There’s a reason they call Giorgio Moroder the “Father of Disco.” The Italian song-making machine has released 14 of his own studio albums in addition to producing hits for artists like Donna Summer, Blondie and Irene Cara. Love it or hate it, disco music owes a gargantuan amount to him.
And that doesn’t even begin to cover the influence of his work in cinema; In fact, many of his most shining hits originated on the soundtracks of films like Midnight Express, American Gigolo, Flashdance, Superman III, Scarface, The NeverEnding Story and Top Gun. Yes, that includes the Limahl-led song “Never Ending Story,” made pop culture famous for a second time in 2019 when two Stranger Things characters — Dustin and Suzie — performed it as a duet on the show. And yes, that also includes “Take My Breath Away,” the Oscar-winning Top Gun ballad that went viral on TikTok 36 years later alongside thirsty videos of Miles Teller acting in the film’s 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.
From movies to radio to dance club speakers, Moroder’s music kickstarted a cultural shift marked by glittering synths that modern day musicians continue to want to take a bite of. In 2014 he teamed up with Coldplay for a “Father of Disco” makeover on a remix of their song “Midnight,” and the year before that, he was featured on Daft Punk’s Grammy album of the year champ Random Access Memories on a nine-minute track titled “Giorgio by Moroder” (his involvement earned him his fourth Grammy).
With all that in mind, there was only one person whose favorite disco tracks Billboard Dance wanted to hear. Now’s the time to bust out your disco ball, bellbottoms and dancing shoes and crank up the volume on Giorgio Moroder’s disco favorites below.
-
Rick James – “Super Freak (Part I)”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Hot 100 peak: No. 16 for two weeks beginning Oct. 24, 1981
-
Rose Royce – “Car Wash”
Image Credit: GAB Archive/Redferns Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for one week (Jan. 29, 1977)
-
Prince – “1999”
Image Credit: Everett Collection / Everett Col Hot 100 peak: No. 12 for two weeks beginning July 23, 1983
-
Blondie – “Heart of Glass”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for one week (April 28, 1979)
-
Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for seven weeks beginning March 5, 1983
-
Diana Ross – “Love Hangover”
Image Credit: Harry Langdon/GI Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for two weeks beginning May 29, 1976
-
Thelma Houston – “Don’t Leave Me This Way”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for one week: April 23, 1977
-
Amii Stewart – “Knock on Wood”
Image Credit: Hulton Archive/GI Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for one week: April 21, 1979
-
KC & The Sunshine Band – “That’s The Way (I Like It)”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for two weeks beginning Nov. 22, 1975
-
Pointer Sisters – “I’m So Excited”
Image Credit: ©Showtime Networks, Inc./courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 9 for one week: Oct. 27, 1984
-
Bee Gees – “Night Fever”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for eight weeks beginning March 18, 1978
-
Bee Gees – “Stayin’ Alive”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for four weeks beginning Feb. 4, 1978
-
Lipps Inc. – “Funky Town”
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/GI Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for four weeks beginning May 31, 1980
-
The Trammps – “Disco Inferno”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 11 for two weeks beginning May 27, 1978
-
Tavares – “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel (Part 1)”
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/GI Hot 100 peak: No. 15 for two weeks beginning Sept. 4, 1976
-
Gloria Gaynor – “Never Can Say Goodbye”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Hot 100 peak: No. 9 for one week: Jan. 25, 1975
-
Sister Sledge – “We Are Family”
Image Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns Hot 100 peak: No. 2 for two weeks beginning June 16, 1979
-
The O’Jays – “Love Train”
Image Credit: Gems/Redferns Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for one week: March 4, 1973
-
Andrea True Connection – “More, More, More (Part 1)”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 4 for one week: July 17, 1976)
-
Chic – “Le Freak”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for six weeks beginning Dec. 9, 1978
-
Gloria Gaynor – “I Will Survive”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for three weeks beginning March 10, 1979
-
Silver Convention – “Get Up and Boogie (That’s Right)”
Image Credit: Charlie Gillett/Redferns Hot 100 peak: No. 2 for three weeks beginning June 12, 1976
-
Boney M. – “Daddy Cool”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 65 for three weeks beginning Feb. 5, 1977
-
Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony – “The Hustle”
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/GI Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for one week: July 26, 1975
-
Supermax – “Lovemachine”
Image Credit: ARTCO-Berlin/ullstein bild via GI Hot 100 peak: did not chart
-
Chic – “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Hot 100 peak: No. 6 for two weeks beginning Feb. 25, 1978
-
Silver Convention – “Fly, Robin, Fly”
Image Credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive/GI Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for three weeks beginning Nov. 29, 1975
-
Earth, Wind & Fire ft. The Emotions – “Boogie Wonderland”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 6 for two weeks beginning July 14, 1979
-
Donna Summer – “On the Radio”
Image Credit: ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 5 for two weeks beginning March 8, 1980
-
Donna Summer – “I Feel Love”
Image Credit: Jack Mitchell/GI Hot 100 peak: No. 6 for one week: Nov. 12, 1977
-
Donna Summer – “Bad Girls”
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for five weeks beginning July 14, 1979
-
Donna Summer – “Hot Stuff”
Image Credit: GAB Archive/Redferns Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for three weeks beginning June 2, 1979
-
Donna Summer – “Last Dance”
Image Credit: Michael Putland/GI Hot 100 peak: No. 3 for two weeks beginning Aug. 12, 1978
-
Donna Summer – “Love to Love You Baby”
Image Credit: Ron Wolfson /Courtesy The Everett Collection Hot 100 peak: No. 2 for two weeks beginning Feb. 7, 1976