1982 Dance Anthem Became a Record-Breaking Smash Hit
Not every pop star is lucky enough to score a major hit with a song from their debut album, but that was certainly the case for Laura Branigan, the singer behind the classic '80s hit "Gloria." The iconic tune, released as the second single from Branigan's 1982 album Branigan, didn't just peak at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It spent a total of 36 weeks on the chart, breaking the record at the time for a single by the solo act.
Not bad for a song that Branigan didn't want to sing in the first place.
Originally, "Gloria" was released by Italian artist Umberto Tozzi in 1979, when it was a hit in Europe (particularly Sweden and Spain). A few years later, Branigan's producer, Jack White, suggested she remake the song, according to American Songwriter. The only problem was that even after the lyrics were translated from Italian, Branigan wasn't a big fan of the song.
Thankfully for the many fans who've fallen in love with "Gloria" over the years, songwriter Trevor Veitch took another crack at the translated lyrics. Veitch's update, which tells the tale of a young woman whose life seems to be spinning out of control:
Gloria, you're always on the run now
Running after somebody
You gotta get him somehow
I think you've got to slow down
Before you start to blow it
I think you're headed for a breakdown
So be careful not to show it
The emotional track was the perfect fit for Branigan's expressive voice, so it's no surprise that "Gloria" made her a huge star and remained her signature tune for the rest of her career. In a 2002 interview with People, Branigan referred to "Gloria" as a "killer song," noting that even decades later, "I have to end every show with 'Gloria.' The whole room is just screaming."
While "Gloria" was Branigan's highest-charting single, it wasn't her only hit; "Self Control" and "Solitaire" also cracked the Top 10, while "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" and "The Lucky One" made it to the Top 20. Sadly, Branigan died suddenly at the age of 52 from an undiagnosed brain aneurysm in 2004, but her legacy lives on.
"I want to touch people's hearts, to get right down to their souls," Branigan once said, per AnOther Magazine. "When you're on stage, the audience becomes your other half. It's the ultimate high you can reach as a musician - an incredible feeling. And no matter where I am it's still the same; there's a reason we call music the universal language."
Related: 1975 Soft Rock Classic, Originally Disliked by the Band, Became a Timeless Love Anthem
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM.