History Main / ItaloDisco

* Music/{{Righeira}}

** "Camel by Camel" by Sandy Marton was popularized after being used in a ZONE animation

Italo-disco is a genre of electronic dance music in TheEighties mostly derived from Disco, Europop and Progressive music. It originated from UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}, hence the name. As its popularity reached parts of Europe, non-Italian artists produced their own similar-styled songs that may be labeled "Euro-disco" or even "Italo-disco".

Italo-disco is different from disco music most people are familiar with. While it borrows elements from traditional disco, its use of synths is principal; Italo-disco does not feature the Philadelphia sound, one common difference being drum beats replaced by drum machines, especially after the early 1980s. Italo-disco is more catchy and melancholic, and it features arpeggios on occasion. The dominant language is English, and many artists used English-language stage names, with Spanish being the second most popular language due to Spain's status as a destination for fun and fiesta. A vast amount of Italo-disco songs are about love, and also substantially, the genre's songs sound like they're straight from science fiction due to the electro sounds predominantly found in the earlier songs and the "spacesynth" subgenre. Most singles from Italy have instrumental versions. The genre's sound can be confused as SynthPop to unfamiliar listeners.

Subgenres include the highly instrumental "spacesynth" and a dark wave one. In the late 1980s some songs have samba-like sounds and a faster tempo, signalling the transition to Eurobeat. (Japan received more exposure to Italo-disco in this time period in a prelude to the Eurobeat movement) The genre has regional differences within Europe. In contrast to Italian tracks, German tracks may be more melodic and contain Schlager elements; sometimes it's described as a style derived from the group Modern Talking. In Spain, their songs may have happier tones and higher pitch synths, and are also called the "Sabadell Sound". Italo-disco fans have disputed over the inclusion of non-Italian and post-1980s tracks under the Italo-disco name.

* CarSong: "Turbo Diesel" by Albert One.

* {{Spexico}}: Songs themed after {{UsefulNotes/Mexico}} may include cues of Spanish music.

* TheMovie: ''Jocks''/''Music Fever'' (1984) can be considered the one for Italo. It stars the musicians-turned-actors Tom Hooker and Russell Russell as two men who open a disco club in Italy. The film features music from Kano, Band of Jocks, Bata Drum, Stephany Falasconi, Orlando Johnson & Trance, and most noteworthy, the Creatures and their sci-fi costumed stage members who perform in a lengthy montage near the movie's ending at their native L'Altro Mondo Studios club that conceived the movie.

* Music/DenHarrow
* Music/TomHooker

* SomethingSomethingLeonardBernstein: A lot of songs tend to fall to this, because most artist speak with heavier accents and mispronounce some words.

In the turn of the millennium, a reemergence of interest in Italo-disco began, partly due to mixes and other releases from the Dutch label Viewlexx and the online radio station Cybernetic Broadcasting System (succeeded by Intergalactic FM). The genre continues to enjoy renewed interest, among reasons thanks to American artists like Chromatics, Glass Candy and Johnny Jewel operating out of Washington state's Italians Do It Better label. There is a movement of new Italo-disco songs by old and new artists since the 2000s, although the genre remains in obscurity or nostalgia in Italy. A handful of original stars have also done concerts in various places such as eastern Europe and the Asian New Wave locales. Many original 80's songs are available on digital music stores, CD's and streaming services, and some rare releases are receiving vinyl represses by labels in Italy and abroad. Poland still enjoys Italo-disco after the 80s, resulting their own genre called Disco-polo. The soundtrack to the 2011 film ''Film/{{Drive}}'' had an Italo-disco inspired soundtrack largely composed by Cliff Martinez. Some VaporWave and FutureFunk songs sample Italo-disco songs (aided by the popularity of Italo-disco in Japan, to the point where CoverVersion[=s=] of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pDHIJuHIBk "Give Me Up"]] by Michael Fortunati are a JPop staple), not to mention {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} being partly inspired by Italo.

The genre never entered mainstream popularity in the Anglosphere due to possible backlash, the [[GratuitousEnglish confusing and cheesy English lyrics]], and the poor music export record of Italy and other nations, but a number of those that did get released there became big hits, such as Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy"[[note]]Probably the most famous Italo-disco song[[/note]], Laura Branigan's "Gloria" and "Self Control", and Taffy's "I Love My Radio". Chicago had abundant radio airplay and DJ shows with Italo-disco; the genre was one of the musical forces that helped spawn HouseMusic in the Windy City and {{Techno}} in Detroit. Other releases entered club, party, or radio ranks, although in Southern California many songs were played faster at 45 rpm in conjunction with the Hi-NRG music scene, except in the following demographic. The genre comprised a substantial part of a music phenomenon called [[https://www.yomyomf.com/little-saigon-og-style-part-iii-80s-new-wave-the-viet-immigrant-experience/ "Asian New Wave"]] in Asian communities in North America, particularly the Vietnamese. Italo-disco has similarities to freestyle, an electronic dance genre from the States. Some songs from North American artists such as Bobby Orlando, Gino Soccio, and Lime have been occasionally labeled as Italo-disco.

