Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a female artist, peaking at No. 2. It also reached number one in Australia and Canada. Branigan's "Gloria" was a cover of a song written by Italian singer-songwriters Giancarlo Bigazzi and Umberto Tozzi. In 1984, she reached number one in Canada and Germany and No. 4 in the U.S. with "Self Control" a cover of Italian singer and songwriter Raf from the same year. Both "Gloria" and "Self Control" were successful in the United Kingdom, making the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
Seeing her greatest level of success in the 1980s, Branigan's other singles included the Top 10 hit "Solitaire", the U.S. Adult Contemporary Chart number one "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", the Australian No. 2 hit "Ti amo" a cover of 1977 single by Umberto Tozzi, her return to the top 40 "The Power of Love", and "Shattered Glass", which reached the top 15 of the U.S. dance chart. Her most successful studio album was 1984's platinum-selling Self Control.