Studio Album · No. 5

Bad Girls Songwriting Credits by Donna Summer

1979 Casablanca Records 15 tracks 71 min

Produced by Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte  ·  Engineered by Jürgen Koppers, Steven D. Smith, Brian Gardner

Casablanca Records DiscoFunkRock
53%
Authorship
Collaborator

Holds writing credit on 8 of 15 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 8 / 15 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 15 tracks with documented writers, by whether Donna Summer carries a lyricist or composer credit.

53%
8 trackswritten by Donna Summer 7 tracksoutside writers
Donna Summer's roles on this album

Share of the 15 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist53%
Composer53%
Producer7%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

15
Tracks
11
Lyricists
4
Producers
2
No.1 Singles
2,000,000
Worldwide Copies Sold
1979
Released
Data Insight

Authorship on Bad Girls splits along two lines. 'Hot Stuff' was written entirely by Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer, and Keith Forsey; Donna Summer holds no writing credit on her own breakout rock-disco single, though she produced the vocal performance that defines it. 'Bad Girls' itself she co-wrote with Bruce Sudano, Joe 'Bean' Esposito, and Eddie Hokenson of Brooklyn Dreams, the group led by her then-husband Sudano. Summer wrote 'Dim All the Lights' and 'There Will Always Be a You' entirely on her own, and co-wrote most of the album's ballads with Faltermeyer, Moroder, or outside writers such as Bruce Roberts. Every track was produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte except 'My Baby Understands,' which Summer produced herself with engineer Jürgen Koppers.

Bad Girls is the seventh studio album by Donna Summer, released April 25, 1979 on Casablanca Records as a double LP produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. It is Summer's commercial peak, topping the Billboard 200 for five weeks and yielding two US number-one singles in 'Hot Stuff' and the title track, plus the top-two hit 'Dim All the Lights.' The album widens the duo's synthesizer-driven Eurodisco with rock guitar, funk bass, and horn charts, moving Summer's sound past the extended-groove disco of her earlier Moroder records. It made her the first female artist to hold two songs in the Billboard Hot 100's top three at once, and 'Hot Stuff' won the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Certified multi-platinum in the United States, Bad Girls is regarded as one of the defining disco albums of its era and was later ranked among Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Track Listing & Credits 15 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Hot Stuff #1
Pete BellotteHarold FaltermeyerKeith Forsey Peter John BellotteHans Hugo Harold FaltermeyerKeith Forsey Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
2
Bad Girls #1
Donna SummerBruce SudanoJoe "Bean" EspositoEddie Hokenson Donna Adrian GainesBruce SudanoJoseph Patrick EspositoEdward Hokenson Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
3
Love Will Always Find You
Pete BellotteGiorgio Moroder Peter John BellotteGiovanni Giorgio Moroder Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
4
Walk Away
Pete BellotteHarold Faltermeyer Peter John BellotteHans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
5
Dim All the Lights #2
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
6
Journey to the Center of Your Heart
Pete BellotteGiorgio Moroder Peter John BellotteGiovanni Giorgio Moroder Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
7
One Night in a Lifetime
Pete BellotteHarold Faltermeyer Peter John BellotteHans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
8
Can't Get to Sleep at Night
Bob ContiBruce Sudano Bob ContiBruce Sudano Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
9
On My Honor
Donna SummerHarold FaltermeyerBruce Sudano Donna Adrian GainesHans Hugo Harold FaltermeyerBruce Sudano Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
10
There Will Always Be a You
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
11
All Through the Night
Donna SummerBruce Roberts Donna Adrian GainesBruce Roberts Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
12
My Baby Understands
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines Donna SummerJürgen Koppers Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
13
Our Love
Donna SummerGiorgio Moroder Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio Moroder Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
14
Lucky
Donna SummerGiorgio MoroderJoe EspositoEddie HokensonBruce Sudano Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio MoroderJoseph Patrick EspositoEdward HokensonBruce Sudano Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)
15
Sunset People
Pete BellotteHarold FaltermeyerKeith Forsey Peter John BellotteHans Hugo Harold FaltermeyerKeith Forsey Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 18 contributors

More from Donna Summer

Frequently Asked Questions Bad Girls

Who wrote 'Hot Stuff'?
Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer, and Keith Forsey wrote 'Hot Stuff.' Donna Summer is not a credited writer on the song, though she produced its sound with Moroder and Bellotte and sang the vocal.
Who wrote 'Bad Girls'?
Donna Summer co-wrote the title track with Bruce Sudano, Joe 'Bean' Esposito, and Eddie Hokenson, her then-husband's group Brooklyn Dreams.
Did Donna Summer write any songs alone on this album?
Yes. 'Dim All the Lights' and 'There Will Always Be a You' are solo Donna Summer compositions.
Who produced Bad Girls?
Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte produced the album, except for 'My Baby Understands,' which Summer produced herself with engineer Jürgen Koppers.
How many number-one singles came from Bad Girls?
Two: 'Hot Stuff' and 'Bad Girls' both topped the Billboard Hot 100. 'Dim All the Lights' peaked at number two.
Why is Bad Girls considered Donna Summer's commercial peak?
It topped the Billboard 200 for five weeks, produced two chart-topping singles, and was certified multi-platinum, outperforming every other Summer album.
Did Bad Girls win a Grammy?
'Hot Stuff' won the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 1980 ceremony; the album and 'Bad Girls' also received Grammy nominations.
Is Bad Girls a double album?
Yes. It was originally released as a four-side double LP in April 1979.

Sources