The Best Disco in Town

"The Best Disco in Town"
Single by The Ritchie Family
from the album Arabian Nights
B-side	"The Best Disco in Town (Pt. 2)"
Released	1976
Genre	Disco
Length	2:39 (7" version) 6:39 (Album version)
Label	Marlin
Songwriter(s)	Jacques Morali, Richie Rome, Henri Belolo, Phil Hurtt
Producer(s)	Jacques Morali, Richie Rome
The Ritchie Family singles chronology
"I Want to Dance with You (Dance with Me)" (1975) "The Best Disco in Town" (1976) "Life Is Music" (1977)

"The Best Disco in Town" is a 1976 crossover disco single by Philadelphia-based group, The Ritchie Family. In the United States, the single was a top 20 hit on both the soul and pop charts.[1] "The Best Disco in Town" went to number one for one week on the disco/dance chart.[2]

Background

The song is a medley of pop and R&B hits, preceding other medleys like Shalamar's "Uptown Festival" by 1 year and Stars On 45's "Medley" by 5 years.

Songs included on the single are "Reach Out I'll Be There", "I Love Music", "Bad Luck", "TSOP", "Fly, Robin, Fly", the group's own "Brazil". The extended single adds the songs "Love To Love You Baby", "That's the Way (I Like It)", "Lady Bump", "Express", "Lady Marmalade", and the group's own song from the Arabian Nights album, "Romantic Love."

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1976-77)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3]	3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4]	5
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[5]	5
Canada RPM	15
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[6]	14
France (IFOP)[7]	30
Germany	22
Israel (IBA)[8]	8
Italy (Musica e dischi)[9]	2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10]	2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11]	2
New Zealand	33
Norway	10
Portugal (AFP)[12]	4
Puerto Rico[13]	6
South Africa[14]	18
Spain (AFYVE)[15]	1
Sweden	13
UK Singles Chart[16]	10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	17
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles	12
U.S. Record World Disco	1
Venezuela[17]	10

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[18]	43

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 494.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 218.
3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
4. "The Ritchie Family – The Best Disco in Town" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
5. "The Ritchie Family – The Best Disco in Town" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
6. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "The Ritchie Family". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 216. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
7. "Le Détail par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Ritchie Family" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
8. 17 October 1976
9. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 26 September 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Ritchie Family".
10. "The Ritchie Family – The Best Disco in Town" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
11. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 46, 1976" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
12. Portuguese Charts Archive. Archive 1976.
13. "Record World - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Record World. 23 October 1976. p. 49.
14. "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs (A-B)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
15. Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
16. "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
17. "Record World - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Record World. 20 November 1976. p. 49.
18. "Kent Music Report No 183 – 26 December 1977 > National Top 100 Singles for 1977". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.