What other tune better baited disco devotees with the promise of pure nocturnal desire than Donna Summer's throbbing orgasmic anthem "Love to Love You Baby"? Trained as an opera singer but born again as a daringly sensual diva, Summer hit her stride after partnering with producer Giorgio Moroder and creating a steady succession of radio staples that nurtured her career from the mid-'70s through the early '80s.
The combination of her sultry style and Moroder's atmospheric arrangements oozed sex and seduction on hits that extended well beyond the dance floor, like "I Feel Love," "Bad Girl," "On the Radio," "MacArthur Park," and her tour de force, "Last Dance." To her credit, Summer's albums reflected a thoughtful, sophisticated stance that helped her win converts across the board. From the rock-steady pulse of "Hot Stuff" and the heady R&B imbued in her album The Wanderer to an unlikely duet with Barbra Streisand titled "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)," her outreach distanced her from the competition. Summer redefined herself yet again with the R&B strut of "She Works Hard for the Money," a feminist anthem that brought her back to the airwaves once more. Forever iconic, more than 30 years on, Summer is still a star for all seasons.