"Ghostbusters" | ||||
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Single by Ray Parker Jr. | ||||
from the album Ghostbusters: Original Soundtrack Album | ||||
B-side | "Ghostbusters" (instrumental) | |||
Released | June 8, 1984 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Arista | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ray Parker Jr. | |||
Producer(s) | Ray Parker Jr. | |||
Ray Parker Jr. singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative release | ||||
"Ghostbusters" is a song written by American musician Ray Parker Jr. as the theme to the 1984 film Ghostbusters , and included on its soundtrack. Debuting at number 68 on June 16, 1984, the song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, staying there for three weeks (Parker's only number one on that chart), and at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart on September 16, staying there for three weeks. The song reentered the UK Top 75 on November 2, 2008 at No. 49 and again on November 5, 2021, at No. 38.
The song was nominated at the 57th Academy Awards for Best Original Song but lost to Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You". A lawsuit accusing Parker of basing the song's melody on Huey Lewis and the News's song "I Want a New Drug" resulted in Lewis receiving a settlement.
Parker was approached by the film's producers to create a theme song, although he only had a few days to do so and the film's title seemed impossible to include in any lyrics. However, when watching television late at night, Parker saw a cheap commercial for a local service that reminded him that the film had a similar commercial featured for the fictional business. [3] This inspired him to write the song as a pseudo-advertising jingle that the business could have commissioned as a promotion.[ citation needed ]
Lindsey Buckingham, on his interview disc Words & Music [A Retrospective], stated that he was approached to write the Ghostbusters theme based on his successful contribution to National Lampoon's Vacation , "Holiday Road". He declined the opportunity as he did not want to be known as a soundtrack artist.[ citation needed ] Glenn Hughes and Pat Thrall also submitted a demo that was ultimately rejected. The Hughes and Thrall version was later rewritten and used as the track "Dance or Die" for the 1987 film Dragnet .
The theme is estimated to have added $20 million to the film's box-office gross. [4]
The music video for the song was directed by Ivan Reitman, who also directed the Ghostbusters film, and produced by Jeffrey Abelson. It features a young woman played by actress Cindy Harrell [6] who is haunted by a ghost portrayed by Parker, roaming a nearly all-black house interior (with vibrant neon designs outlining the sparse architectural and industrial features) until the woman finally calls the service.[ citation needed ]
Directed by Reitman, the "Ghostbusters" music video was No. 1 on MTV and features cameos by celebrities Chevy Chase, Irene Cara, John Candy, Melissa Gilbert, Ollie E. Brown, Jeffrey Tambor, George Wendt, Al Franken, Danny DeVito, Carly Simon, Peter Falk and Teri Garr. None of the actors were paid for participating but did so as a favor to Reitman. [7] [8] [9]
The video concludes with Parker and the stars of the film, in full Ghostbuster costume, dancing down the streets of New York City. Times Square was closed in order to film the scene, although a sizable crowd may still be seen in the background. [3] The Ghostbusters also perform the same dance in the closing credits to The Real Ghostbusters , the cartoon spin-off, as well as in a trailer for the 2009 Ghostbusters video game.[ citation needed ]
Shortly after the film's release, Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. for plagiarism, alleging that Parker had copied the melody (primarily the bassline) from Lewis's 1983 song "I Want a New Drug". [7] [9] The case was settled out of court in 1985 for an undisclosed sum and a confidentiality agreement that prohibited discussion of the case. According to Parker, there were several lawsuits at the time, because "when you sell that many records, I think everybody wants to say that they wrote the song." [9] [10] Parker later sued Lewis for breaching the confidentiality agreement in a 2001 episode of VH1's Behind the Music by reasserting that Parker stole the song. Regarding his case against Lewis, Parker said, "I got a lot of money out of that." [9] Lewis said it was at least $30,000 in an interview with Dutch television NPO. [11]
In a 2004 article for Premiere magazine, the filmmakers admitted to using the song "I Want a New Drug" as temporary background music in many scenes. They also noted that they had offered to hire Huey Lewis and the News to write the main theme but the band had declined. The filmmakers then gave film footage, with Lewis's song in the background, to Parker to aid him in writing the theme song. [12]
Credits sourced from Mix and Roland. [13] [14]
Ray Parker, Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 11, 1984, two months after the film's release, and remained there for three weeks. It spent a total of 21 weeks on the charts. [8] [18]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
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"Ghostbusters" | ||||
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Single by Run-D.M.C. | ||||
from the album Ghostbusters II | ||||
B-side | "Pause" | |||
Released | July 12, 1989 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length |
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Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
Run-D.M.C. singles chronology | ||||
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For the soundtrack of the film's 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II , Run-D.M.C. recorded a hip hop version of "Ghostbusters", featuring new lyrics. [67] It was released on 7-inch vinyl and cassette as a standard single, as well as on 12-inch vinyl and CD as a double A-side maxi single with the track "Pause" from Run-D.M.C.'s fifth studio album, Back from Hell .
