A Fender signed by Queens-born Dee Dee Ramone, a Patti Smith backstage pass, an opening-night invitation to Studio 54 and a bass played on "Rapper's Delight" anchor this new show about the year the Bicentennial met "Ford to City: Drop Dead." Curator Ted Widmer frames 1976 as the moment CBGB, outer-borough discos and Bronx block parties rewired world culture. If you love New York music lore, put this opening at the top of your list.
What to expect
Galleries are designed to evoke the clubs, bars and gathering places of 1970s New York, filled with instruments, performance gear, fashion, period photographs, albums, flyers and performance clips. The story moves from Bicentennial celebrations and the fiscal crisis to the downtown punk scene, borough discos and early hip hop.
Good to know
- The museum is on Central Park West at 77th Street; take the B or C train to 81st Street.
- Performance clips and music make it an easy pick for groups of friends with mixed interests.
- Pair it with Betye Saar's Black Dolls, which is in its final days in the same building.
- Look for the original Saturday Night Fever script and one of the earliest known hip hop party flyers.
Going? Keep it.
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Common questions
What objects are in You Should Be Dancing?
Highlights include a Fender signed by Dee Dee Ramone, a Patti Smith backstage pass, a Studio 54 opening-night invitation, the original Saturday Night Fever script, an early hip hop party flyer and a bass played on "Rapper's Delight."
How long is it on view?
Oct 2, 2026 through Apr 4, 2027.
