It's Thursday and you know what that means -- it's time to pump up the volume, get into the groove, get this party started, and so forth. Herewith, the top three albums any Pride party DJ should have in regular rotation. What would you add to the playlist?
Diana Ross
Diana (1980)
Disco was already in its final throes when Miss Ross joined forces with the Chic boys to record this early-’80s gem, yet the genre’s waning popularity didn’t stop Diana from becoming her best-selling album of all time. “Upside Down” may be Ross’s funkiest roof-raiser, but it’s the euphoric “I’m Coming Out” that reigns supreme as the obvious, undeniable gay anthem.
Deee-Lite
World Clique (1990)
Sublime hit single “Groove is in the Heart” has sadly become one of the most overdone karaoke songs ever, but the record that spawned it, dance-party juggernaut World Clique, remains an era-defining neo-hippie classic. Feel-good jams like “Power of Love” and “Good Beat” are the sound of ’90s club culture sprung to life, in all its messy Day-Glo deee-gorgeousness.
Various Artists
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (1968)
With its long-overdue revival now on Broadway, the freewheeling,
pansexual lovefest feels more prescient than ever. Though the musical
is essentially a story about acceptance, colorblindness, and
gender-blind free lovin’, its power has always been in its
compositions, which range from sweet and sassy (“Hair,” “Sodomy”) to
downright celebratory (“I Got Life,” “Aquarius”). It’s as if the summer
of love never ended.
--T. COLE RACHEL
Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation
The B-52s 1998
Posted by: Scott Kjeer | June 25, 2009 at 04:27 PM
Okay, a guilty pleasure: The Party Album! Vengaboys
Posted by: Scott Kjeer | June 25, 2009 at 04:28 PM