HOF Inductee No. 2: "Y.M.C.A.," the Village People

The most ubiquitous remnant of 1970s disco culture surviving into the 21st Century is a worthy addition to the Earworm Hall of Fame.

"Y.M.C.A." was a disco anthem that crossed over into the pop charts, reaching #2 on the Billboard charts. It was kept out of #1 in early 1979 by two disco classics: first by Chic's "Le Freak," and then by Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" It was the biggest pop hit by the disco vocal group the Village People. (Personally, I will always prefer the pop hooks of their first Top 40 hit, the equally campy "Macho Man"."

As originally constructed, the Village People were a disco vocal group that was not so much formed as it was cast, like a play, by French (actually Moroccan Jewish) music impresario Jacques Morali. The six original members were cast into roles denoting gay sexual fantasy types: the cowboy (Randy Jones), the construction worker (David Hodo), the leatherman (Glenn Hughes), the American Indian (Felipe Rose), the soldier (Alex Briley), and the policeman (who also appeared dressed as a Naval officer when warranted) (Victor Willis). The music was propelled by the powerful lead vocals of Mr. Willis, who, despite playing a gay stereotype, was not in fact gay. During the height of the Village People's fame, he was married to a pre-Cosby Show Phylicia Rashad.

And therein lies the inherent contradiction of the Village People. They were put together as gay stereotypes, but their appeal has been to the mainstream straight audience, especially their anthemic "Y.M.C.A." It is not the gay subculture who are spelling out the letters "Y," "M," "C," and "A" at every sports stadium. It is a bizarre contradiction between "Y.M.C.A." and another disco anthem from the early months of 1979, Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." "Y.M.C.A." is pure gay camp at its campiest. "I Will Survive" is the story of woman's triumph over the break-up of a bad relationship with a man. Yet the campy gay sing-along is now the property of heterosexual America and the story of a woman's bitter break-up with a man is the anthem of many a gay man of a certain age.