I Love You (Donna Summer song)

"I Love You"
German single picture sleeve (also used for the back cover and other European releases; cropped from the cover of the parent album)
Single by Donna Summer
from the album Once Upon a Time
B-side	Once Upon a Time Now I Need You (Brazil)
Released	December 15, 1977
Genre	Disco
Length	4:43
Label	Casablanca
Songwriter(s)	Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte
Producer(s)	Giorgio Moroder Pete Bellotte
Donna Summer singles chronology
"Love's Unkind" (1977) "I Love You" (1977) "Once Upon a Time" (1977)

"I Love You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Donna Summer from her sixth studio album Once Upon a Time (1977). It peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and reached number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. The song also peaked at 29, 10, and 24 in Canada, Norway, and Spain respectively.^[1][2]

Background

Originally featured on her album Once Upon a Time, it was edited in length for release as a single. The album is a double LP concept album telling a modern-day Cinderella rags-to-riches story. "I Love You" is featured toward the end of the album when the main character comes face to face with the object of her desire and they declare their love for each other.

Record World called it a "swirling, melodic disco tune."^[3]

Chart history

Chart performance for "I Love You"

Chart (1977–78)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4]	47
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5]	29
Italy (Musica e dischi)[6]	16
Norway (VG-lista)[7]	10
Spain (AFE)[8]	24
UK Singles (OCC)[9]	10
US Billboard Hot 100[10]	37
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[11]	1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[12]	28
US Cash Box Top 100[13]	26

In popular culture

The song was also featured prominently in the Saturday Night Live skits "Sabra Shopping Network" and "Sabra Price is Right", featuring Tom Hanks. In 2018, the song was included in the Broadway musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.^[14] It was also included on the soundtrack for the musical.^[15]

References

1. "Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
2. "Summer's Billboard singles history". All Music Guide / Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
3. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 3, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5533a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 17, 22.
6. Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Singoli 1960–2019 (in Italian). Independently Published. ISBN 9781093264906.
7. "Donna Summer – I Love You". VG-lista. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
8. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 [Only Hits: Year by Year, 1959-2002] (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
10. "Hot 100 - Billboard". Billboard. February 4, 1978. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
11. "Donna Summer Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 22.
12. "Donna Summer Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 22.
13. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles - February 11, 1978". Cash Box magazine. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
14. Schuler, Barbara (April 20, 2018). "'Summer' review: Donna Summer's songs are the hot stuff". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
15. "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical - Original Broadway Cast Recording Soundtrack (2017)". Soundtrack.Net. Retrieved March 11, 2019.