1980: Party (Patreon)

If 1979 saw “the night disco died”, what to make of the dancefloor hits of 1980? Critics have begun to push the idea of “post-disco”, which makes sense for some of what we’ll see in other groups in this poll, but doesn’t really pay due respect to “Celebration”, “Upside Down”, “Never Knew Love Like This Before”, “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”, “Love Sensation” and many others.

So this bracket is partly a way to have that argument - to make a case the party didn’t stop just because some dudes in Chicago said it did, and that 1980 is a great disco year. But also perhaps the last great disco year - there’s stuff happening in these groups which really is moving on from the classic disco sound, slowing things down, getting more electro-fied, like Zapp’s “More Bounce To The Ounce” and Yarborough And People’s “Don’t Stop The Music”, with its squelchy bass and sudden helium-voice injections.

It also felt like a good place to put some rock and pop groups coming to terms with disco - the elemental bassline-driven stomp of Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust”, and ABBA’s most successful engagement with disco, the nervy “Lay All Your Love On Me”. And a couple of tracks which simply fit with the theme of being big dance numbers, like Stevie Wonder’s unstoppable “Master Blaster”.

It makes for one of the consistently strongest brackets in an extremely strong poll. But the storytelling around disco means that enormous tracks like the Brothers Johnson’s “Stomp!” and George Benson’s “Give Me The Night” don’t have quite the reputation they should, and in a tournament with so many famous tracks that might tell against them as things proceed.

POTENTIAL WINNER: It’s not actually the most-streamed track in these groups but Diana Ross’ “Upside Down” is a contender for the quarter-finals at least - probably the most recognisable and acclaimed of 1980’s disco hits. The Chic Organisation were moving into darker, spikier territory (as seen in this bracket’s “Real People”) but Ross’ 1980 hits are one glorious last hurrah for the old formula.

DARK HORSE: Loleatta Holloway’s “Love Sensation” is better known to UK listeners my age for having its vocal artillery borrowed by Black Box for “Ride On Time”. Of course, if you like your disco maximal it’s a colossus in its own right and with a relatively favourable draw could do rather well.

BEST TRACK: So many to choose from! But The SOS Band’s “Take Your Time” gets the balance of groove and desire just so right, and it has those “Ring My Bell” style chimey sounds in the background which I always love.

DISCOVERY: I knew pretty much everything here, but some less than others - Stephanie Mills’ “Never Knew Love Like This Before” was a delight, and is almost like having a fourth Diana Ross entry in the poll.

DON’T MISS: Zapp’s astonishing debut single pointing the way to electro and beyond.