Most frequent collaboratorGiorgio Moroder · 58 tracks
GenresDiscoEuro DiscoDance-Pop
Songwriter
68%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 68 of 100 tracks
Did Donna Summer write her own songs?
Yes. She co-wrote most of her biggest hits with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, starting with 'Love to Love You Baby' in 1975 and continuing through 'I Feel Love' and the Bad Girls album. She was a credited songwriter, not just the voice on the record.
By the Numbers
10
Studio Albums
100
Tracks Credited
68%
Self-Written
130 million+
Records Sold
44
Years Active
128
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 68 / 100 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 100 tracks: how many Donna Summer wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Donna Summer has a writing credit68%
6%
62%
32%
Sole author6tracks6%
Co-written62tracks62%
Outside writers32tracks32%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Donna Summer's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 100 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)68%
Composer (music)68%
Producer1%
Performer100%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Donna Summer's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 68%
17%
100%
88%
100%
53%
50%
22%
100%
30%
100%
1975Love to Love You Baby
1976Four Seasons of Love
1977I Remember Yesterday
1977Once Upon a Time...
1979Bad Girls
1980The Wanderer
1982Donna Summer
1983She Works Hard for the Money
1989Another Place and Time
2008Crayons
Early · 83% written
Mid · 56% written
Late · 68% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
74%
1970s
Love to Love You Baby, Four Seasons of Love +3 more
50%
1980s
The Wanderer, Donna Summer +2 more
100%
2000s
Crayons
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Donna Summer sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Donna Summer
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
Spring Affair
Four Seasons of Love
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
Winter Melody
Four Seasons of Love
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
I Remember Yesterday
I Remember Yesterday
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
Love's Unkind
I Remember Yesterday
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
Back in Love Again
I Remember Yesterday
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
I Feel Love
I Remember Yesterday
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
I Love You
Once Upon a Time...
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
Rumour Has It
Once Upon a Time...
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, Peter John Bellotte
Co-wrote
Hot Stuff
Bad Girls
Written by Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey, Peter John Bellotte, Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer
Outside writers
Bad Girls
Bad Girls
Written by Donna Summer, Bruce Sudano, Joe "Bean" Esposito, Eddie Hokenson, Donna Adrian Gaines, Joseph Patrick Esposito, Edward Hokenson
Co-wrote
Dim All the Lights
Bad Girls
Written by Donna Summer, Donna Adrian Gaines
Wrote it
The Wanderer
The Wanderer
Written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Donna Adrian Gaines, Giovanni Giorgio Moroder
Co-wrote
Cold Love
The Wanderer
Written by Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey, Pete Bellotte, Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer, Peter John Bellotte
Outside writers
Who Do You Think You're Foolin'
The Wanderer
Written by Pete Bellotte, Sylvester Levay, Jerry Rix, Peter John Bellotte, Szilveszter Lévay
Outside writers
Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)
Donna Summer
Written by Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, Merria Ross, Quincy Delight Jones Jr., Rodney Lynn Temperton
Outside writers
State of Independence
Donna Summer
Written by Jon Anderson, Vangelis, John Roy Anderson, Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou
Outside writers
The Woman in Me
Donna Summer
Written by John Bettis, Mike Clark, Michael Clark
Outside writers
She Works Hard for the Money
She Works Hard for the Money
Written by Donna Summer, Michael Omartian, Donna Adrian Gaines
Co-wrote
Unconditional Love
She Works Hard for the Money
Written by Donna Summer, Michael Omartian, Donna Adrian Gaines
Co-wrote
Love Has a Mind of Its Own
She Works Hard for the Money
Written by Donna Summer, Michael Omartian, Bruce Sudano, Donna Adrian Gaines
Co-wrote
Stop, Look and Listen
She Works Hard for the Money
Written by Donna Summer, Michael Omartian, Greg Phillinganes, Donna Adrian Gaines
Co-wrote
This Time I Know It's for Real
Another Place and Time
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Donna Summer, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman, Donna Adrian Gaines
Co-wrote
I Don't Wanna Get Hurt
Another Place and Time
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
Love's About to Change My Heart
Another Place and Time
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
Breakaway
Another Place and Time
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
When Love Takes Over You
Another Place and Time
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
I'm a Fire
Crayons
Written by Donna Summer, Al Kasha, Sebastian Arocha Morton, Donna Adrian Gaines, Alfred Kasha
Co-wrote
Stamp Your Feet
Crayons
Written by Donna Summer, Danielle Brisebois, Greg Kurstin, Donna Adrian Gaines, Gregory Allen Kurstin
Co-wrote
Fame (The Game)
Crayons
Written by Donna Summer, Toby Gad, Donna Adrian Gaines, Tobias Gad
Co-wrote
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Discography 10 albums
Covers a ten-album core spanning Donna Summer's career, from Love to Love You Baby (1975) through her final album, Crayons (2008), including her Munich disco years with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte and the Stock Aitken Waterman-written Another Place and Time. Summer released roughly seventeen studio albums; the remaining titles, including live and Christmas records, are tracked in TODO.md under Incomplete Catalog.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. PB Pete Bellotte · NW Nick Woodland · KF Keith Forsey · MA Matt Aitken
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Donna Summer's writing credit is real and consistent across most of her catalog: from Love to Love You Baby through She Works Hard for the Money, she appears in the composer column under her legal name, Donna Adrian Gaines, on the majority of her own songs, working inside a tight circle with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte in the Munich disco years and later with Michael Omartian and other collaborators. 'I Feel Love' and 'Hot Stuff' both carry her name alongside her producers', and 'Bad Girls' adds Bruce Sudano, Joe Esposito, and Eddie Hokenson to the credit. The clear exception is Another Place and Time, where the British production team Stock Aitken Waterman wrote and produced almost everything, and Summer's own name appears on only a handful of the tracks. Her final album, Crayons, returns her to co-writing across nearly every song with a newer set of collaborators, closing the catalog on the same self-authored footing it began with.
