Diana cover art
Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources cited

Upside Down

Disco1980s
107BPM
F minKey
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards). The real creative dispute — Ross secretly reworking their entire mix with Motown’s own engineer, without their knowledge — is presented factually as a documented professional disagreement, NOT litigation. No formal legal dispute was found.
Quick Facts
Released1980
AlbumDiana
GenreDisco, Funk, R&B, Post-Disco
LabelMotown Records
ProducerNile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
Recorded atPower Station, New York City
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of recordNile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
Wikipedia · checked Jul 2026
The current administratorNot confirmed — Motown; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Ross’s biggest solo hit; connects to this batch’s Chic thread and the Jackson 5 cluster. A documented creative disagreement (not litigation) is noted honestly.
Stereogumchecked Jul 2026
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record.
Compiled from public sourceschecked Jul 2026

The two permissions you need, and who holds them

The song itself (the writing)Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
Recorded at Power Station, released June 18, 1980, on Motown, as the lead single from “Diana” — #1 US on the Hot 100, R&B and Dance charts; Ross’s biggest-ever solo hitWikipediachecked Jul 2026
A creative dispute — documented disagreement, NOT litigationRodgers and Edwards wrote and produced the whole album with their Chic bandmates as session players — but Ross reportedly disliked the direction and, after hearing their mix, secretly took the album to Motown’s in-house engineer Russ Terrana and reworked it herself without their knowledge, pushing her vocals forward and downplaying the funk. Rodgers and Edwards only found out once it was finished, and were reportedly furious — even considering removing their production credits. Presented factually as a documented professional disagreement, not litigation.
No formal legal dispute found; this was a creative/professional conflictStereogumchecked Jul 2026
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Motown Records (original label) — needs a Songview/Discogs lookupchecked Jul 2026

Receipts

Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found

“Since the Jackson 5”

Ross’s own children were obsessed with Chic, prompting her to attend a Santa Monica concert; impressed by the crowd, she sought out Rodgers and Edwards backstage, telling them she hadn’t seen crowd energy like that “since the Jackson 5” (connected throughout this batch). No lyrics reproduced.

Songfacts · read it →

Can You Use It for Free?

How to check PD →
Is it public domain?No
Compiled from public sourceschecked Jul 2026

Sample History

Times sampled
Diana Ross’s biggest-ever solo hit
Covers
First flip

Who to Contact

UD
Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards (Motown)
The confirmed songwriters of record
Confirmed · checked Jul 2026
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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References

Every source cited on this page — 4 in total

Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 21)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass
Last checked Jul 2026 · Compiled from Wikipedia, Wikidata, Discogs, MusicBrainz, Nolo, Stereogum, Songfacts.
This page is informational, not legal advice — always confirm current rightsholders before release.
ConfirmedReportedUnknown