I Will Survive

"I Will Survive" is a song by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 as the second single from her sixth album, '' Love Tracks'' (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. A top-selling song, it is a popular disco anthem, as well as being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The song's lyrics describe the narrator's discovery of personal strength following an initially devastating breakup. It received heavy airplay in 1979, spending three non-consecutive weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as well as topping the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart. The song is also frequently recalled as a symbol of female empowerment. In 2016, the Library of Congress deemed Gaynor's original recording to be "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Composition and recording

According to Dino Fekaris, the principal writer of the song, "I Will Survive" has its genesis in his experience getting fired by Motown Records in the mid-1970s after seven years working there as a staff writer. Jobless, he turned on the TV in his room, and a theme song he had written for the film ''Generation'' (performed by Rare Earth) happened to be playing. He took it as a good omen, and jumped up and down on the bed saying, "I'm going to make it. I'm going to be a songwriter. I will survive!". Fekaris teamed up with his collaborator Freddie Perren, another former member of the Motown production team, to write the song; however, the song remained unrecorded for two years as no suitable singer was available.

In 1978, Perrin was asked by Polydor to produce " Substitute" for Gloria Gaynor, which he agreed on the understanding that he could also produce the B-side. When Gaynor was asked what kind of songs she liked, she said she liked "songs that are meaningful, have good lyrics, and touch people's hearts." The producers then handed her the song lyrics of "I Will Survive" scribbled on a piece of brown paper. Gaynor recognized the song as a hit immediately.

According to Robert "Boogie" Bowles who played guitar on the song, in the three-hour recording session, the session musicians spent most of their time recording the A side, "Substitute". As a result, they only had 35 minutes to record the B-side "I Will Survive". They also did not even know the song title or the melody of the song, but they were fairly relaxed recording it in the belief that the B-side would likely not be played. Based only on the chord changes and a few notes, they improvised freely much of the backing track, and Bowles filled in the bare bone of the tune with jazzy blues licks. Due to the difference in the intro from the main body of the tune which made a smooth transition difficult, it was recorded in two parts and then spliced together. Gaynor then recorded the vocals wearing a back brace, having just had a surgery due to a fall at a concert. The injury and a recent bereavement made Gaynor identify with the sentiment of "I Will Survive": "That's why I was able to sing the song with so much conviction".

Releases

Although Gaynor was convinced that "I Will Survive" would be a hit and tried to persuade the label to release it as the A side, the label refused to entertain the idea and it was released as the B-side to "Substitute". Gaynor's husband took the song to the Studio 54 DJ Richie Kaczor, who loved it. Gaynor gave Kaczor a stack of the records to give to his friends. Other DJs in discos and radio stations soon followed and played that side of the record instead. The popularity of "I Will Survive" led to the label releasing the song as an A side. To support the single, a video shot at Xenon Discotheque in New York was released. It featured a roller skater Sheila Reid-Pender from a local group called The Village Wizards skate dancing on the dance floor.

The original A side "Substitute" appeared on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Singles chart for four weeks starting October 14, 1978, peaking at No. 78. It also appeared on the ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart for four weeks in October–November 1978, peaking at No. 107. "I Will Survive" on the other hand performed significantly better; it entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in December that year and reached No. 1 on the chart in March 1979. The song received the Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980, the only year the award was given.

Remixes

Following the success of fellow 1970s disco stars Sister Sledge with remixed singles in the UK in 1993, "I Will Survive" was also remixed and released that summer. This remix reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and number three on the UK Dance Singles Chart. It also peaked at number six in Ireland and number nine in Portugal. In 1999, a remix of the song charted in France, peaking at number 23. And in 2000, another remix reached number six in Spain. In November 2013, Gaynor released a gospel album entitled ''We Will Survive'', which includes a new, updated remix of "I Will Survive" by DJ Shpank in both extended and radio edit formats. In 2018, a remix again charted in France, peaking at number 12.

Music video

A promotional video was filmed in 1979 at a New York discothèque called Xenon. It features Gaynor singing, interspersed with roller skating dance sequences performed by Sheila Reid-Pender of Harlem, a member of the skating group The Village Wizards. Although three videos were filmed that day, the "I Will Survive" video was the only one to survive. Gaynor was not present during the taping of the roller skating segment of the video.

Gaynor and Pender met for the first time on July 7, 2014, in New York at the 92nd St. YMCA after Gaynor's lecture and promotional signing of her book ''We Will Survive''.S. Pender In the book, Gaynor wrote, "I wanted everybody—including myself—to believe that we could survive."

In 2022, the video was remastered in HD and officially uploaded to Gaynor's YouTube channel, obtaining over 4.5 million views in two months.

Impact and legacy

VH1 ranked "I Will Survive" number one in their list of ''100 Greatest Dance Songs'' in 2000.

''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 489 in their '' List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time'' in 2004, number 492 in 2010, and number 251 in 2021.

The 2005 film '' Chicken Little'', released by Walt Disney Animation Studios, featured the song; however, it is not included in the official soundtrack.

''Billboard'' placed it at number 97 in their ranking of ''The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs'' in 2008.