Quick Facts
Rock and Roll Hall of FameInducted in 2013, one year after her death.
Grammy AwardsWon 5 Grammys from 18 nominations, spanning R&B, rock, dance, and inspirational categories.
Triple #1 double albumsThe only artist to land three consecutive number-one double albums: Live and More, Bad Girls, and On the Radio.
'I Feel Love' legacyIts all-synthesizer pulse is widely credited as the blueprint for house, techno, and trance production.
Songwriters Hall of FameInducted in 2025 in recognition of her writing catalog, not just her vocals.
Chart dominanceScored 4 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and 16 number-one hits on the Dance Club Songs chart.
Creative Fingerprint
Donna Summer co-wrote most of her signature hits, including 'Love to Love You Baby,' 'I Feel Love,' and 'Bad Girls,' alongside producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, making her a genuine self-author of the disco era rather than a vocalist fronting someone else's songs.
The Story
Donna Summer, born Donna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts, was the defining voice of disco and one of the genre's genuine songwriters. Working from Munich with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, she co-wrote the 1975 breakthrough 'Love to Love You Baby' and the landmark 1977 single 'I Feel Love,' a Moog-driven track that reshaped electronic dance music. She became the first artist to land three consecutive number-one double albums, and her run of hits from 'Hot Stuff' and 'Bad Girls' to 'She Works Hard for the Money' carried her writing credit alongside her producers'. Later records took her further from her own pen: Another Place and Time (1989) was largely written and produced by the British hitmaking team Stock Aitken Waterman, with Summer as interpreter rather than co-author. She won five Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, and died on May 17, 2012 after a career that sold more than 130 million records worldwide.
Awards & Recognition
Grammy Award - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, 'Last Dance' (1979)
Grammy Award - Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, 'Hot Stuff' (1980)
Grammy Award - Best Inspirational Performance, 'He's a Rebel' (1984)
Grammy Award - Best Inspirational Performance, 'Forgive Me' (1985)
Grammy Award - Best Dance Recording, 'Carry On' (1998)
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (2013)
Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee (2025)
Hollywood Walk of Fame star (1992)
Dance Music Hall of Fame inductee (2004)
Frequently Asked Questions Donna Summer
Did Donna Summer write her own songs?
Yes. She co-wrote most of her biggest hits with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, starting with 'Love to Love You Baby' in 1975 and continuing through 'I Feel Love' and the Bad Girls album. She was a credited songwriter, not just the voice on the record.
Who wrote 'I Feel Love'?
'I Feel Love' was written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, and Pete Bellotte, with Bellotte credited for the lyrics and Summer and Moroder shaping the composition. Moroder and Bellotte also produced the track.
Who wrote 'Hot Stuff'?
'Hot Stuff' was written by Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer, and Keith Forsey. Summer is not a credited writer on this one, though Moroder and Bellotte produced it and Faltermeyer and Forsey also played on the track.
Who wrote 'Bad Girls'?
'Bad Girls' was written by Donna Summer, Joe 'Bean' Esposito, Eddie Hokenson, and Bruce Sudano, three of whom were members of the group Brooklyn Dreams. Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte produced the track but are not listed as songwriters.
Who wrote 'Love to Love You Baby'?
'Love to Love You Baby' was written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, and Pete Bellotte. Bellotte produced the track at Musicland Studios in Munich.
What is Donna Summer's real name?
She was born Donna Adrian Gaines (some sources render it LaDonna Adrian Gaines) on December 31, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Is Donna Summer in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes. Her induction was announced on December 11, 2012, seven months after her death, and the induction ceremony took place April 18, 2013.
How many Grammy Awards did Donna Summer win?
She won 5 Grammy Awards from 18 nominations, covering R&B, rock, dance, and inspirational/gospel categories, including wins for 'Last Dance,' 'Hot Stuff,' and 'Carry On.'
Was Donna Summer just a disco singer or did she shape the sound itself?
Both. As a co-writer on tracks like 'I Feel Love,' she helped shape a production style, the all-synthesizer, four-on-the-floor pulse, that later became the foundation of house and techno. Critics point to 'I Feel Love' as a turning point where dance music's sound itself changed.
What is Donna Summer's chart record with double albums?
She is the only artist to have three consecutive number-one double albums: Live and More (1978), Bad Girls (1979), and On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II (1979).
Donna Summer
