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New Song From The Afghan Whigs – See and Don’t See [Free Download]

Jason Thomas — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:43:15 +0000

Greg Dulli and The Afghan Whigs are all set for a summer tour that includes a stop right here in Chicago at Lollapalooza. The band hasn’t played live in 13 years and hasn’t released an album since 1998. A free download has just popped up on their website (embedded below), a song originally recorded in 1970 by Marie “Queenie” Lyons. Download below and prepare for their set on August 3 in Grant Park.

See it here and download for free.

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Performs At Mark Zuckerberg’s Secret Wedding

Staff Writer — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:16:52 +0000

The day after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg officially became a multi-billionaire via the most anticipated IPO ever, he wed his girlfriend of more than nine years. In a private ceremony in Palo Alto, California, Zuckerberg married his college sweetheart Priscilla Chan. Chan, who graduated medical school last week at University of California at San Francisco, has dated Zuckerberg since his dorm room days prior to the launching of Facebook. Her character was absent from the film The Social Network in favor of a more dramatic dating story.

The guests all thought they were coming to celebrate Chan’s graduation but were told after they arrived that the event was in fact a wedding. “Everybody was shocked,” one guest told the AP. Zuckerberg made the nuptials public when he updated his status to Married, which garnered 800,000 Likes by Sunday evening.

According to the Mercury News, a special performer was brought in to entertain the guests; Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong sang a few acoustic tunes including “Tell Me When It’s Time To Say I Love You.” In a TMZ video, with audio slightly obscured by passing cars, Billie can be heard dedicating a song to the newlyweds. “This song is one I wrote for my wife of 18 years… uh… it better be for her or I’d be in trouble. This song’s called ‘Last Night On Earth.’”

Green Day is currently in studio recording a trilogy titled ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! with the first album due in September.

No word yet if Billie Joe was a guest or a paid performer. Calls to Green Day’s publicists were not immediately returned.

Apparently, owning the most important tech company in recent history and having limitless wealth may have a few perks.

Lyrics

I text a postcard, sent to you
Did it go through?
Sending all my love to you
You are the moonlight of my life every night
Giving all my love to you

Get the rest on MetroLyrics »

Return Of Radiohead & Listeners Choose Nigel Godrich’s Birthday Playlist [Watch, Listen]

-Jay Tilles, CBS Local

Last Chance to Win Radiohead Tickets [Giveway]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:55:55 +0000

Photos: RadioheadEnter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Radiohead in an XRT Show on June 10 at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre! Tickets are still available.

Tickets courtesy of Live Nation.

Radiohead has added another leg of North American dates to the ongoing world tour in support of its album The King Of Limbs. Friday, June 8th, they headline the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester TN.

Lollapalooza Lineup Leaked? — Will We See Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers & Beyonce In Grant Park?

A New ‘Roo — The Official Bonnaroo 2012 Lineup Includes Radiohead, RHCP, The Beach Boys, Phish and…

The Top 10 Vinyl Albums Of 2011

These Go To Eleven — Mary Dixon’s 11/11/11 Playlist

Radiohead Ready Remix Releases

Album Stream: Radiohead – ‘The King Of Limbs’

Read Radiohead’s ‘The Universal Sigh’ Newspaper

Thom Yorke, DJ

Lolla At 20: Radiohead Take Lollapalooza With A Bang

Watch: Radiohead’s Surprise Set From Glastonbury

Mick Jagger On SNL: Skits, Three Performances, No Rolling Stones Clues

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:22:08 +0000

This weekend, Mick Jagger helped to put a lid on Saturday Night Live‘s latest season, performing three times, joining in a couple of skits, and helping to send off one of the show’s brightest stars, Kristen Wiig.

In his opening monologue, lasting about three minutes, Jagger joked while he loves Arcade Fire and Foo Fighters (the bands he collaborated with on the show), his favorite new group is the musicians from the Free Credit Report Dot Com commercials. When discussing any of his past regrets, he mentioned turning down restaurant chain Ruby Tuesday’s offer to sing “Ruby Tuesday” at their opening for $1,000 and a lifetime supply of jalapeno poppers. Any Rolling Stones fans looking for clues about the band’s upcoming plans were disappointed that no reference was made to the group’s much-rumored about future palns.

Jagger joined in a recurring skit, “The Kings Of Catchphrase Comedy,” where he played British comedian Denny “A Bit Weird Innit?” Cumberbatch. (Foo Fighter Dave Grohl guested in the skit as well, playing an exaggerated version of himself). In another skit, Jagger portrayed Steven Tyler of Aerosmith (who has never hid the fact that the Rolling Stones frontman is a big influence on him).

Jagger performed three times: He performed a medley of “19th Nervous Breakdown and “It’s Only Rock N Roll (But I Like It)” with the Foo Fighters, a band who previously opened for the Stones over a decade ago. Foo frontman Dave Grohl sang the latter song as if it were the gospel he follows, and guitarist Pat Smear beamed throughout the entire performance. The Foos are used to playing with legends: Alice Cooper and Joan Jett have joined them on stage on their latest tour, and they’ve also shared the stage with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and David Bowie in the past.

The other younger band Jagger collaborated with was Grammy winning Canadian indie rock group Arcade Fire, who seemed to have a blast with “The Last Time.” The band, generally very serious, were all smiles during the performance.

Jagger also reunited with Jeff Beck for a new song about the upcoming election called “Tea Party.” Jagger poked fun (lightly) at the Republican challenger, singing
“Mr. Romney, he’s such a mensch, but he always plays it fair, Mr. Romney is a hard working man, and he always says his prayers,” also noting that you shouldn’t let him “touch your hair.” He didn’t mention President Obama by name – perhaps because he and Beck recently performed at The White House.

The show ended with one of the sweetest moments in recent SNL history, with Mick playing a guest speaker at a college graduation saying goodbye to a graduating class, and calling out cast member Kristen Wiig (it was her final show). Arcade Fire performed The Rolling Stones’ “She’s A Rainbow” and “Ruby Tuesday” as each cast member and the show’s creator/producer Lorne Michaels came out and shared a brief dance with the actress. Wiig teared up shortly into the skit, and pointed at the audience during the “still I’m gonna miss you.” And with that, the show and the season ended. Stones fans no doubt enjoyed seeing Mick doing double duty, but are still wondering what the next few months have in store for the legendary band.

R.I.P. Donna Summer: Eight Essential Songs From The Queen Of Disco [Playlist]

– Brian Ives, CBS Local

Donna Summer: “Snubbed” By The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:16:08 +0000

Following Donna Summer’s death last week, tributes from musicians and celebrities poured in from all corners of pop culture, expressing admiration for the singer’s catalog of music. But was she snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Two very influential voices think so.

Elton John told E! News that “Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace, especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted.” As an inductee, Elton is a voting member of the Hall. But as the Chairman of the Rock Hall’s nominating committee, Jon Landau may have even more pull than Sir Elton. Landau told The New York Times in a statement “There is absolutely no doubt that the extraordinary Donna Summer belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Regrettably, despite being nominated on a number of occasions, our voting group has failed to recognize her — an error I can only hope is finally and permanently rectified next year.”

While some rock and roll fans might be put off by the idea of one of disco’s biggest stars being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she was respected by a number of bona fide legends, including Bruce Springsteen (who is managed by Landau). In his book, Songs, Springsteen wrote, “‘Cover Me’ I’d originally written for Donna Summer. She could really sing and I disliked the veiled racism of the anti-disco movement. When I cut the demo, it came out so good that I held on to it. I later wrote another song, ‘Protection,’ and recorded it with Donna and Quincy Jones in L.A.” Springsteen played lead guitar on the song, and his backing vocals are audible. In the liner notes of a Springsteen tribute album which featured the previously-released recording, Summer wrote “Bruce wrote the song for me, and in fact, came to my house in Los Angeles for several days to get it done. I love the song as well as being a big Bruce Springsteen fan. It was the icing on the cake and a big moment in my life.”

KISS frontman Gene Simmons paid tribute after Summers’ passing, pointing out that Summer guested on his 1978 self-titled album, tweeting: “A sad goodbye to Donna Summer. Gracious. Caring. She sang on Burnin’ Up With Fever on my solo album. She will be missed.”

