If it was today, the WB would have dropped Prince after the Dirty Mind LP. He would have been considered an one hit wonder (I wanna be your lover).

Donna Summer released an album and a double album in 1977 (so about 3 albums). In recent times, it took her 17 years to get a studio album out there. Partially, that is her "fault" (family, working on a play that never saw the light of day, greatest hits with one offs, etc.) but bad labels towing with her only to try and capitalize on her.

In 1994, she worked with Polygram (who bought up Casablanca, her seventies label and the one she released the contractual 1983 hit album, "She Works Hard...", for) for the rerelease of her albums on CD plus a greatest hits ("Endless Summer") with two new tracks and "Christmas Spirit". I believe the hopes where that she would release a new studio album.

1999, with Epic (Sony) she releases "Live and More Encore" with two new studio recordings, both dance #1s (one making an OK but not impressive mark on the pop charts). This time, she really started working on an album and the tracks that leaked (through single releases and 30 second snippets on her site) were really good. Sadly, she was dropped or left perhaps when Tommy, who was very pro-Donna, went.

2003. Back to Polygram for "The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer". As I believe the Millie Jackson album is titled, "Back To the Shit". Not sure what it was called at this time...maybe Def Jam...Island? Again, two more tracks plus a truly "previously recorded" song titled "You're So Beautiful", intended for that Sony. Smart cookie, I believe Donna owns these "Sony" songs. A surprising stand alone single release in 2004, "I Got Your Love", from those same sessions came out. One of the worst stringings along but thankfully short but thankfully she rebounded nicely with "Crayons"....5 years isn't super long considering the 12 before!

I know Donna might not be as respected as Stevie Wonder or some of the other names mentioned, but I consider her a legend, especially in her genre. When it comes to releasing new music, certainly don't treat the legends we have well. The industry should be ashamed for this, too. But on top of that, of course, the fact that competition is decreasing and letting artists have more freedom is out of the question, too, we probably won't see anyone from this generation become like anybody from the 60s or 70s...let alone the 80s!

You do! It's not her best and I would even say that I prefer many of her one off tracks from the nineties onwards but it's good and has a variety of styles, strong vocals and some good hooks. It's sales I believe were below expectations (I think they excepted 100K in the US and where probably crossing their fingers for big numbers). If you are in the US, try to pick it up at Circuit City with the bonus track "It's Only Love". If not, you can find that track on online music services. It's great chill out dance.

Exactly. From 1974 to now, Donna Gaines Sudano, aka Donna Summer worked hard. Still does. And her new album shows she can take risks, not everybody has to like it but hell, I wish every artist today was like that instead of trying to create "hits".

Donna Adrian Gaines Sudano.

Well excuse me, Vinny.

"American Idol" is a disturbing production, but it's garnering millions of viewers and that's mind-blowing and sad all at the same time. It's sad when you hear regular people with very good voices having to lower themselves to do this show because they can't get the attention of a record label otherwise. As much as I dislike the show, it does put people who don't have this big image in the spotlight for being singers...unfortunately, it ends up making them images in the end. It's got it's good and bad, mostly bad, elements to it. The contestants sing covers of many great songs that young audiences would never think to listen to so it's good in that aspect, but then many of the contestants butcher the song, so that's bad for them and could be bad for the song also.

lastdecember said:

I'm going to have to disagree with you a bit here. American Idol is an entertaining show, and it does serve a useful purpose in weeding out people who think they can sing from people who actually can. Now I have issues with all of the theme nights they have for the contestants which tend to eliminate signers who are probably really good at one genre (rock) but suck at others (country, disco) - and most likely they would never record music in that genre anyway - but it does present people who have the chops to potentially become great pop singers.

Having said that, the most groundbreaking artists in rock and roll and pop music have rarely come out of the mainstream, and in most cases they were hated and/or underappreciated until they had been in the business for a long time or until years after they recorded their last album. Jimi Hendrix would have never made it big if the music industry had used our current standards at that time, and neither would Led Zeppelin nor the Grateful Dead have become icons either. In fact, record companies didn't even know what to do with Nirvana when they first came out, and the subsequent smash success of "Teen Spirit" was essentially a fluke. But once they blew up, the record companies were all rushing their A&R scouts to Seattle to find the next big grunge band.