The 1978 Village People album that included the disco hit “Y.M.C.A.” was “Cruisin’.”
Released by Casablanca Records in 1978, “Cruisin’” was the group’s fourth studio album and followed their rapid rise in the international disco market. Its best-known track, “Y.M.C.A.,” became a global singalong associated with the familiar arm gestures that spell the song’s title.
The album also included “In the Navy,” another major Village People recording. The group’s stage presentation used exaggerated character costumes, including a construction worker, police officer, cowboy, Native American, biker, and soldier. Those visual identities became as recognizable as the music itself.
Listeners sometimes confuse “Cruisin’” with “Macho Man,” the group’s earlier 1978 album, or “Go West,” released in 1979. “Y.M.C.A.” was issued as a single from “Cruisin’,” while “In the Navy” was also connected to a later promotional film for the U.S. Navy.