How a 1982 pop anthem became an accidental hockey legend three decades later
In short: Laura Branigan defined the 1980s with powerhouse vocals and global hits like Self Control. Though her chart dominance faded by the 1990s, her signature song Gloria found an unexpected second life in 2019, becoming the unofficial victory anthem for the St. Louis Blues during their historic Stanley Cup run.
Born in 1952, Laura Branigan rose to fame after signing with Atlantic Records in 1979. Her 1982 cover of Umberto Tozzi’s Gloria became a cultural phenomenon, spending 36 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and setting a record for female artists at the time. The track was more than just a hit; it was a platinum-certified powerhouse that anchored her career alongside other successes like Solitaire and the international smash Self Control, which peaked at number four in the United States.
Branigan was a versatile performer who balanced music with acting roles on television shows like Knight Rider and CHiPs, while also contributing to iconic soundtracks such as Flashdance. Her career trajectory shifted in the mid-1990s when she stepped away from the spotlight to care for her husband, Larry Kruteck, until his death in 1996. Despite a brief return to the stage in the early 2000s, including a stint as Janis Joplin in the musical Love, Janis, she was still preparing for a full-scale comeback when she died suddenly from an undiagnosed cerebral aneurysm in 2004.
The legacy of her music took a surreal turn in 2019. The NHL’s St. Louis Blues adopted Gloria as their victory song during a record-breaking winning streak, eventually carrying the team to their first Stanley Cup. This association transformed the song into a permanent fixture of hockey culture, driving a massive surge in streams and downloads. While Branigan did not live to see this resurgence, the phenomenon cemented her status as an enduring pop icon whose work continues to resonate in entirely new arenas.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Laura Branigan
- Also: www.britannica.com — Laura Branigan | Biography & Songs | Britannica
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