We Like to Party! (Vengaboys song)

"We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)" is a song by Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys. Released in November 1998 as the fourth single from Up & Down - The Party Album, the song became one of the band's most successful hits, topping the chart in Flemish Belgium, reaching number two in Australia and the Netherlands, and becoming a top-five hit in Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It is also the band's highest-charting song in the United States, climbing to number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and in Canada, where it peaked at number 10.

"We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)"
Single by Vengaboys
from the album Up & Down - The Party Album and The Party Album
ReleasedMay 1998
FormatCD single
Recorded1998
Genre
Length3:41
LabelGroovilicious/S.R.
Songwriter(s)
Vengaboys singles chronology
"Up and Down"
(1998)		 "We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)"
(1998)		 "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!"
(1999)
Music video
"We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)" on YouTube

Composition

"We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)" is a Eurodance song that runs for 3 minutes and 41 seconds. It is written in the key of A-flat major and maintains a tempo of 136 beats per minute in common time.

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics. Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "This wildly energetic foursome (two gals, two guys) from the Netherlands is pretty much a household name throughout Europe, where this infectious pop gem has been a constant on radio and in clubs. Already, "We Like To Party!" has gone platinum and double-platinum in Belgium and the act's homeland, respectively. Here, the song could meet a similar fate, especially since it features a sugar-soaked sing-along chorus that hangs out in your head until you beg for relief. That said, people who embraced Aqua's "Barbie Girl", Cleopatra's "Romeo And Juliet", and Los Del Rio's "Macarena" will be lining up for this latest slice of energetic pop. Are you listening, radio? (It's already hit No. 1 on the playlist of dance leader WKTU New York.) Conversely, this will be a no-brainer for club jocks, who continue to make major noise with the group's sweat-soaked debut, "Up and Down"."[1]

AllMusic editor William Cooper described the song as a "bouncy Eurodisco hit" and noted further that it was "reminiscent of Aqua's "Barbie Girl", with its singalong chorus, cutesy female vocal squeal, and wacky synth beats."[2] Jim Farber from Entertainment Weekly commented, "Attention, lovers of cheeseball club music. The Vengaboys' hit "We Like to Party!" combines a campy disco beat, party-girl vocals, and a killer hook in the form of a ship horn in full blare. What began as a beach anthem in Ibiza, Spain, is becoming a Stateside smash on the increasingly Euro-driven U.S. charts. And why not? It's too willfully silly to resist."[3] Pop Rescue noted its "unmistakeable Vengaboys sound", adding it as "a fast-paced energetic track."[4]

Commercial performance

The song became the group's biggest hit in the United States, peaking at number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and selling 405,000 copies.[5][6]

The single proved to be a higher seller than "Up and Down" in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three in March 1999,[7] eventually selling 474,000 copies, making it the 29th biggest hit of the year.[8] The song additionally reached number one in Flemish Belgium, number two in Australia and the Netherlands, number three in Ireland, number four in Germany and Switzerland, number six in Austria and Italy, number nine in New Zealand and number 10 in Canada and Walloon Belgium.[9][10][11][12] It additionally reached the top 20 in France.[9]

Music video

The music video for "We Like to Party" was directed by Wendelien van Diepen.[13] It first aired in March 1999. The video features all four Vengaboys members travelling to various destinations in Province of Barcelona, Piera and Gavà, in a 1930s style mini-bus, the "Vengabus" (a 1933 Chevrolet Bus), where they end up in a nightclub in La Barceloneta, Barcelona.

Track listing
  1. "We Like to Party" (Airplay) – 3:44
  2. "We Like to Party" (Klubbheads Mix) – 6:07
  3. "We Like to Party" (BCM RMX) – 4:04
  4. "We Like to Party" (More Airplay) – 5:50
  5. "We Like to Party" (Full Schwingg) – 4:38
  6. "We Like to Party" (DJ Disco Mix) – 4:33
  7. "We Like to Party" (Baunz Mix) – 4:45
  8. "We Like to Party" (BCM XXL) – 6:21

The song was also remixed by Jason Nevins and Tin Tin Out. Their mixes were included on the single for "We're Going to Ibiza".

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[45] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[46] Platinum 50,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[47] Platinum 75,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[48] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Platinum 600,000
United States — 405,000[6]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

  • The song was used for promos of Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries on the WB Network: "We wike da puddy! We wike, we wike da puddy!"
  • The song was revived in 2004 as the main theme for Six Flags' "Mr. Six" advertising campaign.[50]
  • The song was played every time a Colorado Rockies player hits a home run at Coors Field up until the end of the 2014 season.
  • The song is used as the entrance music for British professional wrestler Liam Slater.
  • The song is sung by supporters of the Northern Irish grammar school Royal Belfast Academical Institution after their School's Cup Rugby matches, most recently after their Cup Final win against Methodist College Belfast, their bitter rivals.
  • This song is used for the EFY line dance that is done at every session of EFY.
  • This song is played each time the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team scores a run at Baum Stadium.
  • The song is used when a orangutan hula hoops and rides a tricycle at Phnom Penh Safari Zoo's Orangutan show.[51]
  • R.I.O. and Nicco's 2012 single "Party Shaker" samples the song.
  • This song is used after the Spokane Indians score a run at home.[52]

References
  1. "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. 9 January 1999. p. 15. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  2. "Vengaboys - The Party Album!". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  3. "We Like to Party!". Entertainment Weekly. 16 April 1999. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  4. "REVIEW: "THE PARTY ALBUM!" BY VENGABOYS (CD, 1999)". Pop Rescue. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  5. "Vengaboys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. Billboard - 25 Dec 1999 - 1 Jan 2000 - Page 34 "Vengaboys' "We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)" sold 405,000 units"
  7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  8. "Yearly Best Selling Singles" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  9. "Australian-charts.com – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – We Like To Party". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  11. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 43. 24 October 1998. p. 16. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8154." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  13. "Vengaboys: We like to party". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  14. "Austriancharts.at – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  15. "Ultratop.be – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  16. "Ultratop.be – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  17. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 8153." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  18. Danish Singles Chart 15 January 1999
  19. "Music & Media: Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  20. "Lescharts.com – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)" (in French). Les classement single.
  21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  22. "Top 10 Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  23. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 26, 1998" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  24. "Dutchcharts.nl – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. "Charts.nz – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)". Top 40 Singles.
  26. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  27. "Swedishcharts.com – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)". Singles Top 100.
  28. "Swisscharts.com – Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)". Swiss Singles Chart.
  29. "Vengaboys Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  30. "Vengaboys Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  31. "Vengaboys Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  32. "Vengaboys Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  33. "Jaaroverzichten 1998" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  34. "Rapports annuels 1998" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  35. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1998" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 51. 19 December 1998. p. 8. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  36. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 1998" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  37. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1998". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  38. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1998" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  39. "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 1999". ARIA. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  40. "Rapports annuels 1999" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  41. "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  42. "RPM 1999 Top 50 Dance Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  43. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1999" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 11. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  44. "Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 1999" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005.
  45. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  46. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  47. "Dutch single certifications – Vengaboys – We Like to Party" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 9 August 2019. Enter We Like to Party in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  48. "New Zealand single certifications – Vengaboys – We Like to Party". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  49. "British single certifications – Vengaboys – We Like to Party (The Vengabus)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  50. Howard, Theresa (11 July 2004). "Dancing Mr. Six scores with viewers of Six Flags ads". USA Today. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  51. "WOO PIG SWEEP!". Twitter. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  52. "Spokane Indians Home Run Siren & Score Song". YouTube.com. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
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