In the liner notes of his Sound + Vision box set, David Bowie wrote “”One day in Berlin, (producer Brian) Eno came running in and said, ‘I have heard the sound of the future’ … he puts on ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer … He said, ‘This is it, look no further. This single is going to change the sound of club music for the next fifteen years.”)

Even recent inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Red Hot Chili Peppers are fans: in recent years, they’ve covered “I Feel Love.” The song is on their 2004 live album (available as an import) Live In Hyde Park.

Summer wouldn’t be the first artist from the dance music world to be inducted (if she is inducted): The Bee Gees, ABBA, Madonna and Michael Jackson are all members of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Your Favorite Vinyl Albums

–Brian Ives, CBS Local

Billboard Awards: Donna Summer, Whitney Houston, Robin Gibb Tributes, Stevie Wonder Honored

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:11:13 +0000

Last night’s Billboard Awards reacted quickly to the passing of Bee Gees member Robin Gibb, with the show’s co-host, Modern Family co-star Julie Bowen saying that “His voice, and the music of The Bee Gees will live on forever.” It wasn’t the only tribute to a recently departed music legend during the night.

Pop singer Natasha Bedingfield paid tribute to Donna Summer, who passed away last week, singing Summer’s “Last Dance.” Whitney Houston got a somewhat more elaborate tribute, with R&B star John Legend performing her “The Greatest Love Of All” backed by an orchestra, followed by former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks (who co-starred with Houston in her final film, Sparkle) performing “I Will Always Love You.” Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, accepted Billboard’s Millennium Award for her mother. One other musical tribute was dedicated to the late Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch, with The Voice judge Cee Lo Green and his hip-hop group Goodie Mob performing an excerpt of The Beastie Boys “Fight For Your Right.”

Happily, one music legend who was being honored was there in the flesh: Stevie Wonder. The Motown legend received the Billboard Icon Award, and performed his classics “Overjoyed” and “Higher Ground” with multi-platinum superstar Alicia Keys.

– Brian Ives

Your Favorite Vinyl Albums

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:20 +0000

We asked XRT Listeners On Facebook to share some of the vinyl they just couldn’t live without.

Did we miss your favorite album? Tell us below, or on Facebook.

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Celebrate Record Store Day!

Everything Record Store Day

Vinyl Rules!

Video: Johnny Marr Talks About His Favorite Records

Video: Tour The New Eight Track Museum In Dallas

Silver And Gold: Bono Becomes Rock’s Richest Star?

Staff Writer — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:20:03 +0000

As Facebook went public today, reports are calculating that Bono’s investment company, Elevation Partners, stands to make up to $1.5 billion off of the IPO. According to Inc.,
Elevation owns 1.5 percent of Facebook’s shares. What percentage will go to Bono is unknown, but as a co-founder of the company, he likely stands to make a considerable profit. That’s especially good news for the U2 frontman, who was once referred to as “the worst investor” in America: one of Elevation’s notoriously bad investments was in Yelp, which has since been plagued with class-action lawsuits and extortion accusations.

According to a number of reports, the Facebook IPO could make Bono the richest rock star in the world, passing Paul McCartney.

The night before the IPO offering, Bono performed at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, singing U2′s “Angel Of Harlem” at the Jazz Foundation Of America’s “A Great Night In Harlem” concert, which also featured Macy Gray, Dr. John, David Johansen and special guest Quincy Jones. The annual concert raises money toassist older jazz and blues musicians “in need,” according to the organization’s website.

– Brian Ives, CBS Local

Marker’s Weekend Live Blues Pick

Tom Marker — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:26:15 +0000

Sugar Blue at Rosa’s Saturday

This weekend our live blues pick isn’t for just one show on one night, it’s for a two day event. Part One on Friday evening, Part Two on Saturday evening. It’s not a performance we’re picking, though there will be a performance each night. It’s a symposium that looks to be very interesting, well planned with good speakers and interesting topics, and a lot of fun, too. It’s a two day symposium on Race, Gender and the Blues.

