The Disco Kings: Bee Gees at Their Peak
Between 1977 and 1979, brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb were so popular they had six consecutive #1 singles—something only The Beatles had achieved previously.
The six chart-toppers were: How Deep Is Your Love, Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, Too Much Heaven, Tragedy, and Love You Inside Out.
But that was just a particularly good run. The Bee Gees also released legendary tunes like Jive Talkin’, You Should Be Dancing, and More Than A Woman during the same period.
This disco era marked the glory days for the trio, with an estimated 200 million records sold—most of it between 1975 and 1979.
It’s hard to believe they formed two decades earlier, back in 1955 on the Isle of Man in England, as a skiffle group called The Rattlesnakes.
From Skiffle to Superstars: The Bee Gees Before Disco
Like many families, the Gibb brothers migrated to Australia, where they renamed themselves Bee Gees. It was there they honed their craft, even achieving some early chart success.
By the time they returned to England and started working with Robert Stigwood, it was still only 1967.
Their first big hit, Massachusetts, came that same year—it went to #1 in eleven countries. The following year they released Words, another classic with strong sales and major chart success.
Between 1968 and 1975, the Bee Gees continued to release albums and singles. Some found moderate success, but none would become immortal like what was to come during their golden era between 1975 and 1979.
You’d think they might have slowed down after a run like that—but some say the best was still to come.
In 1980, Barry Gibb teamed up with Barbra Streisand for the album Guilty, which became the best-selling album of her entire career.
Two singles from the album are now classics—the title track and Woman In Love. Both were written not just by Barry, but by the Bee Gees.
Three years later, they released Islands In The Stream, a song initially written for Diana Ross. Reworked for Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, it became another worldwide smash.
Amazingly, only two acts have had more chart success than the Bee Gees: Michael Jackson and The Supremes.
If they’d stayed on the Isle of Man, they might have avoided paying tax on all those album sales—or perhaps they’d still be playing skiffle instead of singing in falsetto!
Bee Gees Tunes | Related Pages
Islands In The Stream | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play Islands In The Stream by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| C | C |
Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown.
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Islands In the Stream (Dolly Parton + Kenny Rogers) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Stayin’ Alive | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Stayin’ Alive by Bee Gees using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and backing tracks.
| Fm7 | Eb Fm |
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Stayin’ Alive (Bee Gees) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Bee Gees on the web
