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. 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 Billie Jo Spears version Background and recording "I Will Survive" was notably covered by American country artist, Billie Jo Spears in 1979. Spears had become known for several popular country singles that exemplified strong women. This included a song about sexual harassment ("Mr. Walker, It's All Over") and a tune about a woman walking away from a bad relationship ("Standing Tall"). Among these recordings was her cover of "I Will Survive". The track was produced in February 1979 by Larry Butler at the Jack Clement Recording Studio (located in Nashville, Tennessee). Release, chart performance and reception Spears's cover of "I Will Survive" was released in March