This weekend Dominican University in the near west suburb of River Forest is presenting a two day program on the blues. Blues and the Spirit III, A Symposium on Race, Gender and The Blues includes speakers, a multimedia presentation, a Blues Summit on the state and future of blues, panels, presentations awards and two outings to blues clubs.

Find out everything you need to know by visiting Dominican University’s web page at dom.edu/blues.

Read about the upcoming Blues Breakers Blues Fest Broadcast

See the line-up for the 2012 Chicago Blues Fest

From Live Aid To Obama: Mick Jagger’s Collaborations Through The Years [Playlist]

Staff Writer — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:57:42 +0000

Mick Jagger is not a frontman bound by the confines of his band. In addition to releasing four solo albums, the Rolling Stones singer has collaborated with his fair share of musical friends, some more likely than others. He’ll do it again this weekend when he serves as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live – a gig that sees Jagger performing alongside the Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire and frequent accomplice Jeff Beck instead of the Stones. In honor of this, let’s look at Jagger’s many collaborations through the years.

1978: Peter Tosh put his own reggae spin on the Temptations’ “Don’t Look Back,” renaming his version “(You Got To Walk And) Don’t Look Back.” Jagger was there to help, trading vocals with the Jamaican artist and later performing the song on SNL together.

1984: One of rock’s greatest frontmen met the King of Pop on the Jacksons’ “State of Shock” single, off their album Victory. However, Jagger was the replacement for another famous rock vocalist. The demo of “State of Shock” featured Queen’s Freddie Mercury dueting with Michael and was originally planned for Thriller, but due to timing constraints, Mercury could not re-record a final version.

1985: On Mick Jagger’s first solo album, She’s the Boss, he got by with a little help from his friends. The album featured instrumental contributions from Jeff Beck, The Who’s Pete Townshend, Herbie Hancock and Carlos Alomar. Jagger would re-team with Beck in ’87 for his second solo album, Primitive Cool.

Martha and the Vandellas’ 1964 hit “Dancing in the Street” was re-imagined 20+ years later by David Bowie and Mick Jagger. Their cover was first planned for a performance at Live Aid, but due to technical complications, Jagger and Bowie recorded “Dancing in the Street” as a charity single instead. The single reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart, and the video – which featured plenty of rump-shaking from both Bowie and Jagger – debuted during the Live Aid broadcast.

While Jagger’s Live Aid collaboration with Bowie didn’t work out, he squeezed in a high-profile live duet with Tina Turner at the charity concert event, backed by Hall & Oates. The two performed his new Jackson duet “State of Shock” and the Stones’ “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It),” during which Jagger scandalously ripped off Turner’s skirt. The two would reunite for live duets during the ’80s.

1993: On his third solo album, Wandering Spirit, Jagger yet again enlisted his famous friends, including Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Lenny Kravitz, who added vocals to Jagger’s cover of Bill Withers’ “Use Me.”

2001: On his fourth and final solo album (at least so far), Goddess in the Doorway, Jagger went a little crazy with the collaborations. He reunited with Pete Townshend and Lenny Kravitz (who led single “God Gave Me Everything”), and added stars like Bono, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Matchbox 20′s Rob Thomas to the mix. Jagger also asked rapper Wyclef Jean and Kravitz to help produce the album.

2002: On J. Geils Band singer Peter Wolf’s solo album Sleepless, Jagger and Wolf duet on a song called “Nothing But The Wheel.” Interestingly enough, Keith Richards also appears on Sleepless, but on a different album.

2004: Jagger reunited with past producer/collaborator, Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, to write and produce the soundtrack to the film remake of Alfie. The two recruited Sheryl Crow and Joss Stone, who would later join Jagger and Stewart in their super group SuperHeavy.

2009: At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25^th anniversary concerts, Jagger re-teamed with Bono for performances of U2′s “Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” and the Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” on which the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am and Fergie also assisted. Two years later, Jagger would meet will.i.am again, contributing vocals on the rapper’s “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)”single alongside Jennifer Lopez.

2011: At last year’s Grammy Awards, Jagger paid tribute to soul legend Solomon Burke with a duet of his “Everybody Needs Someone To Love” with modern R&B singer-guitarist Raphael Saadiq.

The Jagger-led supergroup SuperHeavy surprised some fans when it was first announced, but given Jagger’s history with Stewart and past collaboration with Joss Stone, it’s fair to say stranger things have happened (see: Jagger’s will.i.am collab). Film composer A.R. Rahman and reggae prince Damian Marley rounded out the aesthetically eclectic band, who released its self-titled debut in September 2011.

2012: During a White House salute to the blues back in February, President Obama was convinced to join Jagger, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck on stage for a cover of blues standard “Sweet Home Chicago.”

–Jillian Mapes, CBS Local

Black Sabbath: “We Have Engaged A Substitute Drummer”

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:02:55 +0000

Following Bill Ward’s lengthy statement detailing why he won’t be joining Black Sabbath for their upcoming concert performances, Black Sabbath have responded with their own much shorter statement.

“We have decided not to make any detailed comment on Bill’s latest statement. There are two sides to every story. We have been working hard at rehearsals making excellent progress after Tony’s treatments and we have engaged a substitute drummer for the forthcoming shows. See you at Download.”

Notably, Sabbath didn’t mention who their “substitute drummer” is, but that won’t remain a secret much longer: the band have a “warmup” gig at England’s O2 Academy on Saturday, and they’re playing the Download Festival in June. Their single U.S. Date is at Lollapalooza in August.

Black Sabbath Drummer Bill Ward Won’t Play Reunion Shows

Stream Counting Crows’ New Album, ‘Underwater Sunshine’ From Cover To Cover [Full Album, Free Download]

– Brian Ives

Counting Crows Offer ‘Underwater Sunshine’ Album Bundle [FREE Download]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:34:50 +0000

“ My guts are all over these songs.
” Adam Duritz Their first release since Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings in ’08, Underwater Sunshine is stacked with obscure covers from Bob Dylan to Big Star. The album was recorded over two weeks late last spring and features songs hand picked by Adam Duritz, plus new versions of songs from the pre-Counting Crows era groups, The Tender Mercies and Sordid Humor. “If you wonder why we didn’t just write our own record, it’s simply because we wanted to do THIS one,” says singer/songwriter Adam Duritz. “These songs come from bands young and old, stretching from the early 60s to last year. They’re all great and will hopefully be heard by a few more people now.”

Stream the album below and take home the download bundle that the Crows made available via BitTorrent this week.

The BitTorrent download is available here along with an announcement about the second leg of their tour.

Track Listing:
1. “Untitled (Love Song)” by The Romany Rye
2. “Start Again” by Teenage Fanclub
3. “Hospital” by Coby Brown
4. “Mercy” by Tender Mercies
5. “Meet On The Ledge” by Fairport Convention
6. “Like Teenage Gravity” by Kasey Anderson & The Honkies
7. “Amie” by Pure Prairie League
8. “Coming Around” by Travis
9. “Ooh La La” by The Faces
10. “All My Failures” by Dawes
11. “Return of the Grievous Angel” by Gram Parsons
12. “Four White Stallions” by Tender Mercies
13. “Jumping Jesus” by Sordid Humor
14. “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” by Bob Dylan
15. “The Ballad of El Goodo” by Big Star

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Top 20 Tracks Of The ’90s According To NME [Playlist]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:30:25 +0000

The UK’s infamous music magazine, NME (New Music Express), is celebrating its 60th anniversary and part of the revelry includes features on some of the top musicians of each decade.

Recently, the publication released their 100 Best Tracks Of The Nineties list. Cheeky erotic Britpoppers, Pulp, made it to the top of the pile with “Common People.”

While most of the top twenty artists seem pretty comprehensive to the British ’90s music scene, the list lacks the effervescent pop-punk of the Americas and just about any Oasis song or Foo Fighters’ “Everlong” could have replaced McAlmont and Butler’s “Yes” or Ash’s “Girl From Mars.”

And “Stay Together” as the most-highly rated Suede song? We suppose they weren’t reading the distraught diaries of teenage girl Britpop lovers from the ’90s to make that choice. Lyrics from “So Young” or “The Drowners” are probably etched across many a composition book.

