Various Artists - Billboard Top Dance Hits: 1976-1980 (CD)

All Music Guide

More fun than roller skates and flashier than Italian rayon, Billboard Top Dance Hits: 1976 -- 1980 spins its way into your tape deck with the top disco hits from a lost era. Over the years, many of these cuts have become more overexposed to pet-rock levels. But that doesn't make "You Should Be Dancing" or the ubiquitous "Y.M.C.A." any less essential. Placed in line with their chart-topping compatriots, the songs even find some new life. The five-disc set features plenty of gems that don't often make it to the disco comps. Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," "Stomp" from the Brothers Johnson, and T-Connection's "Do What You Wanna Do" are just a few of the incredibly vapid, astoundingly catchy disco grooves appearing here. And Rhino presents all but a few songs in their original 7"-single versions, making Top Dance Hits worth a look from collectors. Liner notes also appear for each song.

- Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide