If you pen disco songs about aliens and UFOs, you’re eccentric. But if you transform your space-case dance jams into music videos, you’re asking for a padded cell. Warning: the blinding cheesiness of this disco apocalypse may cause retinal stigmata.
Here are 20 disco videos from the 70s and 80s that contain at least some trappings of scifi. All of them are righteous abominations. Were the artists who made these videos insane? Perhaps, but I prefer to think of the artists as possessing some form of super-sanity, like Grant Morrison’s Joker from Arkham Asylum. They’re so beyond our plane of cognition we can’t help but scoff, the arrogant ants that we are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0JX23YY1WE
Silicon Dream – “Andromeda” (1988)
This man is the xenobiological godhead from which the DNA of Gene Simmons, the Insane Clown Posse, and Ronald McDonald all intertwine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiABmaH6LLE
Den Harrow – “Future Brain” (1985)
The video’s about a scientist who grows a dead woman from a baby and then makes her watch videos of spiders and Vladimir Lenin. No embellishment.
Dee D. Jackson – “Automatic Lover” (1978)
I like this video. It’s as if Jareth from Labyrinth and Robby the Robot co-hosted American Bandstand. Also, “Automatic Lover” is right up there with Judas Priest’s “Turbo Lover” in The Pantheon Of Unfortunately Euphemistic Song Titles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOgH-CJj5Vg
Ago – “Computer (In My Mind)” (1986)
If you’ve ever wanted to watch Fabio sexually proposition a Commodore 64, your prayers have a soundtrack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzDsPRSRC3s
The Droids – “The Force” (1977)
Okay, so this video isn’t exactly disco – it’s some strain of Kraftwerkian proto-disco. But then again, the folks who made this video weren’t exactly insane – they are the time-unhinged love children of Daft Punk and Rotwang. Two negatives make a positive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrKjawtXY3s
Sheila & Black Devotion – “Spacer” (1979)
It is disco until the laser eye flares up at 1:14. Then it is horror.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVqGf2clvxo
Rettore – “Lamette” (1982)
Man, these lost episodes of My Favorite Martian sure are racist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=110k5hsSTjo
Moon Ray – “Comanchero” (1985)
What if The Matrix was Custer’s Revenge?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7bKx0-shPI
Koto – “Jabdah” (1986)
This is a disco song about Jabba the Hutt. That man is wearing a karate gi. The song has a calypso breakdown. You’re welcome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7woSjMPreA
Döf – “Codo” (1983)
Nerf Herder was accused of cribbing this song for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer theme. Peep the similarities at 0:50.
Ganymed – “It Takes Me Higher” (1979)
I’m assuming these guys scored Troll 2 as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk6Bk4Qa1qU
Silicon Dream – “Einstein” (1987)
If Silicon Dream isn’t your favorite band yet, they are now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qo1__kbwrA
Video Kids – “Woodpeckers from Space” (1985)
Who are those creepy towheaded tykes? Is this the Eastern bloc’s answer to Children of the Corn?
Billy Ocean – “Loverboy” (1985)
The fact that Billy Ocean blew thousands creating his own horrifying menagerie of Mos Eisley rejects makes him the greatest star of every musical genre across the entire space-time continuum.
Ultravox – “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” (1984)
This song is about nuclear holocaust. I imagine it was also played at a lot of 1980s proms. Unintentional comedy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXOKPRqIEwc
Q-Feel – Dancing In Heaven (1983)
For every listener who can’t get down with the orbital bebop, my soul cries tears of gossamer.
Baby’s Gang – Challenger (1984)
In this video, a bunch of Eastern European teenagers in sweatsuits wanly dance while barking the praises of the Challenger space shuttle. I don’t know what else to say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpcTfWD0nuE
Twins – Not The Loving Kind (1983)
What if Tron took place in a screen saver circa 1995?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXBHEORXZc
Radiorama – Aliens (1986)
Fact: Dressing like Jennifer Beals prevents rapid decompression. Fact: Neither of these singers have any idea what they’re saying.
Zladko “ZLAD!” Vladcik – “Elektronik Supersonik” (2004)
This is a pitch-perfect parody of scifi disco from Australian comedian Santo Cilauro. This list wouldn’t feel right without it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VjJjAAIJ5Y
Splash Band – “The Thing” (1984)
Here are bonus tracks from the Splash Band, a disco group who inexplicably turned John Carpenter soundtracks into dancefloor heaters. Here’s the theme to The Thing, which was incidentally written by Ennio Morricone.
Splash Band – The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)
And the theme to The Philadelphia Experiment. Yes, someone had the gumption to remix The Philadelphia Experiment.
