"I watched this sweeping change where New York morphed from dangerous to wonderful, a hip mosaic," recalls Chic's mastermind. "Inside a club, it was nirvana."

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1. "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" Eddie Kendricks, 1973
This is disco's Big Bang. So many breakdowns, so intricate.

2. "Love to Love You Baby" Donna Summer, 1975
It was over-the-top erotic, and it was life-changing. It opened my mind to this new music.

3. "Cherchez La Femme" Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, 1977
A retro record that reeked of the big-band music I loved as a child. This was the essence of the Chic formula – an experience that transformed you back to a different era, but you were still in modern times.

4. "Good Times" CHIC, 1979
It was the "disco sucks" summer, but this was a hit anyway.

5. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" Santa Esmeralda, 1977
It sets this magical Spanish guitar to a big, building groove.

6. "My Love is Free" Double Exposure, 1976
They wrote about the economy and politics, breaking away from just love and dancing.

7. "Supernature" Cerrone, 1977
It felt like art: Dalí or Picasso with a groove. Later, we ripped off the bass line for "I Want Your Love."

8. "In the Bush" Musique, 1978
This guy just did crazy harmonic stuff. His records were half the foundation of what I've written the rest of my life.

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