Bad Girls (Donna Summer song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Bad Girls

| cover = Bad_Girls_(France).jpg

| alt =

| caption = French picture sleeve

| type = single

| artist = Donna Summer

| album = Bad Girls

| B-side = On My Honor

| released = {{Start date|1979|06|23}}

| recorded = 1979

| studio = Rusk Sound Studios (Los Angeles, California)

| venue =

| genre =

Disco
rock{{cite book|last=Graff|first=Gary|chapter=Donna Summer|editor-last1=Graff|editor-first1=Gary|editor-last2=du Lac|editor-first2=Josh|editor-last3=McFarlin|editor-first3=Jim|date=January 1, 1998|title=MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Detroit|pages=544|quote= Bad Girls added rock to Summer's dance-oriented palette via the title track...}}
funk{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Donna Summer's "Bad Girls"|website= Stereogum |date= February 12, 2020 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/2073152/the-number-ones-donna-summers-bad-girls/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ...it’s a big, funky stomper with riotous horn blasts and whistle-blasts and squelchy guitars.|accessdate= July 11, 2023}}

| length = {{duration|m=4|s=55}}

| label = Casablanca

| writer = {{flat list|

Donna Summer
Bruce Sudano
Joe "Bean" Esposito
Edward "Eddie" Hokenson}}

| producer = {{flat list|

| prev_title = Hot Stuff

| prev_year = 1979

| next_title = Dim All the Lights

| next_year = 1979

}}

"Bad Girls" is a song by American singer and songwriter Donna Summer from her 1979 seventh studio album of the same name. Casablanca Records released it as the album's second single on June 23, 1979. The song was produced by Summer's regular collaborators Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and co-written by Summer and the members of Brooklyn Dreams, Bruce Sudano, Joe "Bean" Esposito and Edward "Eddie" Hokenson.

"Bad Girls" was a massive success, peaking within the Top 10 of the charts in seven countries, including New Zealand and Spain. In the United States, it spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from the weeks of July 14 to August 11, 1979, and sold over two million copies, simultaneously becoming, alongside "Hot Stuff", her most successful single. It helped the Bad Girls album to reach multi-platinum status in the United States.

Background and recording

The inspiration for Summer to write "Bad Girls" came after one of her assistants was offended by a police officer who thought she was a prostitute. A rough version of the song had originally been written a couple of years before its release. Casablanca Records' founder Neil Bogart, upon hearing it, wanted Summer to give it to Cher.{{cite book |title=Ordinary Girl: The Journey |last=Summer |first=Donna |author-link=Donna Summer |author2=Marc Eliot |year=2003 |publisher=Villard |location=New York |isbn=1400060311 |page=[https://archive.org/details/ordinarygirl00donn/page/172 172] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ordinarygirl00donn/page/172 }} Summer refused and put it away for a couple of years.

A 12-inch version of "Bad Girls" was released as a medley with "Hot Stuff". Although "Hot Stuff" was extended for the release, "Bad Girls" remained in the original full-length album version. A demo version of "Bad Girls" was released on the deluxe edition of the Bad Girls album.

Critical reception

Billboard magazine called "Bad Girls" a "brassy disco track, which features party sounding production embellishments like hems and whistles."{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|date=May 26, 1979|accessdate=2023-03-27|page=87|title=Top Single Picks|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_iQEAAAAMBAJ}} Record World magazine said that Summer's "sultry reading is perfect for the threatening street theme."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=May 26, 1979|accessdate=2023-02-11|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/79/RW-1979-05-26.pdf}}

Commercial performance

For the week of June 23, 1979, Summer made history as the first female artist to send multiple songs to the top ten on theBillboard Hot 100 as "Bad Girls" vaulted up from number 11 to number 5 that week all while Summer's "Hot Stuff" remained number one.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1979/Billboard%201979-06-23.pdf | magazine=Billboard |date=June 23, 1979 |page=72 |accessdate=March 23, 2025}}

Eventually, "Bad Girls" reached the top of the Hot 100 for the week of July 14, 1979, where it would stay for five weeks outperforming "Hot Stuff", which had topped the chart for three weeks.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1979/Billboard%201979-07-14.pdf |magazine=Billboard |page=94 |date=July 14, 1979 |accessdate=March 23, 2025}}

Awards and nominations

"Bad Girls" was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Single, and won for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, at the American Music Awards of 1980. Summer was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/donna-summer/14046|title=Donna Summer|website=Grammy Awards|access-date=7 March 2023}}

