10 Classic Rock Bands That Went Disco

10. David Bowie

When rockers first started to get on the disco bandwagon, it was hard to see it as anything but cynical. Since this just looked like the new sound coming out at the time, this was the moment where rockers lost their innocence and followed the dollar signs instead of their inspiration. If you give a new genre to one of the greatest chameleons in rock history though, it actually makes for something a lot more interesting.

Coming up right after his glam era with Diamond Dogs, Young Americans was David Bowie paying tribute to one of his favorite genres: soul. Being much more of a danceable record than his last few, all of the rough and ragged guitars have been replaced with some disco hi hat grooves and songs that feel a lot more in tune with the soul scene, with Fame even being a crossover hit for him. For everyone thinking that this was just a cheap imitation of disco though, you have to pay attention to when this was released.

Recorded in 1974, this was actually years before disco had really started, with the superstars of the scene not really gaining traction until the late '70s. If anything, Bowie was probably on the ground floor for rockers turning to making dance music, even using a few more electronic sounds going into his Berlin period. Even when Bowie managed to write a love letter to one of his favorite musical styles, he still somehow managed to be ahead of his time.