Funkytown

"Funkytown"
Single by Lipps Inc.
from the album Mouth to Mouth
B-side "All Night Dancing"
Released 1980 (1980)
Genre
Length
  • 4:00 (single version)
  • 7:50 (extended 12" version)
Label Casablanca
Songwriter(s) Steven Greenberg
Producer(s) Steven Greenberg
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Funkytown" (TopPop, 1982) on YouTube

"Funkytown" is a song by American disco act Lipps Inc. from their debut album Mouth to Mouth (1979). It was released as the album's lead single in 1980.

"Funkytown" held a unique record for reaching the number one spot in 28 countries, more than any other single release until Madonna's "Hung Up" reached number one in 41 countries in 2005. It reached the top spot in the United States, Germany, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, and Australia, among many others.[3][4][5]

Background and composition

Written by Steven Greenberg and sung by Cynthia Johnson, the song expresses the singer's pining for a metaphorical place that will "keep me movin', keep me groovin' with some energy". It was written while the band lived in Minneapolis with dreams of moving to New York.[6]

Chart performance

"Funkytown" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 on March 29, 1980 and spent four weeks at number one, from May 31 to June 21, 1980. It also hit the number one spot on the disco chart in 1980.[5] It also reached no. 2 in the United Kingdom,[7] and Sweden, as well as on the U.S. soul chart (it was held out of the top spot of the Billboard Soul Chart by "Let's Get Serious" by Jermaine Jackson for five weeks, from May 24 to June 21).[8] The song was Lipps Inc's only American Top 40 hit.[5]

Impact and legacy

VH1 ranked the song at number 36 in their list of the 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 1980s in 2009.[9]

Time Out listed the song number 44 in their list of The 100 best party songs in 2018, adding:

(…) 'Funkytown' expresses a simple, repetitive yearning for the pulse of a bigger city, goosed by a killer ten-note synth riff. 'Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me,' sings Cynthia Johnson in a robotic, vocoderized voice (a precursor to the Auto-Tune sound) before busting out an unmodified, soulful wail, pleading for a trip to the party destination of her dreams. Released in 1980, 'Funkytown' came late to the disco party, but gave it a jolt of electricity.[10]

ThoughtCo placed the song at number 7 in their list of "25 Best Dance Pop Songs of All Time" in 2018.[11]

Track listings

7" single

  1. "Funkytown" – 4:00
  2. "All Night Dancing" – 3:09

12" single

  1. "Funkytown" – 7:51
  2. "All Night Dancing" – 3:09

Charts and certifications

Pseudo Echo version

"Funkytown"
Single by Pseudo Echo
from the album Love an Adventure
B-side "Lies Are Nothing"
Released 1986
Format 7" vinyl
Genre
Length
  • 4:53 (album version)
  • 3:40 (single version)
  • 6:36 (Dance Mix)
Label RCA Records
Songwriter(s) Steven Greenberg
Producer(s) Brian Canham
Pseudo Echo singles chronology
"Try"
(1986)		 "Funkytown"
(1986)		 "Take On the World"
(1987)
Music video
"Funkytown" on YouTube

In 1986, "Funkytown" was covered by Australian band Pseudo Echo, who gave the song a different sound, with a guitar solo in the middle of their version. Pseudo Echo's version spent seven weeks at no. 1 in Australia (Lipps Inc.'s was at no. 1 for only two weeks in Australia), and was also a no. 6 US hit in July of the following year, and in August a no. 1 hit in Canada. Mirroring Lipps Inc's experience, Pseudo Echo's version was that group's only US Top 40 hit. This version of "Funky Town" by Pseudo Echo was played in the 1987 sequel comedy film Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise.

Track listings

7" Single (EMI 1883)

  1. "Funkytown" – 3:40
  2. "Lies Are Nothing" – 3:58

12 / Maxi (ED 237) / (RCA 5217-7)

  • Side A "Funky Town" (Dance Mix) - 6:32
  • Side B "Funkytown" – 3:40
  • Side B "Lies Are Nothing" – 3:58

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1986–1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[49] 13
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[50] 40
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[51] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[52] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[53] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[54] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[55] 9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[56] 11
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[57] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[58] 6
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[58] 4
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[58] 1
US Cash Box[59] 12

Year-end charts

Chart (1986) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[30] 93
Chart (1987) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[30] 19
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[60] 17
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[61] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[62] 99
US Top Dance Sales 12-inch Singles[63] 37

See also

References

  1. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Lipps, Inc. – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  2. ↑ Pickow, Peter; Appleby, Amy (1988). The Billboard Book of Song Writing. Billboard Publications. p. 146.
  3. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7799a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lipps Inc. – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  6. ↑ Swensson, Andrea (September 22, 2011). "50 cool facts about the Minnesota music scene". City Pages. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  8. ↑ "The Billboard Hot R&B Singles: Week of May 24, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  9. ↑ Ali, Rahsheeda (May 2, 2013). "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s". VH1. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  10. ↑ "The 100 best party songs". Time Out. March 8, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  11. ↑ Lamb, Bill (May 1, 2018). "25 Best Dance Pop Songs of All Time". ThoughtCo. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Australia No. 1 hits -- 1980's". World Charts. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  14. ↑ "MusicSeek.info – UK, Eurochart, Billboard & Cashbox No.1 Hits". Archived from the original on June 14, 2006. . MusicSeek.info.
  15. ↑ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 80's" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Lipps Inc – Funkytown". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  17. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Funky Town". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 92 no. 28. July 12, 1980. p. 51. ISSN 0006-2510.
  19. 1 2 "I singoli più venduti del 1980" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Lipps Inc. - Funkytown" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Charts.nz – Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown". VG-lista. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  24. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (L)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  25. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  26. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  28. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 31, 1980". Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. . Cash Box magazine.
  29. ↑ "Record World Singles" (PDF). Record World. May 31, 1980. p. 25. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  30. 1 2 3 "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Jahreshitparade 1980" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1980" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Top 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 34 no. 6. December 20, 1980. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  34. ↑ "TOP – 1980" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  37. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1979". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  38. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1980" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  39. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1980". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  40. ↑ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1980". Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. . Cash Box magazine.
  41. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Lipps Inc – Funkytown". Music Canada.
  42. ↑ "Les Singles / Titres Certifiés "Or"" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  43. ↑ "Les Meilleures Ventes "Tout Temps" de 45 T. / Singles / Téléchargement" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Lipps Inc.; 'Funkytown')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  45. ↑ "British single certifications – Lipps Inc – Funky Town". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Funky Town in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  46. ↑ "American single certifications – Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  47. ↑ "Here's 100 great songs designed to be the soundtrack to your summer". News.com.au. December 13, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  48. ↑ Sutton, Michael. "Pseudo Echo – Love an Adventure". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  49. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Pseudo Echo – Funky Town" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  50. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Pseudo Echo – Funky Town" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  51. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0847." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  52. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pseudo Echo – Funky Town". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  53. ↑ "Charts.nz – Pseudo Echo – Funky Town". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  54. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (P)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  55. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Pseudo Echo – Funky Town". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  56. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Pseudo Echo – Funky Town". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  57. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  58. 1 2 3 "Pseudo Echo – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  59. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JULY 11, 1987". Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. . Cash Box magazine.
  60. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of '87". RPM. Vol. 47 no. 12. December 26, 1987. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  61. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1987". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  62. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1987". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  63. ↑ "Top Dance Sales 12-inch Singles". Billboard. Vol. 99 no. 52. December 26, 1987. p. Y-30. ISSN 0006-2510.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.