The Death of Disco 45 Years Ago: What It Means Today
On July 12, 1979, a Chicago DJ named Steve Dahl pulled off a stunt at Comiskey Park in Chicago that became much bigger than intended — a riot, in fact — and a turning point away from disco music, which was probably peaking that same summer.
It was known as a “disco demolition” and Dahl detonated a dumpster full of disco records between White Sox games that day. It’s worth noting that the White Sox were performing dismally that summer and the stadiums were often less than half full. Owner Bill Veeck needed a gimmick to boost sales and he found Dahl, who had been fired from a radio station a year earlier when it went to an all-disco format. Dahl went on to a rock station and popularized the phrase “Disco sucks!” from his new perch.
The gimmick was to allow patrons to the game with a 98-cent ticket if they brought a disco record to burn.
After Dahl triggered the explosives, thousands of fans swarmed the field, starting bonfires, tearing up the grass, and stealing bases (as in, taking them off the field). The mayhem had to be stopped by riot police.
The following year, the disgraced Bill Veeck sold the team and White Sox broadcaster Jimmy Piersall, called the disco demolition “the worst promotion in the history of the world.”
