The Mysteries of History (July 12 Edition)
Disco Demolition
1979 — The Raucous Death of Disco
public domain image from wikimedia commons
On this date in 1979, tens of thousands of Disco-haters vented their rage over the prolonged monopolizing of the radio waves by purveyors of that genre of music by going berzerk at Comiskey Park, the baseball field where the Chicago White Sox play their home games.
A “Disco demolition” promotion providing tickets for 98 cents to a double-header to all who brought a disco record (to be blown up) with them to the park was popular beyond the team’s wildest dreams: rather than boosting attendance from 15,000 to 20,000, a sellout crowd of 40,000 were inside the park and another 40,000 outside.
Not only that, the attendees had the frisbee-like records in hand, as the team did not collect them as they should have (since there was to be a literal blowing up of the amassed disco records between the two games in a dumpster in centerfield). Thus, with the records still in hand as the “disco demolition” was to commence, the fans streamed and swarmed onto the field, setting fire to the vinyls they brought with them and otherwise vandalizing the field and trampling the grass.
The end result was that nine people were injured, 39 were arrested, and the White Sox had to forfeit the second game of the double-header to the Detroit Tigers due to the chaotic melee on the field.
It’s probably a good thing for him that John Travolta was not in the audience that night.
Rock and Roll is here to stay was back again!
image generated using Bing Image Creator
On a personal note, a confession (or two): When I was in high school (in the early-to-mid 1970s), I wore a bespoke T-shirt proclaiming my rejection of Disco music. Now, though, I have to admit that I enjoy the Swedish disco-pop band Abba and certain other songs of that genre, such as Disco Inferno. Had I known back then that I would embrace disco later in my life, I may have been a danger to myself.
Questions: Do you like Disco music? Have you seen the movie Saturday Night Fever? Do you know what “Disco Octaves” are?