In 2012, "I Will Survive" was ranked number two in ''Rolling Stone'' poll of ''The Best Disco Songs of All Time''.

''The Daily Telegraph'' ranked it number 48 in their ''The 100 Greatest Songs of All Time'' list in November 2016.

''Paste Magazine'' ranked the song number seven in their ''The 60 Best Dancefloor Classics'' list in 2017.

''Pitchfork'' featured it in their list of ''50 Songs That Define the Last 50 Years of LGBTQ+ Pride'' in 2018. They added,

"'I Will Survive' probably would've become a gay anthem even without the specter of AIDS. It has an undeniable flair for the dramatic: After moving through that filigreed piano intro, you can imagine a lone spotlight shining on Gloria Gaynor as she drags the man dumb enough to break her heart and crawl back for more. It was released as disco's wave was beginning to break, topping the Billboard charts a few months before the infamous Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park. Had the story ended there, it'd represent the last, best gasp of a culture beaten into temporary irrelevance by thinly-veiled racism and homophobia."

In 1998, the French football (soccer) team made "I Will Survive" their unofficial anthem, particularly focusing on the instrumental sub-theme to sing "la la la la la". The team ended up winning the World Cup and the song enjoyed immense popular enthusiasm amongst younger generations in the country 20 years after its original release. The chant was originally inspired by a remix of song by Hermes House Band, but Gaynor later released a version with the "la la la la la" chant included.

In 2000, Robbie Williams released his single, " Supreme" for his album " Sing When You're Winning". The interlude of the song contains an interpolation of "I Will Survive". The string instrument part is a François de Roubaix-composed piece from the José Giovanni-directed film '' Dernier domicile connu'' starring Lino Ventura and Marlène Jobert.

In 2022, South Korean girl group IVE sampled a portion of the song as part of their lead single " After Like" which was released on August 22.

Accolades

Personnel

*Vocals: Gloria Gaynor
*Drums: James Gadson
*Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa
*Bass guitar: Scott Edwards
*Keyboards: Freddie Perren
*Guitars: Bob "Boogie" Bowles, Melvin "Wah Wah Watson" Ragin
*Strings and horns: arranged and conducted by Dave Blumberg

Official versions

Recorded by Gloria Gaynor
* "I Will Survive" (1978 single version) – 3.15
* "I Will Survive" (1978 album version) – 4.56
* "I Will Survive" (1978 12" Mix) – 8.02
* "Yo Viviré" (I Will Survive Spanish 12" Mix) – 7.55
* "I Will Survive" (Tom Moulton Mix) – 10.33
* "I Will Survive" (2009 re-recording) – 5.35
* "I Will Survive" (2009 re-recording Spanish version) - 5.37

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Sales and certifications

Cake version

American rock band Cake covered "I Will Survive" in a soft rock-style for their second album, ''Fashion Nugget'' (1996). In addition to many subtle changes, lead singer John McCrea altered the lyrics. In an interview, Gaynor stated she did not like Cake's version of the song because it used "profanity" (McCrea changed the phrase "I should've changed that stupid lock" to "...that fucking lock").'I Will Survive' is disco queen's mantra for hope
by Kevin C. Johnson, in the '' St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' (via archive.org); published February 14, 2008. Retrieved April 11, 2016

The music video of Cake's version features McCrea as a city parking enforcement officer driving around in a Cushman three-wheeled scooter as he leaves tickets on various cars. Their version peaked at number 28 on the US ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart in March 1997.

Critical reception

Daina Darzin from ''Cash Box'' felt that the band is "at its bizarre best" on "the thoroughly and charmingly mangled version" of the Gloria Gaynor disco classic. A reviewer from ''Music Week'' rated the song three out of five, describing it as "a straight-up cover". The magazine's Alan Jones wrote, "I Will Survive is one of those songs l've always hated, but hot on the heels of Chantay Savage's sublime R&B-flavoured rendition which won favour last year, there's another highly enjoyable version from rising stars Cake. Lifted from their album, ''Fashion Nugget'', it's powered by a funky bassline which dodges in and out of the vocals of John McCrea, whose tongue-in-cheek rendition is enhanced by his habit of letting his vocals trail a little behind the rest of the track."

Track listings

* CD single
#"I Will Survive" (Radio Edit) – 4:14
#" Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" – 4:12

* Promotional CD single
#"I Will Survive" (Radio Edit) – 3:52
#"I Will Survive" (Long Radio Edit) – 5:11

Charts

Certifications

Chantay Savage version

American singer Chantay Savage covered "I Will Survive" in 1996 as a ballad. It was released as the first single from her second album, ''I Will Survive (Doin' It My Way)'' (1996). This version peaked at number 24 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 52 on the Eurochart Hot 100.

Critical reception

Michael Hill from ''Cash Box'' commented, "What a track! What a vocal performance performance! If not for the title, it’s hard to tell that this song is a remake of the still-popular Gloria Gaynor track. Steve “Silky” Hurley outdid himself on this track and it’s difficult to decide which of the four mixes to play. Chantay delivers a smooth, easy and controlled vocal performance which should make her version a big hit. Expect huge radio play and quite possibly some “tin” for this little lady." Alan Jones from ''Music Week'' described Savage's version as a "sublime R&B-flavoured rendition". Gerald Martinez from ''New Sunday Times'' wrote, "Chantay has a fabulous voice, with a great range and rich, chocolatey tone, in the Anita Baker mould. She performs the old hit, I Will Survive, at a slower sexier pace than the original, making it a very different statement than the rousing anthemic style of the original. This is a more personal, more vulnerable version. Nice track indeed."