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row" \| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite magazine \|title=Billboard 8 september 1979 \|magazine=Billboard \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6CMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT50 \|editor=Danyel Smith \|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. \|year=1979 \|issn=0006-2510 \|access-date=8 July 2013}} \| 14
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" ! scope="col" \| Chart (1979) ! scope="col" \| Peak position
{{single chart\|Austria\|23\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|Flanders\|5\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
scope="row" \| Canada Top Singles (CRIA){{cite book\|author=Nanda Lwin\|author-link=Nanda Lwin\|title=Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide\|publisher=Music Data Canada\|year=1999\|isbn=1-896594-13-1}} \| 2
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|1\|chartid=4497a\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|Canadadance\|1\|chartid=4488\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
scope="row" \| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book\|url=https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf#page=250\|first=Timo\|last=Pennanen\|year=2021\|title=Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021\|section=Donna Summer\|page=250\|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava\|location=Helsinki\|access-date=8 July 2022\|language=fi}} \| 8
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|23\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
scope="row" \| Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite book\|last=Racca\|first=Guido\|title=M&D Borsa Singoli 1960–2019\|language=it\|date=2019\|publisher=Independently Published \|isbn=9781093264906}} \| 17
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|7\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|10\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|6\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|Norway\|8\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
scope="row" \| Spain (AFE){{cite book\|author=Fernando Salaverri\|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002\|edition=1st\|date=September 2005\|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE\|location=Spain\|isbn=84-8048-639-2}} \| 21
scope="row" \| Spain (Los 40) \| 8
{{single chart\|Sweden\|13\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|Switzerland\|5\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|UK\|14\|date=19790722\|song=Bad Girls\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|1\|artist=Donna Summer\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|Billboarddanceclubplay\|1\|artist=Donna Summer\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|Billboardrandbhiphop\|1\|artist=Donna Summer\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2023}}
{{single chart\|West Germany\|9\|artist=Donna Summer\|song=Bad Girls\|songid=588\|rowheader=true\|access-date=1 March 2019}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" ! scope="col" \| Chart (1979) ! scope="col" \| Rank position
scope="row" \| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web\|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1979\|title=Jaaroverzichten 1979\|publisher=Ultratop\|access-date=August 8, 2021}} \| 37
scope="row" \| Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine\|title= 1979 Top 200 Singles \|volume= 32 \|issue= 13 \|date= December 22, 1979 \|magazine= RPM \|publisher= Library and Archives Canada \|access-date= March 3, 2018 \|url= http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6855a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6855a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6855a}} \| 10
scope="row" \| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web\|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979\|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1979\|publisher=Dutch Top 40\|access-date=September 22, 2020}} \| 58
scope="row" \| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine \|date=December 22, 1979 \|title=1979 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles \|page=TIA-10 \|magazine=Billboard \|volume=91 \|issue=51 }} \| 2
scope="row" \| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1979/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs\|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1979\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=August 8, 2021}} \| 16

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

! scope="col" | Chart (1979)

! scope="col" | Rank
position

scope="row" | Belgium (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1979|title=Jaaroverzichten 1979|publisher=Ultratop|access-date=August 8, 2021}}

| 37

scope="row" | Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|title= 1979 Top 200 Singles |volume= 32 |issue= 13 |date= December 22, 1979 |magazine= RPM |publisher= Library and Archives Canada |access-date= March 3, 2018 |url= http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6855a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6855a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6855a}}

| 10

scope="row" | Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1979|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=September 22, 2020}}

| 58

scope="row" | US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine |date=December 22, 1979 |title=1979 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles |page=TIA-10 |magazine=Billboard |volume=91 |issue=51 }}

| 2

scope="row" | US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1979/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1979|magazine=Billboard|access-date=August 8, 2021}}

| 16

=All-time charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" ! Chart (1958—2018) ! Rank position
scope="row" \| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary\|title=Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=10 December 2018}} \| 212

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

! Chart (1958—2018)

! Rank
position

scope="row" | US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary|title=Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=10 December 2018}}

| 212

Certifications and sales

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Bad Girls|artist=Donna Summer|type=single|award=Platinum|certyear=1979|relyear=1979}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Bad Girls|artist=Donna Summer|type=single|award=Silver|relyear=1979|certyear=1979|id=687-2947-1}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Bad Girls|artist=Donna Summer|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1979|certyear=1979}}

References

Category:1979 singles

Category:1979 songs

Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles

Category:Cashbox number-one singles

Category:Donna Summer songs

Category:Songs written by Donna Summer

Category:Casablanca Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Giorgio Moroder

Category:Song recordings produced by Pete Bellotte

Category:Songs written by Bruce Sudano

Category:Songs about prostitutes