Morali had written a few dance tunes when he was given a demo tape recorded by singer/actor Victor Willis. In 1977, they moved to New York City to get into the American market. Jacques Morali, a French musical composer and producer, and his business partner Henri Belolo, known collectively as Can't Stop Productions, were enjoying a successful string of hits in France and Europe. In March 2020, the US Library of Congress described the last as 'an American phenomenon' and added the song to the National Recording Registry, which preserves audio recordings considered to be 'culturally, historically or aesthetically significant'. The group quickly became popular and moved into the mainstream, scoring several disco and dance hits internationally, including the hit singles ' Macho Man', ' In the Navy', ' Go West' and their biggest hit, ' Y.M.C.A.'. As of 2020, Victor Willis is the only original member of the group. The characters were a symbolic group of American masculinity and macho gay-fantasy personas.
The group's name refers to Manhattan's Greenwich Village, with its reputation as a gay neighborhood.
The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the release of the debut album Village People, which targeted disco's large gay audience. Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music.
