Electric Avenue (song)

Last updated
"Electric Avenue"
Electric Avenue UK single cover.jpg
UK cover
Single by Eddy Grant
from the album Killer on the Rampage
Released18 April 1983
Recorded1982
Studio
Genre
Length3:12 (radio edit)
3:47 (album version)
6:20 (extended version)
Label
Songwriter(s) Eddy Grant
Producer(s) Eddy Grant
Audio sample
"Electric Avenue"

Year-end charts

Chart (1983)Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report) [42] [43] 20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [44] 46
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [45] 6
Germany (Official German Charts) [46] 63
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [47] 76
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [48] 37
US Billboard Hot 100 [49] 22
US Cash Box [50] 9
Chart (2001)Rank
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [51] 122
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [52] 99

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [53] Platinum100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [54] Silver250,000^
United States (RIAA) [55] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Refugee Camp All-Stars version

"Avenues"
Single by Refugee Camp All-Stars featuring Pras and Ky-Mani Marley
Released1997
Length
  • 3:56 (single version)
  • 3:59 (album version)
Label Motor Music
Songwriter(s) Eddy Grant
Producer(s)

In 1997, Refugee Camp All-Stars covered the song for the original soundtrack of the film Money Talks . This version is titled "Avenues" and features Pras and reggae artist Ky-Mani Marley.

Charts

Chart (1997)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [56] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [57] 32
Germany (GfK) [58] 51
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [59] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [60] 14
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [61] 12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [62] 4
Norway (VG-lista) [63] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [64] 7
US Billboard Hot 100 [65] 35

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [66] 86
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [67] 69
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [68] 22

Usage in politics

The premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, Doug Ford, declared "Electric Avenue" to be Ontario's new "theme song" and then danced to the song during a visit to Oshawa on May 12, 2023, following a conference where he announced the creation of two new electric GO Transit buses for Oshawa and the Greater Toronto Area. [69] The new buses opened for passengers to ride as of the following Monday. [70]

US president Donald Trump, while running for re-election in 2020, tweeted out a 55-second commercial which used the song as background. Grant sued for copyright infringement as a result. [71] [72] On 15 September 2024, a federal judge in Manhattan ruled Trump had breached Grant's copyright for the song, and is now liable for damages as well as the singer's legal fees. [73]

Like most Grant songs, "Electric Avenue" was not available on music streaming platforms until January 2024, as Grant refused to allow his music onto streaming sites because of his dislike of how the platforms pay artists. The only streaming versions of the song available were cover versions. [74]

See also

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