Diana Ross’s “The Boss” was the result of her long-standing collaboration with Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The duo had worked with her since her 1970 solo debut, and “The Boss” served as the title track for her tenth solo album. Ashford and Simpson exclusively produced the project and pushed Ross to sing in a higher register than usual. This vocal shift, along with John Davis’s sophisticated horn and string arrangements, resulted in one of the most compelling performances of her career.
An essential late-night disco record, “The Boss” became a Top 40 hit on both the pop and R&B charts and soared to number one on the dance charts. The album was officially certified Gold by the RIAA on August 7, 1979, which revitalized Ross’s solo career following the moderate success of her previous self-titled effort, Ross. She famously promoted The Boss on her first HBO special, Standing Room Only.
In the nearly 50 years since its release, “The Boss” has remained a commanding single with lasting cultural relevance and numerous covers. One of the most notable was its inclusion in Whitney Houston’s 1997-98 concert tour. Ross recently performed the song during the 2025 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve broadcast. The 2021 release of Thank You was Ross’s 25th studio album. The Motown icon is currently on her Diana In Motion worldwide tour.