Track listing

* 12-inch single
:A1. "I Will Survive" (Puff Daddy "Bad Boy Mix")
:A2. "I Will Survive" (Silk's Old Skool Extended Mix with Clean Rap)
:A3. "I Will Survive" (Original LP version – edit)
:B1. "I Will Survive" (Silk's Classic House Mix)
:B2. "I Will Survive" (Rhythm Radio version)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Diana Ross version

American singer Diana Ross released a cover of "I Will Survive" in 1996. It was released on April 14, as the fourth and final single from her twenty-first album, ''Take Me Higher'' (1995). The song is produced by Narada Michael Walden and peaked at number 14 in the United Kingdom. It also reached number three in Iceland and number 16 in Scotland. In the United States, it peaked at number 37 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from ''Billboard'' wrote, "The kicker is a delicious cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", produced by Narada Michael Walden. Interestingly, that is the number that stands out in the legendary artist's current (and oh-so-festive) -hour show." Gil L. Robertson IV from ''Cash Box'' picked it as a "standout track" of the ''Take Me Higher'' album. The Daily Vault's Mark Millan constated that it is "dealt with superbly, as the team managed to breathe new life into an old relic from the distant, dark days when disco ruled." Alan Jones from ''Music Week'' stated that "the combination of two old favourites is bound to win favour with many people, and new dance mixes by Roger Sanchez will ease the track's path to success now it is a single." James Hamilton from the magazine's ''RM'' Dance Update noted the "galloping good Hi-NRG 0-134bpm Motiv 8 Club Vocal and Hell Razor Dub". Pop Rescue concluded that this cover "definitely belts it out – vocally and musically".

Track listings

* UK CD single
# "I Will Survive" - 4:48
# "I Will Survive" (Roger Sanchez Atmospheric Mix) - 4:31
# "I Will Survive" (Motiv 8 Radio Mix) - 3:58
# "Voice of the Heart" - 4:55

* European CD maxi single
# "I Will Survive" (Album Version) - 4:46
# "I Will Survive" (Roger Sanchez Radio Edit) - 4:02
# "I Will Survive" (Motiv 8 Radio Edit) - 3:56
# "I Will Survive" (Sure Is Pure Vocal) - 8:58

Charts

Hermes House Band version

Dutch group Hermes House Band covered the song in 1994, retitled "I Will Survive (La La La)", topping both the Dutch Top 40 and Single Top 100 charts. In 1998 and 2018, their version reached number one on the French hitlist after the win from the French Team at the FIFA World Cup.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Sales and certifications

Leah McFall version

The Voice UK contestant, Leah McFall, performed the song on the first live show in the style of Chantay Savage. Following the programme, the studio recording of the performance was released and reached number three on UK iTunes. The song debuted at number sixteen on the UK Singles Chart on June 9, 2013, and in the following week it reached number eight.

Charts

Other cover versions

American country music singer Billie Jo Spears' version from her 1979 album, '' I Will Survive'', peaked at number 21 on the US ''Billboard'' Country Chart, number nine on the Canadian Country Chart, and number 47 on the UK Singles Chart. Her version earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.

Puerto Rican singer Sa-Fire recorded a cover of the song for the 1989 comedy film '' She-Devil''. Her cover incorporated the house and hip-hop genres with the disco genre. A music video was filmed that featured clips from the movie. Sa-Fire's version of the song was successful, peaking at number 53 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Jona Viray recorded a cover of the song for the 2016 Philippine drama series theme song of, '' We Will Survive''.

Demi Lovato recorded a cover of the song for the credits of the 2016 animated film soundtrack, '' The Angry Birds Movie''.

Selena sang part of this song as the start of her disco medley at her last concert at the Houston Astrodome, a month before her passing.

The 2005 music video ''Jesus Christ - The Musical'' parodies the song which depicts Jesus singing it. It was directed by Javier Prato with a lead role by Miguel Mas. The film goes through various places such as a shop, with Jesus walking around singing the song. He sings until he says ''I will survive'' once before he gets hit by a bus. A sequel entitled ''Jesus Returns'' is currently in production.Archived a
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See also

* List of ''Cash Box'' Top 100 number-one singles of 1979

References

External links

*

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1978 singles
1978 songs
1993 singles
1996 singles
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Billie Jo Spears songs
Cake (band) songs
Capricorn Records singles
Cashbox number-one singles
Celia Cruz songs
Chantay Savage songs
Diana Ross songs
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Gloria Gaynor songs
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Jenni Rivera songs
LGBT-related songs
Motown singles
Polydor Records singles
RCA Records singles
Shirley Bassey songs
Songs with feminist themes
Songs written by Dino Fekaris
Songs written by Freddie Perren
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
United States National Recording Registry recordings