A genre of dance-oriented pop music that blends elements of funk and soul music that was first popularised in dance clubs (discothèques) in the mid-1970s. Disco songs dominated mainstream pop until the late 1970s.

Disco songs usually have soaring, often reverberated vocals over a steady 4-on-the-floor beat, an 8th note (quaver) or 16th note (semi-quaver) pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat and a prominent, syncopated, electric bass line. Strings, horns, electric pianos and electric guitars create a lush background sound, and orchestral instruments are used for solo melodies (unlike rock, lead guitar is rarely used).

Major mid-1970s disco performers included Donna Summer, Boney M., the Jackson 5, Barry White, the Bee Gees and ABBA. Many non-disco artists recorded disco songs at the height of its popularity. Films such as Saturday Night Fever contributed to disco's rise in mainstream popularity.

While disco music declined in popularity in the early 1980s, it was an important influence on the development of the 1980s and 1990s electric dance music genres of house and techno.