The genre never entered mainstream popularity in the Anglosphere due to possible backlash, the [[GratuitousEnglish confusing and cheesy English lyrics]], and the poor music export record of Italy and other nations, but a number of those that did get released there became big hits, such as Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy"[[note]]Probably the most famous Italo-disco song[[/note]], Laura Branigan's "Self Control", and Taffy's "I Love My Radio". Chicago had abundant radio airplay and DJ shows with Italo-disco; the genre was one of the musical forces that helped spawn HouseMusic in the Windy City and {{Techno}} in Detroit. Other releases entered club, party, or radio ranks, although in Southern California many songs were played faster at 45 rpm in conjunction with the Hi-NRG music scene, except in the following demographic. The genre comprised a substantial part of a music phenomenon called [[https://www.yomyomf.com/little-saigon-og-style-part-iii-80s-new-wave-the-viet-immigrant-experience/ "Asian New Wave"]] in Asian communities in North America, particularly the Vietnamese. Italo-disco has similarities to freestyle, an electronic dance genre from the States. Some songs from North American artists such as Bobby Orlando, Gino Soccio, and Lime have been occasionally labeled as Italo-disco.

Italo-disco descended from [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the sustained popularity of]] {{Disco}} [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Europe]] after [[DeaderThanDisco its presumed death]] in North America. Before that, many Europeans made songs featuring synthesizers in pop and dance styles, in part due to high song import and orchestra costs. Music/GiorgioMoroder and Cerrone popularized the use of synthesizers in disco, and disco in Europe had quite greater synthesizer usage, including the "Space disco" style. Prominent ''Italian disco'' musicians that would influence Italo-disco include Celso Valli, Giancarlo Meo, Claudio Simonetti (who collaborated with Meo), Mauro Malavasi, Stefano Pulga, Pino D'Angiò, and the La Bionda brothers.

** "Song for Denise" by Piano Fantasia was popularized in mid-2020 for being played in videos featuring stretched footage of Russian President UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin walking.

* ColdWar: There are songs focusing or mentioning the US and the USSR, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiW8qOfULpU Children's Band ‎– Children's Prayer]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDEqwBp5qkI Felli ‎– Greatest Mind]].

** "Shadilay" by P.E.P.E. is an Italian-sung single, which was posted to [[Website/FourChan 4chan]] in September 2016 and has since been adopted as an anthem by the Pepe/Kek and political alt-right movements. The single's disc label, which [[https://img.discogs.com/aVJP3EUDu3qqg2VG_ohR4aWbpOw=/fit-in/408x242/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/L-55211-1401955556-8831.jpeg.jpg depicts]] the Magic Sound frog holding a magician's wand, also gave rise to the phrase "meme magic" for meme-related examples of LifeImitatesArt.

* DeadHorseGenre: Its popularity waned by the start of TheNineties due to Italo house, Eurobeat, and Italo-dance taking its place. As Italo-disco is considered by fans to be highly associated with the preceding decade, there are less than a handful songs in The Nineties that are widely known as examples of Italo-disco, notably the 1990 Susanne Meals song "Forever" (a cover of another Italo song by Bryan Rich). From the turn of the millenium onward the genre amassed a gradually expanding fanbase aside from established sizable ones in eastern Europe, Spain and Latin America.
* {{Documentary}}: ''Italo Disco Legacy'' (2017) is one of the most downright ones.

Italo-disco descended from [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the sustained popularity of]] {{Disco}} [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Europe]] after [[DeaderThanDisco its death]] in North America. Before that, many Europeans made songs featuring synthesizers in pop and dance styles, in part due to high song import and orchestra costs. Music/GiorgioMoroder and Cerrone popularized the use of synthesizers in disco, and disco in some mainland European countries in TheSeventies had quite greater synthesizer usage, including the "Space disco" style. Prominent ''Italian disco'' musicians that would influence Italo-disco include Celso Valli, Giancarlo Meo, Claudio Simonetti (who worked with Meo), Mauro Malavasi, Stefano Pulga, Pino D'Angiò, and the La Bionda brothers.

Definitions of Italo-disco vary over whether the genre began in the 1970s or as late as 1982. In the early 1980s, a sound that is now widely defined as Italo-disco developed, which was influenced by not only Italian music tastes but also by the [[http://www.electronicbeats.net/rewind-an-expert-on-how-italo-disco-became-cool-again/ UK music scene of the time]]. The breakthrough year of "Spaghetti Disco" was 1983, when many of the most acclaimed songs (commercially and/or receptively) came out. As the next years were the heydays of the biggest artists, there was also increased commercialization and production quality, in addition to Euro-disco booming in other countries, mainly Germany. Some Italo-disco releases that made it to Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Pacific Asian nations became hits in these places. The golden age of Italo-disco died down in the end of the 1980s when the Italo-dance, {{EuroBeat}} and Italo-house genres grew.

Italo-disco is different from disco music most people are familiar with. While it borrows elements from traditional disco, its use of synths is principal; Italo-disco does not feature the Philadelphia sound, one common difference being drum beats replaced by drum machines especially after the early 1980s. Italo-disco is more catchy and melancholic, and it features arpeggios on occasion. The dominant language is English, and many artists used English-language stage names, with Spanish being the second most popular language due to Spain's status as a destination for fun and fiesta. A lot of Italo-disco songs are about love, and countless others sound like they're straight from science fiction due to the electro sounds predominantly found in the earlier songs and the "spacesynth" subgenre. Most singles from Italy have instrumental versions. The genre's sound can be confused as SynthPop to those unfamiliar with it.

The genre never entered mainstream popularity in the Anglosphere due to possible backlash, the [[GratuitousEnglish confusing and cheesy English lyrics]], and the poor music export record of Italy and other nations, but a number of those that did get released there became big hits, such as Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy"[[note]]Probably the most famous Italo-disco song[[/note]], Laura Branigan's "Self Control", and Taffy's "I Love My Radio". Chicago had abundant radio airplay and DJ shows with Italo-disco; the genre was one of the musical forces that helped spawn HouseMusic in the Windy City and {{Techno}} in Detroit. Other releases went to club, party, or radio ranks, although in Southern California many songs were played faster at 45 rpm in conjunction with the Hi-NRG music scene, except in the following demographic. The genre comprised a substantial part of a music phenomenon called [[https://www.yomyomf.com/little-saigon-og-style-part-iii-80s-new-wave-the-viet-immigrant-experience/ "Asian New Wave"]] in Asian communities in North America, particularly the Vietnamese. Italo-disco has similarities to freestyle, an electronic dance genre from the States. Some songs from North American artists such as Bobby Orlando, Gino Soccio, and Lime have been occasionally labeled as Italo-disco.

In the turn of the millennium, a reemergence of interest in Italo-disco began, partly due to mixes and other releases from the Dutch label Viewlexx and the online radio station Cybernetic Broadcasting System (succeeded by Intergalactic FM). The genre continues to enjoy renewed interest, among reasons thanks to American artists like Chromatics, Glass Candy and Johnny Jewel operating out of Washington state's Italians Do It Better label. There is a movement of new Italo-disco songs by old and new artists since the 2000s, although the genre remains in obscurity or nostalgia in Italy. A handful of original stars have also done concerts in various places such as eastern Europe and the Asian New Wave locales. Many original 80's songs are available on digital music stores, CD's and streaming services, and some rare releases are receiving vinyl represses by labels in Italy and abroad. Poland still enjoys Italo-disco after the 80s, resulting their own genre called Disco-polo. The soundtrack to the 2011 film ''Film/{{Drive}}'' had an Italo-disco inspired soundtrack largely composed by Cliff Martinez. Some VaporWave and FutureFunk songs sample Italo-disco songs (aided by the popularity of Italio disco in Japan, to the point where CoverVersion[=s=] of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pDHIJuHIBk "Give Me Up"]] by Michael Fortunati are a JPop staple), not to mention {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} being partly inspired by Italo.

* Music/{{SilverPozzoli}}

* DeadHorseGenre: Its popularity waned by the start of TheNineties due to Italo house, Eurobeat, and Italo-dance taking its place. As Italo-disco is considered by fans to be highly associated with the preceding decade, there are less than a handful songs in The Nineties that are widely known as examples of Italo-disco, notably the 1990 Susanne Meals song "Forever" (a cover of another Italo song by Bryan Rich). From the turn of the millenium onward the genre amassed a gradually expanding fanbase aside from established sizable ones in eastern Europe and some Spanish-speaking countries.

* GratuitousEnglish: A staple of the genre, to mixed results given where exactly Italio disco came from.

* PunnyName: A couple of stage names, which also count as BilingualBonus with the Italian language:

** Albert One, the primary stage name of Alberto Carpani, is based on the name "Albertone" (big Albert), which happens to be the Italian name for [[WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids Fat Albert]], and the name is accurate for Carpani's body size.

* TheMovie: ''Jocks''/''Music Fever'' (1984) can be considered the one for Italo. It stars the musicians-turned-actors Tom Hooker and Russell Russell as two men who open a disco club in Italy. The film features music from Kano, Band of Jocks, Bata Drum, Stephany Falasconi, Orlando Johnson & Trance, and most noteworthy, the Creatures and their sci-fi costumed stage members who perform in a lengthy montage near the movie's ending in their native L'Altro Mondo Studios club that conceived the movie.

In the turn of the millennium, a reemergence of interest in Italo-disco began, partly due to mixes and other releases from the Dutch label Viewlexx and the online radio station Cybernetic Broadcasting System (succeeded by Intergalactic FM). The genre continues to enjoy renewed interest, among reasons thanks to American artists like Chromatics, Glass Candy and Johnny Jewel operating out of Washington state's Italians Do It Better label. There is a movement of new Italo-disco songs by old and new artists since the 2000s, although the genre remains in obscurity or nostalgia in Italy. A handful of original stars have also done concerts in various places such as eastern Europe and the Asian New Wave locales. Many original 80's songs are available on digital music stores, CD's and streaming services, and some rare releases are receiving vinyl represses by labels in Italy and abroad. Poland still enjoys Italo-disco after the 80s, resulting their own genre called Disco-polo. The soundtrack to the 2011 film ''Film/{{Drive}}'' had an Italo-disco inspired soundtrack largely composed by Cliff Martinez. Some VaporWave songs sample an Italo-disco song, not to mention {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} being partly inspired by Italo.

* GratuitousEnglish

** "Shadilay" by P.E.P.E. is an Italian-sung single, which was posted to [[Website/FourChan 4chan]] in September 2016 and has since been adopted as an anthem by the Pepe/Kek and political alt-right movements.

* UnfortunateNames: The name of a rare highly-sought song by GANG is "[[UsefulNotes/KuKluxKlan KKK.]]": The song has to do nothing with the Klan.

Italo-disco descended from [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the sustained popularity of]] {{Disco}} [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Europe]] after [[DeaderThanDisco its death]] in North America. Before that, many Europeans made songs featuring synthesizers in pop and dance styles, in part due to high song import and orchestra costs. Music/GiorgioMoroder and Cerrone popularized the use of synthesizers in disco, and disco in some mainland European countries in TheSeventies had quite greater synthesizer usage, including the "Space disco" style. Prominent ''Italian disco'' musicians that would influence Italo-disco include Celso Valli, Giancarlo Meo, Claudio Simonetti (who had worked with Meo), Mauro Malavasi, Stefano Pulga, Pino D'Angiò, and the La Bionda brothers.

Definitions of Italo-disco varied over whether the genre began in the 1970s or as late as 1982. In the early 1980s, a sound that is now widely defined as Italo-disco developed, which was influenced by not only local trends but also by the [[http://www.electronicbeats.net/rewind-an-expert-on-how-italo-disco-became-cool-again/ UK music scene of the time]]. The breakthrough year of "Spaghetti Disco" was 1983, when many of the most acclaimed songs (commercially and/or receptively) came out. As the next years were the heydays of the biggest artists, there was also increased commercialization and production quality, in addition to Euro-disco booming in other countries, mainly Germany. Some Italo-disco releases that made it to Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Pacific Asian nations became hits in these places. The golden age of Italo-disco died down in the end of the 1980s when the Italo-dance, {{EuroBeat}} and Italo-house genres grew.

Italo-disco is different from disco music most people are familiar with. While it borrows elements from traditional disco, its use of synths is principal; Italo-disco does not feature the Philadelphia sound, one common difference being drum beats replaced by drum machines. Italo-disco is more catchy and melancholic, and it features arpeggios on occasion. The dominant language is English, and many artists used English-language stage names, with Spanish being the second most popular language due to Spain's status as a destination for fun and fiesta. A lot of Italo-disco songs are about love, and countless others sound like they're straight from science fiction due to the electro sounds predominantly found in the earlier songs and the "spacesynth" subgenre. Most singles from Italy have instrumental versions. The genre's sound can be confused as SynthPop to those unfamiliar with it.

Subgenres include the highly instrumental "spacesynth" and a dark wave one. In the late 1980s some songs have samba-like sounds and a faster tempo, signalling the transition to Eurobeat. (Japan received more exposure to Italo-disco in this time period in a prelude to the Eurobeat movement) The genre has regional differences within Europe. In contrast to Italian tracks, German tracks may be more melodic and contain Schlager elements; sometimes it's described as a style derived from the group Modern Talking. In Spain, their songs may have happier tones and higher pitch synths, and are also called the "Sabadell Sound". There have been disputes over the inclusion of non-Italian and post-1980s tracks under the Italo-disco name.

The genre never entered mainstream popularity in the Anglosphere due to possible backlash, the [[GratuitousEnglish confusing and cheesy English lyrics]], and the poor music export record of Italy and other nations, but a number of those that did get released there became big hits, such as Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy"[[note]]Probably the most famous Italo-disco song[[/note]], Laura Branigan's "Self Control", and Taffy's "I Love My Radio". Chicago had abundant radio airplay and DJ shows with Italo-disco; the genre was one of the musical forces that helped spawn HouseMusic in the Windy City, and {{Techno}} in Detroit. Other releases went to club, party, or radio ranks, although in Southern California many songs were played faster at 45 rpm in conjunction with the Hi-NRG music scene, except in the following demographic. The genre comprised a substantial part of a music phenomenon called [[https://www.yomyomf.com/little-saigon-og-style-part-iii-80s-new-wave-the-viet-immigrant-experience/ "Asian New Wave"]] in Asian communities in North America, particularly the Vietnamese. Italo-disco has similarities to freestyle, an electronic dance genre from the States. Some songs from North American artists such as Bobby Orlando, Gino Soccio, and Lime have been occasionally labeled as Italo-disco.

In the turn of the millennium, a reemergence of the interest of Italo-disco began, partly due to mixes and other releases from the Dutch label Viewlexx and the online radio station Cybernetic Broadcasting System (succeeded by Intergalactic FM). The genre continues to enjoy renewed interest, among reasons thanks to American artists like Chromatics, Glass Candy and Johnny Jewel operating out of Washington state's Italians Do It Better label. There is a movement of new Italo-disco songs by old and new artists since the 2000s, although the genre remains in obscurity or nostalgia in Italy. A handful of original stars have also done concerts in various places such as eastern Europe and the Asian New Wave locales. Many original 80's songs are available on digital music stores and CD's, and some rare releases are receiving vinyl represses by labels in Italy and abroad. Poland still enjoys Italo-disco after the 80s, resulting their own genre called Disco-polo. The soundtrack to the 2011 film ''Film/{{Drive}}'' had an Italo-disco inspired soundtrack largely composed by Cliff Martinez. Some VaporWave songs sample an Italo-disco song, not to mention {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} being partly inspired by Italo.

According to Google Trends, people looking up Italo-disco tend to come from eastern Europe and some Spanish-speaking countries, which also reflects the demographics of the commenters in Italo-disco Website/YouTube videos. [[https://books.google.com/books?id=JOYuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA124&dq=italo+disco+russia&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjL5-OIuefaAhUT84MKHXWrBuYQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=italo%20disco%20russia&f=false One book made note]] of Italo-disco's influence in Russian pop music.

The German label ZYX Music owns the rights to a high percentage of the Italo-disco releases from the 1980s after it acquired the catalogs of prominent labels such as Discomagic, Time Records, Memory Records, Il Discotto, and Sensation Records. (Discomagic controlled Sensation Records and distributed Time Records releases) In Spain, most contemporary Italo-disco compilations are from Blanco y Negro Music.

** "Shadilay" by P.E.P.E. is an Italian-sung single, which was posted to [[Website/FourChan 4chan]] on September 2016 and has since been adopted as an anthem by the Pepe/Kek and political alt-right movements.
** "Wind of Change" by Fred Ventura is one of the songs for a dance in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRywRmrsuu8 Russian bunker video]], and it was adapted to a ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' animation and joked to be the song of choice in bunkers in the event of nuclear war.
* PunnyName: A couple of stage names which also qualifies as BilingualBonus with the Italian language:

* UnfortunateNames: The name of one highly sought-after song by GANG is "[[UsefulNotes/KuKluxKlan KKK.]]": The song has to do nothing with the Klan.

There are disputes over the inclusion of non-Italian and post-1980s tracks under the Italo-disco name and whether Italo began in TheSeventies or as late as 1982. In the early 1980s, a sound that is now widely defined as Italo-disco developed, which was influenced by not only local trends but also by the [[http://www.electronicbeats.net/rewind-an-expert-on-how-italo-disco-became-cool-again/ UK music scene of the time]]. The breakthrough year of "Spaghetti Disco" was 1983, when many of the most acclaimed songs (commercially and/or receptively) came out. As the next years were the heydays of the biggest artists, there was also increased commercialization and production quality, in addition to Euro-disco booming in other countries, mainly Germany. Some Italo-disco releases that made it to Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Pacific Asian nations became hits in these places. The golden age of Italo-disco died down in the end of the 1980s when the Italo-dance, {{EuroBeat}} and Italo-house genres grew.

Italo-disco is different from disco music most people are familiar with. While it borrows elements from traditional disco, its use of synths is principal; Italo-disco does not feature the Philadelphia sound, one common difference being drum beats replaced by drum machines. Italo-disco is more catchy, melancholic, and features arpeggios on occasion. The dominant language is English, and many artists used English-language stage names, with Spanish being the second most popular language due to Spain's status as a destination for fun and fiesta. A lot of Italo-disco songs are about love, and countless others sound like they're straight from science fiction due to the synths. Most singles from Italy have instrumental versions. The genre's sound can be confused as SynthPop to those unfamiliar with it.

Subgenres include the highly instrumental "spacesynth" and a dark wave one. Several (pre-)1984 songs in Italy feature electro themes. In the late 1980s some songs have samba-like sounds and a faster tempo, signalling the transition to Eurobeat. (Japan received more exposure to Italo-disco in this time period in a prelude to the Eurobeat movement) The genre has regional differences within Europe. In contrast to Italian tracks, German tracks may be more melodic and contain Schlager elements; sometimes it's described as a style derived from Modern Talking. In Spain, their songs may have happier tones and higher pitch synths, and are also called the "Sabadell Sound".

The genre never entered mainstream popularity in the Anglosphere due to possible backlash, the [[GratuitousEnglish confusing and cheesy English lyrics]], and the poor music export record of Italy and other nations, but a number of those that did get released there became big hits, such as Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy"[[note]]Probably the most famous Italo-disco song[[/note]], Laura Branigan's "Self Control", and Taffy's "I Love My Radio". Chicago had one of the biggest Italo-disco markets in the U.S.; the genre was one of the music styles that helped spawn HouseMusic, and {{Techno}} in Detroit. Other releases went to club, party, or radio ranks, although in Southern California many songs were played faster at 45 rpm in conjunction with Hi-NRG music, except in the following demographic. The genre comprised a substantial part of a music phenomenon called [[https://www.yomyomf.com/little-saigon-og-style-part-iii-80s-new-wave-the-viet-immigrant-experience/ "Asian New Wave"]] in Asian communities in North America, particularly the Vietnamese. Italo-disco has similarities to freestyle, an electronic dance genre from the States. Some songs from North American artists such as Bobby Orlando, Gino Soccio, and Lime have been unprofessionally labeled as Italo-disco.

In the very turn of the millennium, a reemergence of the interest of Italo-disco began partly due to mixes and other releases from the Dutch label Viewlexx and the online radio station Cybernetic Broadcasting System (succeeded by Intergalactic FM). The genre continues to enjoy renewed interest, among reasons thanks to American artists like Chromatics, Glass Candy and Johnny Jewel operating out of Washington state's Italians Do It Better label. There is a movement of new Italo-disco songs by old and new artists since the 2000s, although the genre remains in obscurity or nostalgia in Italy. A handful of original stars have also done concerts in various places such as eastern Europe and the Asian New Wave locales. Many original 80s songs are available in digital music stores and CD's, and some rare releases are receiving vinyl represses by labels in Italy and abroad. Poland still enjoys Italo-disco after the 80s, resulting their own genre called Disco-polo. The soundtrack to the 2011 film ''Film/{{Drive}}'' had an Italo-disco inspired soundtrack largely composed by Cliff Martinez. Some VaporWave songs sample an Italo-disco song, not to mention {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} being partly inspired by Italo.

* DeadHorseGenre: Its popularity waned by the start of TheNineties due to Italo house, Eurobeat, and Italo-dance taking its place. As Italo-disco is considered by fans to be highly associated with the preceding decade, there are less than a handful songs in The Nineties that are widely known as examples of Italo-disco, notably in 1990 Susanne Meals' "Forever" (a cover of another Italo song by Bryan Rich). From the turn of the millenium onward the genre amassed a gradually expanding fanbase aside from established sizable ones in eastern Europe and some Spanish-speaking countries.

* {{Spexico}}: Songs themed after {{UsefulNotes/Mexico}} may include Spanish music sounds.
** In a non-Mexican example, the My Mine song "Hypnotic Tango" has castanets, leaning the song to Spanish flamenco rather than Argentine tango.

* TheMovie: ''Jocks''/''Music Fever'' (1984) can be considered the one for Italo. It stars the musicians-turned-actors Tom Hooker and Russell Russell as two men who open a disco club in Italy. The film features music from Kano, Band of Jocks, Bata Drum, Stephany Falasconi, Orlando Johnson & Trance, and most noteworthy, the Creatures and their sci-fi costumed stage members who perform in a lengthy montage near the movie's end in their native L'Altro Mondo Studios club that conceived the movie.
* UnfortunateNames: The name of a highly sought-after song by GANG is "[[UsefulNotes/KuKluxKlan KKK.]]": The song has to do nothing with the Klan.

