DONNA SUMMER

Donna is one of the greatest female artists of any musical genre. Fascinating to note that several of the songs which are best remembered today and have become staples of TV talent shows and karaoke bars were poor sellers in the UK- Last Dance, On The Radio. Donna, like many African American artists suffered from not being physically present in the UK to promote her music. She never appeared on any prime time UK TV show or Talk Show during her "golden era". She appeared on TOTPs just a couple of times. BBC Radio 1 was not kind to artists of colour and several of her singles struggled to get any airplay- Could It Be Magic & Last Dance are two of the most notable examples. For young folks today it must be hard to imagine a time when there were so few opportunities to see artists perform on TV or to hear their music on radio or indeed to buy their records! Very few female artists were taken seriously during the 60s & 70s and it was doubly hard for any black artists. Even the biggest female stars struggled to achieve consistent chart success including Diana Ross & Barbra Streisand. The past is indeed another country!

There wasn't enough time for a single to become a big hit (or album even) - As she released them so shortly after another.

Even in the US, where she had 2 singles in the top 5 (3 even) twice and where one single 'dim all the lights' hit #2 and was destined to go 1 the week after, was overtaken by No more tears enough is enough.

She release 3 (double) albums in 13 months... They all hit #1 but how much more sales could each album have had with more singles and more time.

Jeez I really LOVE Live & More!! BTW I am disappointingly surprised that in the UK she wasn't bigger.

1977 was her best year 4 top 10's in the UK and a #1, musical taste certainly vary from country to country. Donna had 12 top 10 singles 1976-82. and was Billboards top music artist between that period (pre-mtv era). She had 9 consecutive top 5 singles between Aug 1978 and Oct 1980, 4 # 1 singles, 3 double albums to the top of the charts in 14 months. Made history by being the first female to have #1 single and album at the same time (3 times in 8 months). First to have 2 songs in the top 3, (did that twice in 1979 - with 4 different songs). The first to 3 #1 singles, to have 5 top 10 singles (and/or 5 top 5 singles) in the same year. Sold 20 million plus albums and 15 million plus singles with Casablanca records in the US, before she left in March 1980. She had 10 gold singles, 2 went platinum, and one gold maxi-single. She is under-certified by the RIAA (on it's site), because the RIAA didn't start multi-platinum certifications until 1984. All 3 of her chart topping double albums were multi-platinum.

Thass juss wot I think. To me Donna was the greatest singer ever n no one else comes close on ere, them early albums of ers were ahead of their time like Four Seasons n Love Trilogy. Ere I used to play them aged 16 n thass wot you call music at iss best n er voice juss got better n better. It aint right she died when she did cos she was so young n so beautiful n all.

It is a joke that so many of her singles did not chart here in the UK. One single #1 does not do her justice at all. The Streisand duet should have easily been another #1 as well as her S/A/W single "This Time..." . I think it is down to the BTQ (bitter, evil, twisted) queens that have not forgiven her for these "allegations". But I guess we have to make do with "talents" coming from those shows who cannot sing to save their lives, but rack up 5 #1s!!! (yes I am talking to YOU Chezzah!)

For many years Donna Summer was one of the UK's most successful female artists, a fact many people never knew, or certainly wouldn't have believed. 299 weeks on the UK singles chart with 29 top 40 hits is quite an achievement, especially for a woman who rarely visited these shores nor even appeared on Top Of The Pops until 1987 - eleven years after her debut.