Pictures That Show Just How Crazy 1970s Disco Really Was

 Studio 54 quickly built up a conflicting reputation for itself. It seemed the population was torn, people either absolutely loved the club or couldn't stand it. There didn't seem to be much of an in between.

Not that it mattered, every night without fail, a crowd of people would flock to the doors of the legendary Studio 54 in hopes of getting in. And who could blame them? The place was filled with celebrities who knows who you might run into once through those doors. 

Pictured here is the man responsible for the creation of pop art, Andy Warhol. Surrounded by beautiful models and adoring fans, he is enjoying the atmosphere at Studio 54. Warhol was yet another famous frequenter of the club that always seemed to attract an excessive amount of attention.

For Andy Warhol's 50th birthday in August of 1978, co-owner Steve Rubell went above and beyond the norm, gifting Warhol a roll of 5,000 free drink tickets in addition to a large silver garbage can that was stuffed with about a $1,000 worth of crisp dollar bills. Warhol said it was the best present he ever received. 

Sometimes getting ready to go out meant wearing pasties and other times it meant rocking a disco ball on your face. You just never knew what was going to waltz through the club doors. No matter the theme, the sights, the drugs, the entire club scene was always decadent. Absolutely everything was done in excess.  

One of the more memorable publicity stunts pulled at Studio 54 during a party, was when Bianca Jagger (wife to Mick Jagger) rode into the club on a white horse... and then partied until dawn of course. This grand entrance was organized by the clubs event planners in honor of Bianca's 30th birthday celebration back in 1977. 

Here we have Tina Turner looking fabulous as usual, in a dress studded to perfection on the Studio 54 dance floor. Studio 54 was notorious for its endless stream of celebrities and debauchery on a nightly basis. They were extremely picky at the door; openly and shamelessly excluding everyone from the establishment who wasn't beautiful, chic, ridiculously famous, or having some sort of unique quality to add to the ambiance somehow.

Pictured here on the left is a woman dancing between two men at Studio 54, 1979. The photo on the right was captured in 1977, also at Studio 54. The rich, the famous, the infamously insane... drugs, booze, scantily dressed men and women of loose morals all resided behind those velvet ropes. An aura of exclusivity, an atmosphere that promoted sexual freedom, and open drug use made Studio 54 the biggest nightclub in the world. 

Both, this purple sparkling man blowing a whistle and this woman dancing amongst other partygoers are at Studio 54 in the late 1970s. Studio 54's was the official go-to spot for celebrities and socialites to gather while in New York. Naturally, as word got around that A-listers were inside so everyone else wanted in too. that and the tales of the complete debauchery that was going on inside the club on a regular basis. 

Pictured here on the left is the Queen of Disco herself, Donna Summer performing on stage in an elaborate, feathered costume, circa 1976. Over on the right, is a woman dancing in what can only be described as pure ecstasy at a disco in New York City, 1976.

Pictured here on the is a couple sharing a sweet moment while wearing Studio 54 in New York City, 1977.  Notice the fishnet leggings, long velvet gloves, and groovy hair styles.  Studio 54 was a club where no one held back.  Hedonism was the best way to describe the sexual nature of the club goers who dabbled in many different types of drugs all night long.  What a time to be alive!

Here we have the infamous  "Disco Granny", cutting loose with a much younger man over at Studio 54, circa 1978. Studio 54 had such an amazingly diverse crowd. Sure just about everyone wanted to get in to bump elbows with the celebrities know to hang out, but many just wanted in to let loose and freely express themselves in ways most places didn't allow. It's because of this, that Studio 54 was always packed to capacity.

Pictured here is a crowd of dancers living it up at the disco club in New York City, circa 1978. The blaring music, the colored lights, and copious amounts of drugs and alcohol. Over stimulation of the senses and decadence in every way was the only recurring theme in the club scene.  It's a wonder anyone remembered anything they did during the 1970s. 

Pictured here is a group of partygoers joining in a synchronized dance number, circa 1977. The lens flares and trails captured here are probably a pretty accurate representation of what it felt like to be out on that dance floor at the time.    

When people talk about how popular Studio 54 was, they were in no way exaggerating. Getting in was on many people's bucket list. As you can see, 1979 had no time for broken legs, it was all about getting out and shaking your groove thang on the dance floor. Studio 54 was literally the place where "anything goes." Just slather those casts in glue and toss some glitter on it!

Not everyone who went out to disco clubs wanted to boogie, some just went to sit on the sidelines and watch all the marvels around them, like this group at a club in New York City, circa 1978. Although... they also look like they may be there to hold a seance. After all, anything goes at the disco, right?