In the late 1970s, nobody was burning brighter than Donna Summer. While disco was supposedly dying, the Queen of Disco proved the genre still had plenty of heat left. Between the thumping bassline and an iconic guitar riff, "Hot Stuff" turned up the temperature on the charts. When was the disco-rock anthem released?
▼
The answer is: 1979
Here's the thing about "Hot Stuff." When it landed in April '79, Summer and her producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte knew they needed something different. Their stroke of genius? Grabbing Jeff "Skunk" Baxter from the Doobie Brothers to lay down a guitar riff that could melt steel.
The result was pure magic. This wasn't just another disco track. It ruled the Billboard Hot 100, crashed through genre barriers, and made history at the Grammys. Summer beat out Cindy Bullens, Rickie Lee Jones, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, and Tanya Tucker for the first-ever Female Rock Vocal Performance award. A disco queen taking home a rock Grammy? Summer was just that good.
The song became one of those rare perfect storm moments in pop music. Whether you're watching sweaty steel workers strip in "The Full Monty" or Matt Damon groove alone on Mars, "Hot Stuff" just hits different. It's the kind of track that makes everyone bust out their moves at a wedding and somehow still sounds fresh enough to sample today.
Share This Trivia
Want More Nostalgia?
Check out our other quizzes and random trivia questions!
More Trivia
- What was the first 24-hour news station?
- Which animal has fingerprints that are nearly identical to humans?
- What ’80s band hit #1 with "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"?
- How many planets did the Death Star destroy?
- What was Carrie's go-to drink in "Sex and the City"?
- "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" is the theme song for which movie?
- Which alien movie is NOT a remake?
- What do you call a baby whale?