July 12, 1979: Remembering the 30th Anniversary of Disco Demolition Night

Often cited as one of the best/worst promotions in the history of baseball, Chicago radio DJ Steve Dahl somehow managed to convince the Chicago White Sox to allow him to host Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park on July 12, 1979. Dahl was known for blowing up records on the air, and he brought his shenanigans to the famed ballpark, where disco records were exchanged for cheaper admission to a double-header with the Detroit Tigers. The White Sox expected a few thousand fans to show up, but over 75,000 turned up and gleefully chanted, Disco sucks! Disco sucks! As you can see from the archive video below, Dahl’s blowing up of disco records in between games resulted in fans storming the field, lighting fires, and rioting.