Top 15 Giorgio Moroder productions from a sensational career

April 26th, 2020 is Italian producer Giorgio Moroder’s 80th birthday. His influence is undeniable, the Father of disco helped pioneer electronic music and is in large part the root of new wave, trance, techno, house, Italo disco. He has won three Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and four Grammy Awards for his work in film score and soundtrack.

Here’s a list of 15 songs that Giorgio Moroder produced for other artists, I didn’t include his own work, but there is a lot of great music under his own name. You’ll notice there is a lot of Donna Summer involved in the list, both artists’ careers are deeply connected, it’s fair to say that their collaboration paved the way to their respective success.

15 – You Can

Madleen Kane ( 1981)

This obscure hit from Swedish model Madleen Kane is a song that stuck in my head when I was a kid. I just rediscovered the song a few years ago and I was immediately charmed by the simple melancholic melody and the sweet voice of Madleen Kane.

14 – Last Dance

Donna Summer (1978)

The first song by Donna Summer on this list, Last Dance is from the soundtrack of the movie Thank God it’s Friday, and it brought Moroder an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. The song has the distinction to be one of the first disco songs to have a long ballad intro, followed by a dance-tempo beat for the rest of the song.

13 – Breakdance

Irene Cara (1984)

That modest hit from Irene Cara, coming from the same album as another bigger hit from her (more on that later), is a tribute to the dance that originated in the 70’s but was really popular in the early 80’s. It’s interesting that the music style of the song isn’t really what we would associate with breakdancing, like old school rap, but it’s more sounding like Hi-NRG, a style Moroder created.

12 – Love to Love You Baby

Donna Summer (1975)

This is the oldest song on the list, and also the longest. It’s one of the first disco songs to be released in an extended form, at a length of 16:49, and it still reached no.2 on Billboard Hot 100. Apart from its unusual length, and the fact that it’s the first success for the Summer-Moroder association, the song is famous for its explicit orgasm sounds.

11 – No More Words

Berlin (1984)

Moroder produced this great single from the American band Berlin, it was featured in the movie Vision Quest, which also has a performance of Madonna’s song Crazy for you. It has the Hi-NRG style of the Italian producer and the great voice of singer Terri Nunn. Berlin and Moroder will work together again a few years later as you’ll see on this list.

10 – On The Radio

Donna Summer (1979)

On The Radio is one of many hits by Donna Summer in the year 1979, it was written for the soundtrack of the movie Foxes. It follows the formula from Last Dance, with the slow intro morphing into a dance song. Summer’s voice is incredible, she really was at the top of her game at the end of the 70’s.

9 – No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)

Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer (1979)

This unique duet from two legends went to no.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fun fact is that it’s the 4th number one hit for both singers, and the 3rd for Summer in 1979 alone. The single appeared on Streisand album Wet, and on a compilation album for Summer in that same year, although both versions have different mixes.

8 – The NeverEnding Story

Limahl (1984)

This song was featured in the movie with the same name, it is sung by former Kajagoogoo lead singer Limahl, with additional vocals by American singer Beth Anderson. The style differs a little from the disco era of Moroder, it is sophisticated pop with modulations in harmony for a grandiose effect. Fun fact, the song has a fade-in and a fade-out, hence the neverending effect.

7 – Bad Girls

Donna Summer (1979)

The song Bad Girls, from the album of the same name, is a classic of the end of the disco era. It’s part of the chart domination by Donna Summer in 1979, this one went to no.1 on Billboard Hot 100, R&B, and Dance Club charts. On this album, there was a deliberate intent to incorporate a rock element to the disco sound, heavier music like punk and heavy metal was getting noticed. The fusion of disco and rock works well here, and even more on the other big hit from this album, higher on this list.

6 – Together in Electric Dreams

Philip Oakey (1984)

Another movie song produced by Moroder, maybe not as popular as some others on this list, it only charted on the Dance Club chart in the US, but it’s a solid classic from the post-disco era of the producer. It features Human League’s lead singer Philip Oakey on vocals, it is often wrongly thought as a Human League song.

5 – Hot Stuff

Donna Summer (1979)

Hot Stuff is an undisputed classic of the end of the disco era. It’s the first single coming from the Bad Girls album, it went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the first of three no.1 for Summer that year. On that song, the rock influence is undeniable, it even features a guitar solo by ex Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff Baxter. It is probably Donna Summer’s most well-known song, it is only surpassed on this list by a landmark number, more on that later.

4 – Call Me

Blondie (1980)

This song was recorded for the movie American Gigolo and it became a massive hit for Blondie. Initially, the song was offered to Stevie Nicks but she declined it. This is probably the heaviest song on the list, the band Blondie is famous for trying different styles but has its roots in punk and rock. It’s one of the best songs of 1980 and also a classic from this decade.

3 – Flashdance… What a Feeling

Irene Cara (1983)

The other collaboration with singer Irene Cara, on this list, this classic is one of the best movie songs of all time. It won a Grammy, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award, and it’s the first and only number one for the singer. It’s a pop masterpiece with great melodies and a fine performance by Cara, it also borrows the Moroder trademark with a slow ballad intro going into a dance tempo.

2 – Take My Breath Away

Berlin (1986)

According to Moroder, it’s the production he’s the proudest of, this song was recorded for the movie Top Gun. It was offered to the Motels, but eventually, Berlin, with whom Moroder had worked before, recorded the song. It won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, it’s still one of the most beautiful movies love song ever made.

1 – I Feel Love

Donna Summer (1977)

It’s safe to say it’s Giorgio Moroder’s signature production, the song is one of the most influential recordings of the music industry, it paved the way for all forms of electronic music. It’s on a concept album by Donna Summer called I Remember Yesterday, with each song evoking a different decade. I Feel Love represents the future, and over 40 years later it still sounds futuristic amazingly. It features the Moog synthesizer and, interesting fact, besides the vocals, the only other human-played part is the bass drum, as the Moog could not create a satisfactory sound.

Conclusion

So here it is, the top 15 productions by the Italian legendary producer. Also, there is his solo material that is worthy, but he really shined while producing other artists, Donna Summer especially. Happy 80th birthday Giorgio Moroder and thanks for the great music.