The Wanderer (Donna Summer song)#Charts

{{For|the song by Dion|The Wanderer (Dion song)}}

{{More citations needed|date=June 2011}}

{{Infobox song

| name = The Wanderer

| cover = The_Wanderer_(U.K.).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Donna Summer

| album = The Wanderer

| B-side = Stop Me

| released = September 11, 1980

| recorded = 1980

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = New wave{{cite book|first=Michaelangelo|last=Matos|title=Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year|chapter= Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles: February 28, 1984|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RGLbDwAAQBAJ|date=8 December 2020|publisher=Hachette Books|isbn=978-0-306-90337-3|page=64}}

| length = 3:47

| label = {{hlist|Geffen|Warner Bros.}}

| writer = {{hlist|Donna Summer|Giorgio Moroder}}

| producer = {{hlist|Giorgio Moroder|Pete Bellotte}}

| prev_title = Walk Away

| prev_year = 1980

| next_title = Cold Love

| next_year = 1980

}}

"The Wanderer" is a song by American singer Donna Summer, released as the lead single from her 1980 eighth album of the same name, which was the first for her new label Geffen Records after recording her previous albums with Casablanca Records. Despite the label change, Summer continued to work with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, who had produced the majority of her hits in the late 1970s. However, it marks a change in style for The Queen of Disco, incorporating new wave styled synth riffs and a shuffling beat.

This first 45 from the album became a big hit for Summer in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. and reaching number two in Cash Box magazine as well. It was Summer's eleventh single to sell over a million copies in the United States. In Canada, the song spent four weeks at number four. A 12" promotional single was issued, however, unlike all her Top 40 hits prior to this one it was not an extended version.

Composition

"The Wanderer" incorporates heavy new wave styled synth riffs and a shuffling beat. Vocally, it was a return to her understated 1975 debut sound - soft, whispery phrases were the norm in this song, taking on an almost Elvis Presley effect, instead of the power belt she had used often since her 1977 album Once Upon a Time and 1978 hit single "Last Dance".

Charts

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=Weekly charts=

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

|+ Weekly chart performance for "The Wanderer"

! scope="col" | Chart (1980–81)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

scope="row" | Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/a/kTGdGUZ|title= National Top 100 Singles for 1980|publisher= Kent Music Report |issue= 341 |via= Imgur |date= January 5, 1981 |access-date= January 17, 2022 }}{{cite web|url=http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo%3Dviewthread%26id%3D40275 |title=Australian-charts.com - Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) |access-date=April 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006134948/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=40275 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 }}

| 6

scope="row" | Canada Top Singles (CBC){{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|4|chartid=0268|rowheader=true|access-date=March 8, 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=2022-07-08|language=fi}}

| 4

scope="row" | Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite book|last=Racca|first=Guido|title=M&D Borsa Singoli 1960–2019|language=it|date=2019|isbn=9781093264906}}

| 3

{{single chart|Dutch40|26|artist=Donna Summer|rowheader=true|access-date=March 8, 2023}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|30|artist=Donna Summer|song=The Wanderer|rowheader=true|access-date=March 8, 2023}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|5|artist=Donna Summer|song=The Wanderer|rowheader=true|access-date=March 8, 2023}}
scope="row" | South Africa (Springbok Radio){{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(S).html|access-date=5 September 2018}}

| 5

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}}

| 4

scope="row" | Spain Airplay (Los 40)

| 8

{{single chart|Sweden|9|artist=Donna Summer|song=The Wanderer|rowheader=true|access-date=March 8, 2023}}
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|48|artist=Donna Summer|song=The Wanderer|artistid=16574|rowheader=true|access-date=March 8, 2023}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|3|artist=Donna Summer|rowheader=true|access-date=March 8, 2023}}
{{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|16|artist=Donna Summer|rowheader=true|access-date=March 8, 2023}}

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=Year-end charts=

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

|+ Year-end chart performance for "The Wanderer"

! scope="col" | Chart (1980)

! scope="col" | Position

scope="row" | Australia (Kent Music Report)

| 65

scope="row" | Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0272&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=uvb5pth33q4p0a1eiksf1fuke7 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-10-17}}

| 63

scope="row" | US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual){{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1999 |title=Pop Annual |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0-89820-142-X}}

| 28

{{col-end}}

References