Italo-disco is different from disco music most people are familiar with. While it borrows elements from traditional disco, its use of synths is principal; Italo-disco does not feature the Philadelphia sound, one common difference being drum beats replaced by drum machines. Italo-disco is more catchy, melancholic, and features arpeggios on occasion. Most songs are sung in English, and many artists used English-language stage names. A lot of Italo-disco songs are about love, and countless others sound like they're straight from science fiction due to the synths. Most singles from Italy have instrumental versions. The genre's sound can be confused as SynthPop to those unfamiliar with it.

There are differences in opinions over the inclusion of non-Italian and post-1980s tracks under the Italo-disco name and whether Italo began in TheSeventies or as late as 1982. In the early 1980s, a sound that is now purely defined as Italo-disco developed, which was influenced by not only local trends but also by the [[http://www.electronicbeats.net/rewind-an-expert-on-how-italo-disco-became-cool-again/ UK music scene of the time]]. The breakthrough year of "Spaghetti Disco" was 1983, when many of the most acclaimed songs (commercially and/or receptively) came out. As the next years were the heydays of the biggest artists, there was also increased commercialization and production quality, in addition to Euro-disco booming in other countries, mainly Germany. Some Italo-disco releases that made it to Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Pacific Asian nations became hits in these places. The golden age of Italo-disco died down in the end of the 1980s when the Italo-dance, {{EuroBeat}} and Italo-house genres grew.

Italo-disco is different from disco music most people are familiar with. While it borrows elements from traditional disco, its use of synths is principal; Italo-disco does not feature the Philadelphia sound, one common difference being drum beats having been replaced by drum machines. Italo-disco is also more catchy, melancholic, and features arpeggios on occasion. Most songs are sung in English, and many artists used English-language stage names. A lot of Italo-disco songs are about love, and a massive number sound like they're straight from science fiction due to the synths. Most singles from Italy have instrumental versions. The genre's sound can be confused as SynthPop to those unfamiliar with it.

In the very turn of the millennium, a reemergence of the interest of Italo-disco began partly due to mixes and other releases from the Dutch label Viewlexx and the online radio station Cybernetic Broadcasting System (succeeded by Intergalactic FM). The genre continues to enjoy renewed interest, among reasons thanks to American artists like Chromatics, Glass Candy and Johnny Jewel operating out of Washington state's Italians Do It Better label. There is a movement of new Italo-disco songs by old and new artists since the 2000s, although the genre is in obscurity or nostalgia in Italy. A handful of original stars have also done concerts in various places such as eastern Europe and the Asian New Wave locales. Many original 80s songs are available in digital music stores and CD's, and some rare releases are receiving vinyl represses by labels in Italy and abroad. Poland still enjoys Italo-disco after the 80s, resulting their own genre called Disco-polo. The soundtrack to the 2011 film ''Film/{{Drive}}'' had an Italo-disco inspired soundtrack largely composed by Cliff Martinez. Some VaporWave songs sample an Italo-disco song, not to mention {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} being partly inspired by Italo.

According to Google Trends, people looking up Italo-disco tend to come from the former Eastern Bloc and some Spanish-speaking countries, which also reflects the demographics of the commenters in Italo-disco Website/YouTube videos. [[https://books.google.com/books?id=JOYuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA124&dq=italo+disco+russia&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjL5-OIuefaAhUT84MKHXWrBuYQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=italo%20disco%20russia&f=false A book made note]] of Italo-disco's influence in Russian pop music.

The German label ZYX Music owns the rights to a high percentage of the Italo-disco releases from the 1980s after acquiring the rights of prominent labels such as Discomagic, Time Records, Memory Records, Il Discotto, and Sensation Records. (Discomagic controlled Sensation Records and distributed Time Records releases) In Spain, most contemporary Italo-disco compilations are from Blanco y Negro Music.

** "Wind of Change" by Fred Ventura is one of the songs in the dance in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRywRmrsuu8 Russian bunker video]], and it has been adapted to a ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' animation and joked to be the song of choice in bunkers in the event of nuclear war.

** In a non-Mexican example, the My Mine song "Hypnotic Tango" has castanets, making the song lean more to Spanish flamenco than Argentine tango.

* TheMovie: ''Jocks''/''Music Fever'' (1984) is considered to be the one for Italo. It stars the musicians-turned-actors Tom Hooker and Russell Russell as two men who open a disco club in Italy. The film features music from Kano, Band of Jocks, Bata Drum, Stephany Falasconi, Orlando Johnson & Trance, and most noteworthy, the Creatures and their sci-fi costumed stage members who perform in a lengthy montage near the movie's end in their native L'Altro Mondo Studios club that conceived the movie.
* UnfortunateNames: The name of a highly sought song by GANG is "[[UsefulNotes/KuKluxKlan KKK.]]": The song has to do nothing with the Klan.

Subgenres include the highly instrumental "spacesynth" and a dark wave one. Several (pre-)1984 songs in Italy feature electro themes. In the late 1980s some songs have samba-like sounds and a faster tempo, signalling the transition to Eurobeat. (Japan received more exposure to Italo-disco in this time period in a prelude to the Eurobeat movement) The genre has regional differences within Europe. In contrast to Italian tracks, German tracks may be more melodic (perhaps to the bass synth) and contain elements of Schlager; sometimes it's described as a style derived from Modern Talking. In Spain, their songs may have happier tones and higher pitch synths, and are also called the "Sabadell Sound".

