The Queen of Disco Edition Part 1 (Encore)

Donna Summer was a hit-maker for two decades and a dance floor deity for more than three. Her collaborations with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte were formative in dance, electronic, and rock music, influencing everyone from David Bowie and Blondie to Madonna and Moby. But the rock establishment was stinting in its appreciation—whether at Comiskey Park in Chicago in 1979 or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the 2000s. In this encore episode from 2017, Chris Molanphy examines how Summer became the queen of disco … and then transcended that role altogether. Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts.

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The Queen of Disco Edition Part 1 (Encore) is an episode from Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia by Slate Podcasts.

This episode is 31:18 long.

This episode was published on Apr 10, 2026.

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