Music

The Best and Worst Examples of Classic Rock Bands Trying to Make Disco Songs, Ranked

Classic rock bands delved into disco music in the 1970s and early 1980s, with varying results. Notably, Wings' biggest hit was a disco song.

by Matthew Trzcinski

Published on November 19, 2022

2 min read

5. ‘Silly Love Songs’ by Wings

Like all of Paul McCartney’s worst work, “Silly Love Songs” manages to be stiff and perky at the same time. You can definitely see the former Beatle is an outsider trying to emulate disco music rather than someone who truly understood the genre.

The lyrics don’t exactly help. They’re clearly an attempt on Paul’s part to defend his decision to write a lot of poppy, lightweight music in the 1970s. Notably, this tune became Wings’ biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Eventually, the song justified its existence when Baz Luhrmann incorporated it into Moulin Rouge!

4. ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ by Rod Stewart

Stewart isn’t technically a band, but he’s a classic rocker nonetheless. Only a psychic could have imagined him making this song after hearing “Maggie May.” “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” tries to take shots at the stereotypical disco dancer but it’s not funny. Like Paul before him, Stewart didn’t make much of a groove.

3. ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen

“Silly Love Songs” and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” failed because they’re so different from regular disco music. “Another One Bites the Dust” succeeds for that reason. The track fuses disco, funk, and hard rock in a way that makes it stick out from the crowd. Queen also tried to go disco again with another single, “Body Language.” While that song is memorably weird, it isn’t a five-star classic like “Another One Bites the Dust.”

2. ‘I Was Made for Lovin’ You’ by Kiss

Thanks to the albums Dynasty and Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions, Kiss is probably the only group ever to release both a disco album and a grunge album. Gene Simmons and company deserve more credit for that kind of musical versatility. In addition, they deserve credit for writing one of the best disco songs ever. With its chugging bassline, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” remains one of the group’s greatest songs even if it’s uncharacteristic of the band’s sound. Interestingly, “Silly Love Songs” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” both fit into a medley in Moulin Rouge!

1. ‘Miss You’ by The Rolling Stones

Speaking of musical versatility, The Rolling Stones did it all. Their catalog includes hard rock, soft rock, psychedelic music, country, punk rock, blues, and more. “Miss You” proved they could take on disco with aplomb.

Listening to the track makes you feel like you’re on the way to a New York City club in the 1970s. Maybe you’ll bump into John Travolta while you’re there. Wherever you’re going, “Miss You” will make it worth the trip.