There are differences in opinions over the inclusion of non-Italian and post-1980s tracks under the Italo-disco name and whether Italo began in TheSeventies or as late as 1982. In the early 1980s, a sound that is now purely defined as Italo-disco developed, which was influenced by not only local trends but also by the [[http://www.electronicbeats.net/rewind-an-expert-on-how-italo-disco-became-cool-again/ UK music scene of the time]]. The breakthrough year of "Spaghetti Disco" was 1983, when many of the most acclaimed songs (commercially and/or receptively) came out. As the next years were the heydays of the biggest artists, there was also increased commercialization and production quality, in addition to Euro-disco booming in other countries, mainly Germany. Some Italo-disco releases that made it to Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Pacific Asian nations became hits in these places. The golden age of Italo-disco died down in the end of the 1980s when the Italo-dance, {{EuroBeat}} and Italo-house genres grew, although Eurobeat music resembled its predecessor up to the early years of TheNineties.

According to Google Trends, people looking up Italo-disco tend to come from the former Eastern Bloc and some Spanish-speaking countries, which also reflects the demographics of the commenters in Italo-disco YouTube videos. [[https://books.google.com/books?id=JOYuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA124&dq=italo+disco+russia&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjL5-OIuefaAhUT84MKHXWrBuYQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=italo%20disco%20russia&f=false A book made note]] of Italo-disco's influence in Russian pop music.

* {{Sampling}}: Not widespread except for sampler instruments, but a well known example is Creator/VincentPrice's laugh from MichaelJackson's "Thriller" sampled in Koto's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOh4B7zPx70 "Visitors"]].

In the early 1980s, a sound that is now purely defined as Italo-disco developed, which was influenced by not only local trends but also by the [[http://www.electronicbeats.net/rewind-an-expert-on-how-italo-disco-became-cool-again/ UK music scene of the time]]. The breakthrough year of "Spaghetti Disco" was 1983, when many of the most acclaimed songs (commercially and/or receptively) came out. As the next years were the heydays of the biggest artists, there was also increased commercialization and production quality, in addition to Euro-disco booming in other countries, mainly Germany. Some Italo-disco releases that made it to Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Pacific Asian nations became hits in these places. The golden age of Italo-disco died down in the end of the 1980s when the Italo-dance, {{EuroBeat}} and Italo-house genres grew, although Eurobeat music resembled its predecessor up to the early years of TheNineties.

According to Google Trends as of February 2017, people looking up Italo-disco tend to come from Poland, Hungary, Russia, and three of the four most populated Spanish-speaking countries, which also reflects the demographics of the commenters in Italo-disco YouTube videos. There are differences in opinions over the inclusion of non-Italian and post-1980s tracks under the Italo-disco name and whether Italo began in TheSeventies or as late as 1982.

* DeadHorseGenre: Its popularity waned by the start of TheNineties due to Italo house, Eurobeat, and Italo-dance taking its place. As Italo-disco is considered by fans to be highly associated with the preceding decade, there are less than a handful songs in The Nineties that are widely known as examples of Italo-disco, most notably in 1990 Susanne Meals' "Forever" (a cover of another Italo song by Bryan Rich). From the turn of the millenium onward the genre amassed a gradually expanding fanbase.

* IHaveManyNames: Mauro Farina, Gianni Coraini (Ken Laszlo), and Elena Ferretti had some aliases in the Italo-disco era before continuing the practice in TheNineties.

Italo-disco descended from [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the sustained popularity of]] {{Disco}} [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Europe]] after [[DeaderThanDisco its death]] in North America. Before that, many Europeans made songs featuring synthesizers in pop and dance styles, in part due to high song import and orchestra costs. Music/GiorgioMoroder and Cerrone popularized the use of synthesizers in disco, and disco in some mainland European countries in TheSeventies had quite greater synthesizer usage, including the "Space disco" style. Prominent ''Italian'' disco musicians that would influence Italo-disco include Celso Valli, Giancarlo Meo, Mauro Malavasi, Stefano Pulga, and the La Bionda brothers.

In the early 1980s, a sound that is now purely defined as Italo-disco developed, which was influenced by not only local trends but also by the [[http://www.electronicbeats.net/rewind-an-expert-on-how-italo-disco-became-cool-again/ UK music scene of the time]]. The breakthrough year of "Spaghetti Disco" was 1983, when many of the most acclaimed songs (commercially and/or receptively) came out. As the next years were the heydays of the biggest artists, there was also increased commercialization and production quality, in addition to Euro-disco booming in other countries, mainly Germany. While the Italians made the material everyone loved, it's quite less on the other way towards Italy. Some Italo-disco releases that made it to Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Pacific Asian nations became hits in these places. The golden age of Italo-disco died down in the end of the 1980s when the Italo-dance, {{EuroBeat}} and Italo-house genres grew, although Eurobeat music resembled its predecessor up to the early years of TheNineties.

Subgenres include the highly instrumental "spacesynth" and a dark wave one. Several (pre-)1984 songs in Italy feature electro, a style found in songs with high regard. In the late 1980s some songs have samba-like sounds and a faster tempo, signalling the transition to Eurobeat. (Japan received more exposure to Italo-disco in this time period in a prelude to the Eurobeat movement) The genre has regional differences within Europe. In contrast to Italian tracks, German tracks may be more melodic and contain elements of Schlager; sometimes it's described as a style derived from Modern Talking. In Spain, their songs may have happier tones and higher pitch synths, and are also called the "Sabadell Sound".

