Do It Any Way You Wanna

People's Choice's "Do It Any Way You Wanna": A Funk-Disco Floor-Filler

There is an infectious, irresistible groove to this song, the sound of a Philadelphia funk outfit crafting a dance-floor anthem at the dawn of the disco era. By 1975 the worlds of funk and disco were beginning to merge into the propulsive sound that would dominate the second half of the decade, and People's Choice landed squarely in that fertile territory. This single became their signature hit, a deliciously danceable track built for movement and joy.

A Band Built for the Groove

To understand the song, you have to picture the vibrant Philadelphia music scene of the mid-1970s, a city that was producing some of the era's most influential soul and dance music. People's Choice were part of that thriving environment, a funk band with a gift for tight, danceable rhythms. They operated within the orbit of the Philadelphia sound that was reshaping popular music, contributing their own muscular, groove-centered take on the emerging dance aesthetic. This single represented their breakthrough, the song that brought them to national attention and made them a fixture on dance floors across the country.

Pure Dance-Floor Energy

The song is a model of mid-seventies funk-disco, built on a tight, propulsive groove designed to fill dance floors. Its title is also its message, an invitation to move freely and without inhibition. The arrangement is all rhythm and energy, the kind of track that makes standing still impossible. There is a loose, joyous quality to it, a celebration of the freedom of the dance floor that captured the spirit of the moment. It is functional music in the best sense, created for the specific purpose of getting people up and moving.

A Strong Climb Into the Top Twelve

The single performed impressively on the pop chart. It debuted at number 64 on August 23, 1975, and rose steadily through the autumn, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 8, 1975. It spent 16 weeks on the chart. Reaching the top twelve confirmed the broad appeal of the track and the rising power of the funk-disco sound, demonstrating that a pure dance number could compete at the highest levels of the pop chart.

The Birth of a Dance Revolution

This single arrived at a pivotal moment in music history, the point when funk and disco were merging into the dominant dance sound of the late 1970s. Philadelphia played a central role in that transformation, its musicians and producers helping to forge the propulsive, rhythm-centered style that would soon conquer clubs and charts around the world. People's Choice contributed to this movement with their muscular, groove-driven approach, part of a wave of artists who were reshaping how popular music made people move. Listening to the track now, you can hear the dance era taking shape, the emphasis on rhythm and the celebration of the dance floor that would define the years to come. It captures a music scene on the cusp of a revolution that would change popular culture.

A Funk-Disco Touchstone

This single stands as the defining moment for People's Choice, a track that captured the energy and joy of the emerging dance era. While the group did not sustain the same level of chart success afterward, this song remains a beloved example of mid-seventies funk-disco, cherished by fans of the genre and by those who remember the dance floors it once filled. Its YouTube tally sits at around 314,000 views, keeping its irresistible groove alive. For fans of classic funk and disco, the song remains a joyful reminder of an era when the dance floor was king, the work of a band that knew exactly how to make people move. Its energy has lost none of its power across the decades. Press play and do it any way you want.

"Do It Any Way You Wanna" — People's Choice's singular moment on the 1970s charts.