Welcome back to Hit Parade, a podcast of Pop Chart History from Slate Magazine, about the hits from coast to coast.

I'm Chris Malanfi, chart analyst, pop critic, and writer of Slate's Why Is This Song Number One series?

In part one of this encore presentation of our Donna Summer episode, we walked through the pre-stardom history of the woman-born

Ladonna Gaines, who moved to Germany, performed in musicals, and became Donna Summer,

before recording the sultry Love to Love You Baby, which redefined disco for the era

of the extended mix. She and her producers,

Giorgio Maroder, and Pete Bellotti, even helped invent electronic dance music with the

seminal single, I Feel Love. We're now entering 1978, and Donna is entering her imperial phase, where everything she

touches turns to platinum.

But a forthcoming reckoning for disco music will test Summers' artistry and her stardom.

In several prior episodes of Hit Parade,

we've talked about this period in a music superstar's career,

the moment when any project they take on is met with success.

Elton John in 1975, Prince in 1984,

George Michael in 1988.

Because Donna Summers' imperial period, in the years

1978 and 79, coincided with a musical movement some people never liked,

and some would prefer to forget, her stature in music history has been somewhat diminished.

Where do you feel you stand now?

Well, I just, I don't, I really couldn't even tell you.

I hope I stand in a light of legitimacy, I think, in a place where people will respect what I do

and understand that any songs that I make I do because

...