The Los Angeles “Disco” scene of the 80s/early 90s was notable for it’s backyard party scene organized DIY style by primarily Chicanos from the Eastside and the San Gabriel Valley. Most of the DJs grew out of the early hip-hop and break-dancing crews and for the most part, their DJ sets were chockful of freestyle, electro, hip-hop and the more Latin-ized disco songs out of New York i.e. Mandolay. However, due to the popularity of local radio stations like the new wave friendly KROQ, fast, danceable new wave songs began to creep their way into some of the “Disco” DJ’s sets. Eventually, these new wave sets became standard and part of the Old School classic DJ repertoire.

Here’s a few examples. Any others?

Berlin – The Metro

You can still go to parties, quinces and weddings and watch forty-year old plus women jump on the dancefloor when the first few seconds of Berlin’s The Metro are recognized.

OMD – Electricity

B-MOVIE – Nowhere Girl

Spandau Ballet-To Cut A Long Story Short

Haircut 100 – Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)

Blue Monday by New Order

Yaz – Situation

C-Bank with Jenny Burton – One More Shot

One More Shot was strange because it was a freestyle song that was played on KROQ which firmly stayed away from any other songs of this genre.