Yes, it's cheesy, insufferably jaunty and, of course, irrepressibly pervasive. But there's no denying that it's brilliant: it's a joyous celebration of life, as all good pop records should be.

Music historians primarily remember 1977 as the year that punk changed everything. But on the world's charts, and in clubs and bars from New York to the New Territories, only one sound was booming out of stereos: disco.

On the dance floor, the Bee Gees were king.

Stayin' Alive is the most famous single from the soundtrack of one of the 1970s' most memorable movies, Saturday Night Fever. The film, directed by John Badham, garnered John Travolta an Oscar nomination for his hip-swivelling portrayal of dissolute New York youngster Tony Manero. It is regarded as the definitive portrayal of the hedonistic disco scene of the late 1970s.

But it is the soundtrack, and particularly the songs of the Bee Gees, that have given the film its enduring appeal.

The band consisted of Gibb brothers Barry, Maurice, who died in 2003, and Robin, who died last month. They contributed seven songs to the album, and played five themselves. Stayin' Alive, Night Fever, How Deep is Your Love and If I Can't Have You went to the top of the charts in Britain and the US. Tracks range from four-to-the-floor dance-hall fillers (Night Fever) to smouldering smoochers (How Deep is Your Love).

The brothers were brought on board after the film was shot. Travolta told New Yorker magazine that in the studio, he'd been dancing to Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs tracks. In a recent BBC documentary about the history of disco, Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood said he had to cajole the band into providing songs.

Despite their initial reluctance to take part, the band reportedly wrote four of the soundtrack songs in a single weekend. Jive Talkin' and How Deep is Your Love were added from previous recordings.

The album became a smash hit. It has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

Saturday Night Fever also made the Bee Gees and their trademark falsetto vocals - which were provided by Barry - the defining sound of the era, even if they were also the butt of many a TV comedian's jokes.

The Bee Gees' songs remain the most memorable on the album. But the collection also features other prominent disco artists. Many performances have been overlooked in appreciations of the soundtrack.

Soul singer Yvonne Elliman's version of the Bee Gees-penned If I Can't Have You is far superior to the brothers' original version. It portrays the desperation inherent in the movie's lead characters wonderfully.

Robin's death saw tributes to the singer and references to his band's contributions to music and, in particular, disco.

Robin and his brothers released a huge body of work before and after their 1977 success. But it was the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack that defined the band's career.