1. Pulp – ‘”Common People”

2. Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

3. Suede – “Stay Together”

4. Radiohead – “Paranoid Android”

5. Manic Street Preachers – “Motorcycle Emptiness”

6. Oasis – “Supersonic”

7. Beastie Boys – “Sabotage”

8. Daft Punk – “Da Funk”

9. McAlmont & Butler – “Yes”

10. Rage Against The Machine – “Killing In The Name”

11. The Verve-”Bittersweet Symphony”

12. Madonna-”Vogue”

13. Primal Scream-”Loaded”

14. Suede-”Animal Nitrate”

15. Radiohead-”Street Spirit (Fade Out)”

16. Eminem-”My Name Is”

17. Weezer-”Buddy Holly”

18. Blur-”Song 2″

19. Ash-”Girl From Mars”

20. Green Day-”Basket Case”

Check out the rest of the list here.

–Nadia Noir, CBS Radio Los Angeles

R.I.P. Donna Summer: Eight Essential Songs From The Queen Of Disco [Playlist]

Staff Writer — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:08:30 +0000

From her disco days to her reinvention in the 1980s and beyond, Donna Summer was a one of a kind star in the music world. Known famously as the Queen of Disco, Summer scored four No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 chart and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1. As we mourn the loss of the five-time Grammy winner from cancer at the age of 63, we celebrate Summer’s legacy by highlighting her essential hits.

“Love To Love You Baby,” 1975

Her first hit as Donna Summer (rather than her given name, Donna Gaines) is easily the sexiest song of her career, thanks to breathy vocals, racy moans and a funky bass line. Summer’s audible moaning even led to the song’s banning on a handful of radio stations. Through the years, film has immortalized the No. 2 hit by using “Love To Love You Baby” to soundtrack on-screen “sexy time.” Listen to it here.

“I Feel Love,” 1977

By 1977, disco was at its peak, and Donna Summer was the songstress of choice during those long nights spent on the dance floor, strutting under the disco ball. But with her No. 6 hit “I Feel Love,” Summer sounded ahead of her time, channeling a future era when dance music would become more about fast electronic beats than a groovy bass line and a catchy chorus. Listen to it here.

“Last Dance,” 1978

The concept of “Last Dance” seems simple, but its structure is a real piece of work, filled with dramatic tempo changes and instrumentation (strings, horns, synths, oh my!). Perhaps that’s what made “Last Dance” so cinematic, thus earning it the best original song Oscar and Golden Globe for its appearance in the film Thank God It’s Friday. Listen to it here.

“MacArthur Park,” 1978

Many artists have covered the Jimmy Webb-penned “MacArthur Park,” but Donna Summer’s dramatic disco version remains the most well-known. Summer made the song her own, and for her efforts, she was rewarded with her first No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. Listen to it here.

“Hot Stuff,” 1979

Even before the spacey synth on “Hot Stuff” picks up, it’s not hard to identify the song, thanks to its rock guitar riff and toe-tapping beat. Its unmistakeable sound, along with Summer’s lady-on-the-prowl lyrics, helped “Hot Stuff” launch up the charts, eventually reaching No. 1. Listen to it here.

“Bad Girls,” 1979

From the “toot-toot, beep-beep” to the whistle noises, few disco hits sound as distinct as “Bad Girls” – and continue to get dance club play. The song – Summer’s third of four No. 1 hits in a year’s time – was supposedly inspired by her assistant being mistaken for a prostitute by a cop. Listen to it here.

“No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” 1979

Like many other disco divas, Summer has become an icon in the gay community, due to little more than her dance music and tales of empowerment. Perhaps her most empowering tale, “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” – a duet with Barbra Streisand – went on to become a full-fledged gay anthem. The five-minute song – half ballad, half dance track – was just as much of a smash in the mainstream as well, reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100. Listen to it here.

“She Works Hard for the Money,” 1983

While she proudly reigned as the Queen of Disco, Summer managed to transcend the genre when it fell out of vogue in the 1980s, incorporating elements of new wave, R&B and pop-rock into her sound. In 1983, Summer scored her biggest post-disco hit, “She Works Hard for the Money,” an upbeat song that not only felt modern for the era due to its empowering working girl narrative but also its epic guitar, saxophone AND synth solos. Listen to it here.

–Jillian Mapes, CBS Local