Let's Go to the Eurodisco: Continental Dance Pop for a Wednesday Morning

Admitting that you genuinely dig European dance pop is like giving away a deep dark secret. These songs probably weren't cool upon release and, even with the reevaluation of a select few (mostly Italodisco) artists amidst the electro boom a few years back, the bulk of the available material still isn't particularly hip. But cool and hip are fleeting, while ohrwurm (German for "earworm," or a song that gets stuck in your head) can haunt you for years. If there's one thing that both fans and foes of Eurodisco and its later incarnation Eurodance can say, it's that these pop machines can churn out songs with serious sticking power.

Below is a sampling of Eurodisco and Eurodance hits dating from the '70s to the '00s. Undoubtedly, the melodies of these songs will linger for at least the rest of the day. You might wake up in the middle of the night singing some of them. I should probably apologize in advance.

Boney M "Rasputin"

Consider this the precursor to Milli Vanilli. Frank Farian launched his career as a producer/puppet master with disco outfit Boney M, for which he provided the recorded lead vocals and hired a hip, young performer named Bobby Farrell to front it. The formula proved successful in late-'70s Europe, where Boney M racked up hits that number in the double-digits. A decade later, he would try a similar technique with two dancers named Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. That time, it didn't work out so well. Farian went on to continued success with bands like La Bouche. Meanwhile, Morvan and Pilatus took the brunt of the world's ire, their story making a tragic turn when Pilatus passed away in 1998.

For all of the impending doom present within the backstory of Boney M., the sound is incredibly funky. This catchy disco number was covered by Finnish metal band Turisas.

Turisas "Rasputin" live at Download Festival, 2007