Prompt Cast
Disco Demolition Night: The Chaotic Anti-Disco Event That Rocked Chicago
TLDR Disco Demolition Night was a wild and chaotic event held by the Chicago White Sox in 1979, where fans threw disco records onto the field, causing pandemonium and resulting in a forfeit win for the opposing team. The event had lasting consequences for those involved and remains a memorable moment in music history.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
On July 12, 1979, the Chicago White Sox blew up disco records in an event known as Disco Demolition Night.
01:19
Disco Demolition Night was a response to the popularity of disco in the late 1970s, with artists like the Bee Gees and Donna Summers dominating the charts and nightclubs like Studio 54 becoming popular.
02:24
The White Sox decided to hold an anti-disco night at the stadium in response to the growing backlash against disco music.
03:34
The event attracted a much larger crowd than expected, with 55,000 people entering the stadium and an estimated 20,000 people outside who couldn't get in, and many attendees brought their own disco records to throw onto the field.
04:37
During the game, fans threw records onto the field, causing the players to wear batting helmets for protection, and the game was stopped multiple times due to debris; after the game, a crate of Disco records was detonated, leaving a hole in the outfield and causing fans to stream onto the field.
05:44
Between 5,000 and 7,000 people swarmed the playing area, causing pandemonium, with bonfires being lit from the debris, people climbing foul poles, the batting cage being torn apart, bases being stolen, and fans swarming the dugouts and taking bats and balls, resulting in the Chicago police arriving in riot gear to clear the field and the Tigers being awarded a forfeit win.
06:45
Bill Vech was pushed out of baseball and sold the team, while Mike Vech resigned and could only find work in minor league baseball; the White Sox held a promotion in 2019 celebrating the 40th anniversary of Disco Demolition Night, but this time the fans only received a t-shirt.
