Press/Getty Images
26 of 45Sidney Poitier and his wife, Joanna Shimkus, enjoy a night out at Studio 54.
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
27 of 45The former first lady, Betty Ford (right), lounges at Studio 54 with singer and actress Liza Minnelli (left) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (center).
New York City. 1979.Robin Platzer/Twin Images/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
28 of 45The drinks flowed endlessly at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images
29 of 45Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, enjoys his time at club L’Alcazar with Dutch actress Romy Haag, following his concert at the Pavilion.
Paris, France. May 18, 1976.Pictorial Parade/Getty Images
30 of 45Divine, Grace Jones, and friends celebrate Jones’s 30th birthday at Xenon Disco.
New York City. June 12, 1978.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
31 of 45"Disco Granny" was a fixture at Studio 54.
New York City. 1978.Images Press/Getty Images
32 of 45A mod dances behind a bustier-wearing clubgoer at Studio 54’s 1977 Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images
33 of 45A semi-nude couple dances on top of the speakers at Studio 54’s first Halloween party.
New York City. Oct. 31, 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images
34 of 45A confetti-covered man in a leotard writhes around in pleasure at Le Clique.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex
35 of 45A dancer at Le Clique, wearing a leopard-print sachet and underwear.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex
36 of 45A couple wearing bow ties and tuxedos. Gender fluidity and expression was fully embraced and supported in the 1970s disco scene.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex
37 of 45Go-go dancers at G.G.’s Barnum Room put on quite a show.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex
38 of 45Three clubgoers mimic the painting behind them at G.G.’s Barnum Room.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex
39 of 45Dancing all night takes a lot of energy, making couches like this one a necessary element of discotheques like Studio 54.
New York CityBill Bernstein / Museum of Sex
40 of 45Truman Capote and his editor friends from Harper’s Bazaar and Interview hang out at Studio 54.
New York CityBokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
41 of 45Nudity wasn’t reprimanded, particularly when done in a glamorous aesthetic. This clubgoer was covered in gold paint from head to toe.Bokförlaget Max Ström/Hasse Persson Studio 54
42 of 45A costumed clubgoer stands in a line of hopefuls outside Studio 54 disco where the more imaginatively dressed stand a greater chance of getting in.
New York City. 1979.Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis/Getty Images
43 of 45Clubgoers let loose on the dance floor, letting everyone else become invisible as they get lost in a trance.
New York City.Waring Abbott/Getty Images
44 of 45The spirit of disco was welcoming to people of all walks of life: from yuppies and cross-dressers to young jocks and blue-collar workers.
New York City.Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images
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Decadence, Drugs, And Dancing: 44 Pictures Of The Disco Era View Gallery
Decadence, Drugs, And Dancing: 44 Pictures Of The Disco Era View Gallery
Decadence, Drugs, And Dancing: 44 Pictures Of The Disco Era View Gallery
Decadence, Drugs, And Dancing: 44 Pictures Of The Disco Era View Gallery
Decadence, Drugs, And Dancing: 44 Pictures Of The Disco Era
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There were 15,000 discotheques across the country by 1979, and disco was generating $4 billion every single year. But by the time the 80s rolled around, it quickly faded into memory.
The AIDS epidemic began ravaging American cities, unpaid bills forced Studio 54 to shut down, and the culture was simply ready for something new.
Nonetheless, disco was a behemoth of a movement while it lasted. Artists from previous generations were re-recording their hits from yesterday to give them a disco flair. Fashion changed drastically.
It was such a force that thousands of rock fans burned 10,000 disco records at Chicago’s Comiskey Park in protest. “‘Disco Sucks’ was a kind of panic on the part of straight white guys,” writer Fran Lebowitz told Vanity Fair. “Disco was basically black music, rock ’n’ roll was basically white: those guys felt displaced.”
Waring Abbott/Getty ImagesDisco didn’t discriminate: If you went to a discotheque to have fun and made a good first impression — through fashion, dance, or personality — you were welcomed with open arms.
While musical trends come and go, disco made an indelible mark still reverberating today. Let’s travel back to the era of wanton nudity, line dances, cocaine, and extravagantly popped collars.
The Birth Of Disco
“Disco has not gotten true credit,” said Robert Santelli, director and chief executive of the Experience Music Project and author of multiple books on rock and the blues. “There’s a great value in understanding the history of disco because it teaches us what America was about in the 70s.”
Footage of Studio 54 in its heyday, courtesy of Full Motion Pictures.
Indeed, the birth — and death — of disco reveals a whole roster of social and political issues of the time. Both the women’s rights and the civil rights movements were in full swing during the 1960s and 70s. It started with New York City’s underground gay clubs and fanned out to become a mainstream, global craze.
Footage of Studio 54 in its heyday, courtesy of Full Motion Pictures.
Discotheques offered anyone willing to dance the night away a chance to connect with others. Black, white, straight, gay — people left these distinctions at the velvet ropes. Disco was about expressing one’s true identity and reclaiming it from the world outside.
Drugs, Drinks, And Disco
Disco shot up in popularity just after mankind made it to the moon and contraceptives became widely available, and part of the music’s appeal was its seeming nod to modernity and futurism — from disco clubs’ designs to the music’s sophisticated orchestral infusions, to the metallic fashion that came with the genre.
An ABC News segment on disco’s global success and the surrounding shift in culture.
Most disco-lovers belonged to one of two groups. The first was young baby boomers who stood on the sidelines of 1960s counter-culture. As Bruce Pollack, author of The Disco Handbook explained:
An ABC News segment on disco’s global success and the surrounding shift in culture.
The other group was made up of working, blue-collar people eager to dress up and have fun.
But regardless of which group you belonged to, everyone shared a common affinity: sex, drugs, and dancing.
Frequently boasting celebrity guests — from Andy Warhol and Mick Jagger to Grace Jones and Richard Gere — Studio 54 was arguably the most exciting discotheque of all. Model and socialite Barbara Allen de Kwiatkowski later recalled rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous faces within those walls.
But the club’s fun ended with an IRS raid on Dec. 14, 1978. The feds seized bags full of cash and five ounces of cocaine. Owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were arrested for skimming money off the top and were sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison alongside $20,000 fines.
During its prime, however, Studio 54 was an oasis of dance, sexual promiscuity, and liberal drug use. Grace Jones recalled in her memoir:
I Will Survive: Disco In The Modern Era
The most successful disco performers were women, African Americans, and gay men — as their social status lent their music a foundation of resilience and conquering hardship. From Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer to Grace Jones, the crowd gravitated toward the social roots of their art.
Getty Images/Images PressSylvester Stallone and Sheryl Slocum in Studio 54. 1977.
In the end, disco hasn’t really gone anywhere, it merely infused itself into countless other genres. From the outdoor dance parties in New York City to countless music festivals across the country, disco is still heard in modern House and Dance music.
As such, the drugs might’ve changed, and the fashion is certainly different — but the spirit of the 1970s disco era is far from dead. You just have to know where to look.
After learning about the hazy days of disco in 33 nostalgic photos, take a look at 31 eye-opening photos of America’s 1970s hippie communes. Then, learn about when crack was king and 1980s New York in photos.
