Which 1978 song became the first Grammy Award winner for Best Disco Recording?

Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” became the first Grammy Award winner for Best Disco Recording.

The song was released in 1978 and became a major international hit after its appearance on the B-side of Gaynor’s single “Substitute.” Its dramatic vocal, memorable melody and resilient lyrics helped it become one of disco’s most enduring anthems.

At the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1980, “I Will Survive” won the newly created Grammy for Best Disco Recording. The category was awarded only once; the Recording Academy discontinued it after the 1980 ceremony as disco’s commercial dominance began to fade.

The song is sometimes confused with “Hot Stuff,” which won the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the same ceremony. “I Will Survive” later became a widely recognized empowerment anthem and has been recorded, sampled and performed in many styles beyond its original disco setting.