Roller Rink Pop
tagStarted 1977Peak 1978-1982Last big hit still active
The buoyant, skate-friendly strain of disco-funk: a steady mid-tempo four-on-the-floor pulse, bouncing octave bass, sunny synths, hand-clap percussion, and feel-good, sing-along vocals tuned for endless laps around a rink. Brighter and more carefree than club disco, it prizes a smooth, rolling groove and an upbeat, nostalgic glide.
History
Roller-skating's late-70s boom made certain disco-funk records rink anthems, played to keep skaters gliding. Vaughan Mason & Crew's 1979 'Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll' became the genre's signature; tracks by A Taste of Honey and Chic filled rinks nationwide, and the skate-jam groove was revived by Beyoncé's roller-disco-themed 'Blow' in 2013.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_disco
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounce,_Rock,_Skate,_Roll
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco