70s Dance Classics Trivia Quiz

Answer: Odyssey

This song was the band's greatest worldwide hit. Odyssey, a US band from New York, initially had more success in the UK than in the US with 5 top 10 singles in the UK between 1977 and 1982. One single 'Use it Up and Wear it Out' reached number one in the UK charts for two weeks in 1980 despite not charting at all in the USA.

Answer: Spanish

This female Spanish duo explained in their disco song that they could indeed boogie, but they needed 'a certain song' - perhaps this one? The song reached 18 million sales worldwide. The duo Mayte Matios and Maria Mendiola produced a sound that was a mixture of Spanish folk music, pop music and disco. In 1978 they represented Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Answer: KC and the Sunshine Band

The KC in the band's name was a homophone of the lead singer, Harry Wayne Casey's surname. The band had a large membership and brass instruments were a feature of this disco sound. Wayne Casey was employed in a record store before he became a performer himself. In 1985 he retired but came out of retirement in 1991 following a revival of the popularity of disco music.

Answer: Give It Up

Wayne Casey was in a coma for some time after his accident and was semi paralyzed for a while as well. Amazingly, within a year he managed to dance and sing on a video promoting this song.

Answer: ABBA

This was a very popular dance song from Swedish band ABBA showing that the Swedes could produce disco hits as good as any. It was included in the 1999 musical 'Mamma Mia' based on hit songs by ABBA, and in the 2018 revival of that musical in which Cher sings the song.

Answer: The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were rockin' the dance floor with these hit songs for the film 'Saturday Night Fever'. Not to be confused with Peggy Lee who lent her great vocals to a song simply called 'Fever' in 1958, or Toots and the Maytals who also sung a cool reggae song called 'Fever' in 1974 neither of which are associated with disco dancing. Johnny Cash's temperature was raised more by country music such as his 'Ring of Fire' in 1963.

Answer: Sly and the Family Stone

'Dance to the Music' was the first single from the band to achieve chart success. Their interesting sound was labelled 'psychedelic soul'. The band had large and varied membership over time but Stone family members included Sly, his brother Freddie and sister Rose.

Answer: Donna Summer

This 1977 hit used a lot of electronic sounds to create its unique and rhythmic dance beats. This song is often credited with starting the genre of electronic dance music. Its first appearance was on her album, 'I Feel Yesterday' which included tracks that evoked different decades of music. At the time of release, this track was intended as the 'futuristic' track.

Answer: Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor's song 'I Will Survive' was one of the best known and best loved songs of 70s disco reaching number one in the USA and the UK. It concerns surviving a relationship break up and the strength of a woman in doing that. It was also popular in the gay community.

The Library of Congress in 2016 chose it for preservation in the National Recording Registry on the grounds that it was a song that met its criteria of cultural, historical or artistic significance.

Answer: Boney M

Boney M's song 'Daddy Cool' hit the dance floor in 1976, well before the other 'cool' artists in the answers were musically active in their different genres. Boney M songs covered a variety of subjects. They are also known for their hit songs 'Rasputin' and 'By the Rivers of Babylon'.