Daphne Brooks

They're called the "vocal trinity": Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Céline Dion are the first divas of the pop era. But what defines a diva?

The War on Disco explores the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music. Originating in underground Black and gay clubs, disco had unseated rock as America’s most popular music by the late 1970s. But many diehard rock fans viewed disco, with its repetitive beat and culture that emphasized pleasure, as shallow and superficial. A story that’s about much more than music, The War on Disco explores how the powerful anti-disco backlash revealed a cultural divide that to some seemed to be driven by racism and homophobia. The hostility came to a head on July 12, 1979, when a riot broke out at “Disco Demolition Night” during a baseball game in Chicago.

A vibrant portrait of Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul, who has become a symbol of freedom and power for all African American women.