Gloria Gaynor

Although Gloria Gaynor sang R&B during the early to mid-'70s, once she lent her magnificent voice to the late-'70s disco hit "I Will Survive," she became known for little else. Most of her still-available records are compilations -- all of them essentially various record labels' attempts to keep "I Will Survive" in circulation -- and on them, Gaynor always sings well. But she never sings as pertinently as she did on the song that became an anthem of freedom and self-empowerment for millions of dance-obsessed listeners. (ARION BERGER)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide