The Loft was the location for the first underground dance party (called "Love Saves the Day") organized by David Mancuso, on February 14, 1970, in New York City.

In the late 1970s, Mancuso abandoned the generally accepted and expected practice of beatmatching, preferring to play songs in their entirety on his renowned audiophile-quality sound system.

"[4] Archie Burnett, club dancer and ambassador of urban dance social styles, expresses how the Loft was “not too white, not too black, not too straight, not too gay, you know—truly cool.

[11] Vociferous community opposition ensued,[1] and the party lay dormant for a year during the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs' longest administrative trial to date, based on their insistence that Mancuso required a "cabaret license".

[1] Around this time, DJ and promoter impresario Richard Vasquez began his influential and exclusive weekly parties, named "The Choice", at this location along with Joey Llanos.

[13] Mancuso continued to throw three to five Loft parties per year at rented locations in the East Village while organizing general admission Loft-style events in locales as disparate as London and Tokyo.

One notable example is Babe Ruth's "The Mexican," a rock-fusion piece that may not have fit the traditional disco mold but found a home at the Loft, eventually gaining recognition in the wider music scene, especially within the emerging hip-hop culture.

[15] Mancuso's approach to telling a story through music, allowing songs to play in their entirety without mixing, set a precedent for DJs to focus on creating a narrative on the dancefloor.

[15] Many of the disco era's leading disc jockeys, including Larry Levan,[11] Nicky Siano,[1] and Frankie Knuckles[11] were early Loft attendees.

Nonetheless, Mancuso maintained his niche, breaking such unconventional records as Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa"[1] and the Steve Miller Band's "Macho City" at his weekly events.

[16] Mancuso continued to spread the influence of the Loft overseas, founding the Lucky Cloud Sound System in London and Last Note parties in Italy with his protégé Colleen Murphy, and provided inspiration to the audiophile club Precious Hall in Sapporo, Japan.