"Flashdance... What a Feeling" is an Academy Award winning song from the 1983 film Flashdance, written by Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey, Irene Cara and which was performed by Cara.,

In addition to topping the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a platinum record in 1983, "Flashdance... What a Feeling" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1984. Despite the title, the word "Flashdance" is never used in the lyrics. The instrumental backing tracks of the song make extensive use of synthesizers.

"Flashdance......What a Feeling" was originally recorded by Joe Esposito before Irene Cara was asked to rerecord, since it would be from a women persective.

The song has appeared on the original soundtrack album of Flashdance, and Irene Cara's second solo album, What a Feelin'. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female in 1984. It was also nominated for Record of the Year.

A variation of the song was used as the basis of an Apple corporate video in 1984. The music was slightly different, and the lyrics were changed from "What a Feeling" to "We are Apple".

There are additional lyrics in the 12-inch single version of the song. The lines " If I only could take all the love that you give, and escape to a world crystal clear" precede the lines " Well I hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythm". There is also a second instrumental break with a guitar solo.

The song ranks at #26 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.

In the UK, the song spent one week at #2 on the chart dated July 5, 1983, being kept off the top position by the Rod Stewart's song "Baby Jane." The song was the 25th best-selling single of 1983 in the UK.

The song was the number 3 single of the year (1983) on Billboard's year-end chart. American Top 40 ranked it as the number two song of 1983.

The soundtrack album has the version that is usually played by radio stations. The song appears twice in the film, during the opening title sequence and as the backing for Alex's audition routine in the final sequence. Both of these versions were recorded specially for the film, and have different arrangements from the album version.

Irene Cara's song was used in an Australian Beer Commercial. It depicts a man auditioning for a job as a beer brewer and uses a similar dance routine that was used in the film. The advertisement was for Carlton Draught beer.

Since the early 2000s, What a Feelinghas been used in advertisements for heartburn relief medicine Gaviscon.