The genre never entered mainstream popularity in the Anglosphere due to possible backlash, the [[GratuitousEnglish confusing and cheesy English lyrics]], and the poor music export record of Italy and other nations, but a number of those that did get released there became big hits, such as Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy"[[note]]Probably the most famous Italo-disco song[[/note]], Laura Branigan's "Self Control", and Taffy's "I Love My Radio". Chicago had one of the biggest Italo-disco markets in the U.S.; the genre was one of the music styles that helped spawn HouseMusic, and {{Techno}} in Detroit. Other releases went to club, party, or radio ranks, although in Southern California many songs were played faster at 45 rpm in conjunction with Hi-NRG music, except in the following demographic. The genre comprised a substantial part of a music phenomenon called [[https://www.yomyomf.com/little-saigon-og-style-part-iii-80s-new-wave-the-viet-immigrant-experience/ "Asian New Wave"]] in Asian communities in North America, particularly the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Koreans. Italo-disco has similarities to freestyle, an electronic dance genre from the States. Some songs from North American artists such as Bobby Orlando, Gino Soccio, and Lime have been unprofessionally labeled as Italo-disco.

In the very turn of the millennium, a reemergence of the interest of Italo-disco began partly due to mixes and other releases from the Dutch label Viewlexx and the online radio station Cybernetic Broadcasting System (succeeded by Intergalactic FM). The genre continues to enjoy renewed interest, among reasons thanks to American artists like Chromatics, Glass Candy and Johnny Jewel operating out of Washington state's Italians Do It Better label. There is a movement of new Italo-disco songs by old and new artists since the 2000s, although the genre is in obscurity or nostalgia in Italy. A handful of original stars have also done concerts in various places such as eastern Europe and the Asian New Wave locales. Many original 80s songs are available in digital music stores and CD's, and some rare releases received vinyl represses by labels in Italy and abroad. Poland still enjoys Italo-disco after the 80s, resulting their own genre called Disco-polo. The soundtrack to the 2011 film ''Film/{{Drive}}'' had an Italo-disco inspired soundtrack largely composed by Cliff Martinez. Some VaporWave songs sample an Italo-disco song, not to mention {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} being partly inspired by Italo.

* Music/KirlianCamera

* {{Instrumentals}}: The spacesynth subgenre (Koto, Cyber People and Laserdance for example), and many songs being instrumental versions to vocal songs are highlights.

* {{Sampling}}: Not widespread except for sampler instruments, but a well known example is Creator/VincentPrice's laugh from MichaelJackson's "Thriller" sampled in Koto's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOh4B7zPx70 "Visitors"]].

Italo-disco descended from [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the sustained popularity of]] {{Disco}} [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Europe]] after [[DeaderThanDisco its death]] in North America. Before that, many Europeans made songs featuring synthesizers in pop and dance styles, in part due to high song import and orchestra costs. Music/GiorgioMoroder and Cerrone popularized the use of synthesizers in disco, and disco in some mainland European countries in TheSeventies had quite greater synthesizer usage, including the "Space disco" style. Prominent Italian disco musicians that would influence Italo-disco include Celso Valli, Giancarlo Meo, Mauro Malavasi, Stefano Pulga, and the La Bionda brothers.

In the early 1980s, a sound that is now purely defined as Italo-disco developed, which was influenced by not only local trends but also by the [[http://www.electronicbeats.net/rewind-an-expert-on-how-italo-disco-became-cool-again/ UK music scene of the time]]. The breakthrough year of "Spaghetti Disco" was 1983, when many of the most acclaimed songs (commercially and/or receptively) came out. As the next years were the heydays of the biggest artists, there was also increased commercialization and production quality, in addition to Euro-disco booming in other countries, mainly Germany. While the Italians made the material everyone loved, there's not too many Euro-disco releases from other countries that were popular in Italy. Some Italo-disco releases that made it to Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Pacific Asian nations became hits in these places. The golden age of Italo-disco died down in the end of the 1980s when the Italo-dance, {{EuroBeat}} and Italo-house genres grew, although Eurobeat music resembled its predecessor up to the early years of TheNineties.

In the very turn of the millennium, a reemergence of the interest of Italo-disco began due to mixes and other releases from the Dutch label Viewlexx and the online radio station Cybernetic Broadcasting System (succeeded today by the Classix stream in Intergalactic FM). The genre continues to enjoy renewed interest, among reasons thanks to American artists like Chromatics, Glass Candy and Johnny Jewel operating out of Washington state's Italians Do It Better label. There is a movement of new Italo-disco songs by old and new artists since the 2000s, although the genre is in obscurity or nostalgia in Italy. A handful of original stars have also done concerts in various places such as eastern Europe and the Asian New Wave locales. Many original 80s songs are available in digital music stores and CD's, and some rare releases received vinyl represses by labels in Italy and abroad. Poland still enjoys Italo-disco after the 80s, resulting their own genre called Disco-polo. The soundtrack to the 2011 film ''Film/{{Drive}}'' had an Italo-disco inspired soundtrack largely composed by Cliff Martinez. In internet culture Italo-disco got a boost in exposure by a meme relating to the Italian-sung track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl2-i7pjWDw "Shadilay"]] in 2016, and some VaporWave songs sample an Italo-disco song, not to mention {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} being partly inspired by Italo.

According to Google Trends as of February 2017, people looking up Italo-disco tend to come from Poland, Hungary, Russia, and three of the four most populated Spanish-speaking countries, which also reflects the demographics of the commenters in Italo-disco YouTube videos.

!! Notable italo/euro-disco artists

* Music/Eiffel65

* Music/KenLaszlo

* {{Sampling}}: Not widespread, but a well known example is Creator/VincentPrice's laugh from MichaelJackson's "Thriller" sampled in Koto's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOh4B7zPx70 "Visitors"]].