Disco music can be described as a genre of music that contains the elements of funk, soul, pop, and salsa. It started in the US in the mid-1960s, and its popularity rose in the mid-1970s. Initially, it was popular among American clubgoers, especially gays, African Americans, Latinos, and psychedelic communities. The term disco was coined from a French word, discotheque, which means library of phonograph records. It was around the same time that the words DJ and disc jockey came into use. One of the reasons why disco music gained increased popularity was the free-form dancing as well as the loud, overwhelming sound from the live performers.
The origin of disco music can be traced back to the early 1970s, when it emerged out of an urban subculture. Some analysts have asserted that disco is the result of a reaction against the dominance of rock music as well as the stigmatisation of dance music by the counterculture that emerged during that time. The initial disco-like clubs were held in New York, where private parties were held. A city DJ, David Mancuso, held private underground house parties and was connected to the fact that no police raids were conducted in any of his businesses. He did this to create an ample environment for men to dance together without the fear of police action
