From Nick Thompson’s interview with Meryl Meisler for VICE:

VICE: Hey Meryl. So, the U.S. in the mid 70s—there had been a drugs boom, the Vietnam War was coming to an end, and Watergate had happened as well. It feels like there must have been a lot of cynicism floating about. Where did disco fit into all that?

Meryl Meisler: It’s a fact that there were all these cultural changes happening very quickly, and Stonewall [a series of spontaneous protests against the NYPD targeting gay venues in Manhattan] was only a few year prior. The fact that there was a sexual revolution and that people felt comfortable going out and being themselves was really important. Also the feminist movement, there was a new unbridled freedom to be more of yourself. It’s also an evolution in music, this discovery of the power of the DJ. DJs were creating music as it was happening. There was a sense that very moment was unique. They were feeling the audience and moving the audience, with amazing sound systems and interior decor that was incredible, always changing and completely transforming a club for every themed night.

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