Which 1975 Van McCoy hit helped popularize a disco dance of the same name? The answer is “The Hustle.”
Recorded by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony, “The Hustle” was released in 1975 on Avco Records. McCoy wrote the song after his music partner, Charles Kipps, observed people doing a dance called the Hustle at New York City’s Adam’s Apple nightclub. That encounter helped turn a club phenomenon into a nationally recognized disco hit.
The single reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart during the summer of 1975. It also became an international success, peaking at No. 3 in the United Kingdom and No. 9 in Australia. The recording eventually sold more than one million copies.
The song and the dance are closely related but not identical: the Hustle had several regional and stylistic forms, including Latin and New York variations. The record’s popularity helped bring the dance into mainstream nightlife and television. McCoy won the 1976 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for the recording.