Sister Sledge's 10 best songs, ranked

5 August 2025, 13:44

Sister Sledge were one of disco's biggest movers and shakers. (Credit Image: © Barry Schultz/ZUMA Wire). Picture: Alamy

By Thomas Edward

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These sisters made it to the very top as a family.

Given that the group was made up of four talented sisters with a big dream, they were Sister Sledge by name, and Sister Sledge by nature.

The daughters of Broadway tap dancer Edwin Sledge and actress Florez Sledge, Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy were surrounded by performers.

Naturally, they had a clear knack for harmony, and started out as a vocal group when they were just teenagers.

But it was the Philadelphia natives' education in the churches, charity events, and political events in their hometown city that shaped the group.

The girls had as much grit as they did talent, gaining plaudits from the Philadelphia soul scene throughout the '70s.

It was their meeting with CHIC trailblazers Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, however, that transformed Sister Sledge into an international phenomenon and one of disco's leading lights.

“We set the pace for the Spice Girls and TLC and En Vogue," Kathy said in 2021 – and she's not wrong.

From the streets of Philadelphia to the twinkling lights of downtown New York City's discotheques, here are the 10 very best Sister Sledge songs:

'Mama Never Told Me'

Mama Never Told Me

This funked-up slice of Philadelphia Soul gave Sister Sledge their first taste of chart success, as the song reached the top 20 in the UK charts.
Their sugary sweet vocals work perfectly around the premise of a mother not telling them about the inevitability of falling for the quiet man, not the brash, loud guys that try too hard to win your heart.
Producer Phil Hurtt wrote 'Mama Never Told Me' and recalled: "It was just imagining a mother's conversation to her daughter, then I had to flip the script, because her mama couldn't tell her too much, because she fell for the same thing."
'The Weatherman'

The Weatherman

'The Weatherman' sees the Sledge girls waiting around, not knowing if they'll get their hearts broken.
Sister Sledge's second-ever single likens their dithering lover to a weatherman, whose mind changes like the weather.
Phil Hurtt once again wrote the song for the girls, and was responsible for many of the Philly Soul songs from the era. It was Hurtt who even got Sister Sledge signed to Atlantic Records in the beginning.
'Love Don't You Go Through No Changes on Me'

Sister Sledge / Love Don t Go Through No Changes On Me

The first single from their 1975 debut album, Circle Of Love, 'Love Don't Go Through No Changes On Me' also gave the four sisters their first taste of international success.
Whilst the song charted on the R&B Billboard Charts in the US, it was Japan that went wild for the dramatic soul ditty.
As a result of 'Love Don't Go Through Changes On Me' being a big hit in Japan, the Sledge girls were flown out to the country to perform at the Tokyo Music Festival. They won the Silver Prize, and things only got better from then onwards.
'My Guy'

Sister Sledge - My Guy (Official Music Video)

The handiwork of a little known smooth talker called Smokey Robinson, 'My Guy' has been a major hit for several artists, including Sister Sledge who released their cover in 1982.
A song about a girl sticking with the one she loves and shunning advancements from a keen boy eager to break her fidelity, 'My Guy' has entered the Billboard Charts Top 100 on a handful of occasions.
The original was a Motown classic recorded by Mary Wells, and it entered the charts a further three times: firstly by Petula Clark in 1971, secondly by Amii Stewart and Johnny Bristol in 1980, and thirdly by Sister Sledge who scored a top ten hit on the R&B charts.
'All American Girls'

Sister Sledge - All American Girls (Official Music Video)

'All American Girls' wasn't only a massive international hit for Sister Sledge – it's taken on a greater meaning since its 1981 release.
A rallying cry for feminism and women's rights to receive the same social and professional recognition as their male counterparts, the song was even adopted by Ronald Reagan during his first term as US President to imply he was progressive.
Reaching the top three on the R&B Charts in the US, it's been an anthem for black women's rights for over 40 years now.
'Thinking Of You'

