It is interesting to note how certain trends or even fads from different decades come to represent an entire era. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone actually clad in a black leather jacket in your average 1950s high school, for example. It’s the same with dances. We tend to only think of the Charleston for the ’20s, swing for the ’40s, jitterbug for the ’50s, and hustle for the ’70s. Everyone did the hustle in the ’70s (unless you were busy doing the jitterbug at one of the many Happy Days-themed ’50s dances.) I still love the hustle and the music that goes with it, but the Polyester Decade produced a wide variety of dance tunes:
Waltz–“If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Break Up to Make Up,” “You Light Up My Life”
Foxtrot–“Isn’t She Lovely,” “I Do, I Do, I Do”
Mambo–“No, No Song,” “Got to Give It Up”
Samba–“In the Summertime,” “I’m Your Boogie Man”
East Coast Swing–“Just Keep Thinkin’ About Ya,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Waterloo”
Rumba–“How Deep Is Your Love,” “Rock Your Baby,” “Let’s Stay Together”
Cha Cha–“Nice to Be With You,” “Cherchez la Femme”
Of course, some songs, which immediately make you think “hustle” can be danced in a different style. “Lady Marmalade” makes for an excellent cha cha. So does “Get Down Tonight,” believe it or not.
This list is by no means meant to be exhaustive. If you have any favorite dance tunes that don’t involve hustle from the 1970s, please share in the comments section below. In the meantime, get up and boogie, whatever form your boogieing may take. (Yes, boogieing is a word.)
While you’re thinking, here’s a little disco samba!