"This Time I Know It's for Real" is a song originally recorded by Donna Summer and released on February 13, 1989 as the first single from her album Another Place and Time. Like the rest of the album, the song was written and produced by the British Stock Aitken & Waterman team, though Summer also had a hand in writing this song, as well as three other songs on the album from which this single was released. The song was a worldwide smash success.

It became Summer's biggest hit in the UK since the 1970s (during which time she had been the most popular female disco artist), reaching number three and spending a total of 14 weeks in the Top 75, longer than any of her other singles there. It also reached number 7 in both the US (where it was certified Gold) and Canada. It was her 14th and final US Top 10 hit as well as the last Top 40 hit of Summer's career.

It also reached the top 10 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and Norway.