Thinking Of You - Sister Sledge

One of the fruitful collaborations with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, 'Thinking Of You' has become one of Sister Sledge's most enduring songs.
That's despite it not even being released as a single, at least during Sister Sledge's commercial peak when disco ruled the world.
Recorded in 1978 and featuring on the group's celebrated album We Are Family, it wasn't until 1984 that it became a hit in the UK, reaching number 11 in the charts.
Kathy Sledge insists it's her favourite ever song to sing, telling Uncut magazine: "It's my absolute favourite song that we ever recorded. You can go anywhere with it. Regardless of the audience, demographics, age groups, cultures, it's one of those songs that is just so full of love and encouragement. When we sing it, I get happy."
'Frankie'

Sister Sledge - Frankie (Official Music Video)

'Frankie' became Sister Sledge's only UK number one single in 1985.
Written by the Denise Rich, the wife of a controversial billionaire, she dreamt of the song during a flight on a private jet and wrote the lyrics as soon as she woke up.
It started a successful songwriting career for Rich, who went on to write songs for Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, and Diana Ross, among others.
In the book 1000 UK #1 Hits, Kathy Sledge recalled: "A lot of people think the song was written about Frankie Goes To Hollywood, but Denise Rich actually wrote it about Frank Sinatra.
"We had almost finished our latest album When The Boys Meet The Girls, when we heard the song. We all said we didn't know if it was the song for us or not, but we gave it to our producer Nile Rodgers, who listened to it and hated it.
"He came back to us a week later and said 'I can't stop singing that damn song, you've got to record it.'"
'He’s The Greatest Dancer'

Sister Sledge - He's the Greatest Dancer (Official Music Video) [4K]

'He's The Greatest Dancer' was a smash hit for Sister Sledge, reaching the top ten of the US Billboard Charts and the UK charts in 1979.
Written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards for their We Are Family album, the suggestive lyrics went totally over the girls' heads at the time.
Little do we know about the song's inspiration, however, we can take a guess that it might be something to do with a discotheque lothario similar to John Travolta's iconic character in Saturday Night Fever, given his dance moves became synonymous with the disco boom.
Fun fact: Luther Vandross scored a gig singing backing vocals on 'He's The Greatest Dancer' whilst he was still plugging away, hoping for a hit himself!
'Lost In Music'

Sister Sledge - Lost In Music • TopPop

Few songs symbolise the sheer euphoria and intoxication of dancing till you drop in a discotheque, having left the woes and worries of reality behind you for the night. But 'Lost In Music' is undoubtedly one of the greatest to do it.
The third song released from the group's most beloved album, We Are Family, 'Lost In Music' reached the top 20 in the UK after its initial 1979 release, but went even higher at number 4 in the UK once a remix was released in 1984.
Rodgers and Edwards supposedly only showed the Sledge girls the songs they'd written once they were in the recording studio's singing booths, which gave them an instinctual feel.
It's almost like the girls are in the club when they're singing the words: "We're lost in music / Feel so alive / I quit my nine to five / We're lost in music."
'We Are Family'

Sister Sledge - We Are Family (Official Music Video)

An anthem for sisters on a night out, celebrating the girls and their families (chosen or not), 'We Are Family' is undoubtedly Sister Sledge's best ever song.
The title track from the group's biggest album was a massive hit, reaching the top ten in the UK charts and peaking at number two on the US Billboard Charts in 1979.
Songwriters Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards got the idea for the song's title and lyrics when they first met the Sledge sisters and learned about their tight-knit family connection.
But the infectiously feel-good sing-along is much more than a song about immediate family, however: "I got all my sisters with me" is a far more universal message.
"It is so much more than just a family thing," Debbie Sledge told Hello magazine in 2023. "It means unity and it reaches beyond family. It can go through any group of people who align for the purpose of building each other up or accomplishing something for good."
It's likely why the song has been adopted by the LGBTQ+ community and by women's groups as an anthem about unity.
If people stick together, they can achieve anything, just like Sister Sledge, who stuck together from their childhood bedrooms all the way to the top of the charts.