One of the strongest female-empowering—and gay-empowering—anthems of all-time is easily Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” It sounds as fresh and vital today as it did upon its 1978 release to shoot straight to #1, revitalize disco music, and add deep layers to her celebrity.

“I Will Survive” (1978) is one of the great empowerment songs of all-time. Gloria Gaynor—born in Newark 80 years ago—was 35 when she took that song to #1. What she has endured—including being cheated out of proper royalties, an ugly divorce from her manager husband of 25 years, being paralyzed from the waist down after an onstage fall, financial ruin and career devastation, is the subject of a 2024 documentary feature film, slated for released February 13.