When I was a kid I loved to skate. It was a real treat going to the Saturday morning roller discos way back in 87. I used to go with three other kids — and their mum would take us.
There would be a morning class, for which I graduated through 3 levels.
We then spent the rest of the morning skating to the sounds of Michael Jackson, Billy Ocean, Kylie Minogue, Cheap Trick, Queen, you name it.
When a romantic song played the main lights would go out, and the effect lights kicked in, and the centrally located disco ball illuminated the room — it was pure magic.
There would also be a dance competition (with or without skates) to “Walk the Dinosaur”, “The Birdie Song”, and “Time Warp”. I once won a bag of Fantails.
Eventually though those days ended. I jumped on the inline skate bandwagon. But was sorely disappointed, as my old roller skating skills and tricks could not be applied to the inlines.
After a few years I wanted to return to the roller skates, but by then I was in my teen years and it felt like my 80s dream was finally over.
That was a fair while ago, and I have long heard that disco is dead. Yet today, a quick glance at google images I type in ‘disco’ or even ‘roller disco’, and discover that it hasn’t entirely bitten the dust. I suspect, for some of the people who lived it, there is still something that lives on in their hearts.
With a bit more research, I came across sites selling skates — brand new. There are dance clubs around the globe that still offer roller disco nights. And there are [gasp] roller derbies again on the rise.
For your pleasure I have created a list of music and movies that fit the roller disco theme. You can have a disco themed party — celebrate the 70s or 80s at your discretion. Or if you are like me you’ll just combine and enjoy it all.
Disco (& Roller Disco) Film Marathon
- Roller Boogie (1979)
- Thank God It’s Friday (1978)
- Saturday Night Fever (1977)
- The Last Days of Disco (1998)
- Studio 54 (1998)
70s Disco Music Mix
- Don’t Leave Me This Way (Thelma Houston)
- I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
- You Make Me Feel Mighty Real (Sylvester)
- Dance Dance Dance (Chic)
- Stayin Alive (Bee Gees)
- Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (Santa Esmeralda)
- You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate)
- Hot Stuff (Donna Summer)
- Disco Duck (Rick Dees)
- I Love the Nightlife (Alicia Bridges)
80s Roller Disco Music Mix
- Don’t Be Cruel (Cheap Trick)
- Thriller (Michael Jackson)
- Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen)
- Nutbush City Limits (Tina Turner)
- The Time of My Life (Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes)
- The Birdie Song (The Tweets)
- Time Warp (Rocky Horror cast)
- Walk the Dinosaur (Was, Not Was)
- When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going (Billy Ocean)
- Rockin Robin (Michael Jackson)
- The Loco-Motion (Kylie Minogue)
- Hungry Eyes (Eric Carmen)
- Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr)
