Among the songs that made me gay is Laura Branigan‘s “Gloria.” I’m joking (mostly), but boy, did I fall hard for that tune the minute I first heard it. The intro’s pounding drums and winding synths, which then tease the chorus to come, had me head-over-heels hooked. (You should really pause reading here, skip down to the video, and listen to those glorious first few seconds to hear what I’m talking about.)

Of course, “Gloria” would be absolutely nothing without Branigan’s passionate performance. I remember dancing and singing along with the same commitment I’d witnessed when she mimed it on TV, whether American Bandstand or Solid Gold. Thanks to the song, I discovered the meaning of “alias,” though I doubt I grasped the lyric about taking a lover in the afternoon.

I certainly wasn’t the only one in America so infatuated with “Gloria.” The song first captivated clubgoers in spring 1982, hitting #4 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart. In early July, the single entered the Hot 100 at #84, and gained and gained until reaching its #2 peak in late November. “Gloria” gave the singer her career-best showing, spending three weeks there, and going double-platnium. The song spent a total of 36 weeks on the Hot 100, then a record for a female solo act.

Because of the timing when Branigan’s song broke big, “Gloria” will forever be linked in my memory to the run-up to Christmas and all the excitement and anticipation associated with the holiday as a kid. Coincidentally, “Gloria” just happens to have been hanging on the line at #2 for its second frame 28 years ago this very week:

Purchase Laura Branigan – “Gloria” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.