The War on Disco
6.7
“The explosive sound that ignited a culture war”
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.
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Your review
Cast
20 people
Lisa Quijano Wolfinger Director · Rushmore DeNooyer Writer Ezra Wolfinger Cinematographer
United States release October 30, 2023 · Produced in United States · Production GBH, Lone Wolf Media
Production
American Experience Films
Production
GBH
Production
Lone Wolf Media
Production
Robert Stone Productions
Production
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · October 30, 2023
TV · PBS
France
July 16, 2026 · Digital · Arte•tv
July 22, 2026 · TV · Arte
Germany
July 16, 2026 · Digital · Arte•tv
July 22, 2026 · TV · Arte
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