A disco queen has died. “Last Dance” quips may be expected. But Donna Summer’s influence was great. She didn’t just have a moment—she had 17, the epic length of “Love to Love You, Baby,” the track she recorded with Giorgio Moroder, the Italian producer with whom she helped to shape the entire genre of dance music. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, borrowing may go one better—and everyone from Madonna to Whitney to Diana to Beyoncé has sampled Summer. Several generations of one-namers recognize her as one of their own.