The song's music video begins with Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts climbing out of a limousine in front of a large crowd, with Run-D.M.C., dressed in the standard beige Ghostbusters' uniform, accompanying them. The group then performs the song on stage to a packed audience for the remainder of the video, intercut with clips from the film. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson also cameo at the beginning of the video as security personnel.
7" single / cassette
12" single
CD single
Chart (1989) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [68] | 56 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [69] | 34 |
UK Singles (OCC) [70] | 69 |
Finnish rock band The Rasmus recorded a cover of the song which is included on their debut album Peep and EP album 3rd , both from 1996, as well as their compilation album Hellofacollection by 2001.
"Ghostbusters" | ||||
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Single by Mickael Turtle | ||||
Released | 2005 | |||
Length | 2:26 | |||
Label | Universal | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ray Parker Jr. | |||
Mickael Turtle singles chronology | ||||
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In 2005, the original song was covered by the animated character Mickael Turtle, reaching No. 5 in France on December 3, 2005, and No. 23 in Switzerland on January 15, 2006. [71]
Chart (2005) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [72] | 58 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [73] | 21 |
France (SNEP) [74] | 5 |
Germany (GfK) [75] | 56 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [76] | 23 |
Year-end chart (2005) | Position |
---|---|
France (SNEP) [77] | 50 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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France (SNEP) [78] | Gold | 200,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
"Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid)" | ||||
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Single by Fall Out Boy featuring Missy Elliott | ||||
from the album Ghostbusters: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
Released | June 23, 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2016 | |||
Length | 3:07 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Fall Out Boy | |||
Fall Out Boy singles chronology | ||||
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Missy Elliott singles chronology | ||||
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"Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid)", a version of the song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, featuring hip hop recording artist Missy Elliott, was released on June 23, 2016, from the soundtrack of the 2016 reboot Ghostbusters . The cover received negative reviews from critics, who criticized its musical structure. [79] [80] [81]
Another cover version of the song appeared on the soundtrack album to the Ghostbusters reboot film. Walk the Moon's version drew comparisons to the original by Ray Parker Jr. and was met with a positive reception.[ citation needed ]
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
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Scotland (OCC) [82] | 70 |
Over the years, a handful of local and national businesses across North America and around the world have done parodies of the Ghostbusters theme for advertising or promotional purposes, and used an instrumental version of either the original theme or a remake. The most notable parodies were used by CBS station KMOX-TV (now KMOV) in St. Louis, AutoNation, and the Carpet Mart chain of Central, Berks County, and Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania among others. [83] [84] [85] In the UK, the 118 118 directory assistance telephone service also used the Ghostbusters theme in one of their ads, and featured Ray Parker Jr. performing the parody. [86] In Romania, Automobile Dacia released a television advertisement in 2018 for one of its models, the Duster, accompanied by the song, in an instrumental version, but with people in various costumes singing "Go, Duster!" when in the standard song the chorus says "Ghostbusters!". [87]
American musician and comedian Neil Cicierega uses the song in "Bustin", released on his 2017 mashup album Mouth Moods . [88] It takes Parker Jr.'s vocals and edits them to feature many innuendos, most notably by repeating the titular line "Bustin makes me feel good" to use it as slang for ejaculation.
Streamer Vargskelethor Joel made a parody album, titled Super Ghostbusters, using a MIDI of the song, that has received over 3 million views on YouTube. [89]
Huey Lewis and the News are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Mainstream Rock charts. Their sound draws upon earlier pop, rhythm & blues and doo-wop artists, and their own material has been labeled as blue-eyed soul, new wave, power pop, and roots rock.
"Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the album Toys in the Attic (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit singles for the band in the 1970s. In addition to being one of the songs that helped break Aerosmith into the mainstream in the 1970s, it also helped revitalize their career in the 1980s when it was covered by hip hop group Run-D.M.C. on their 1986 album Raising Hell. This cover was a touchstone for the new musical subgenre of rap rock, or the melding of rock and hip hop. It became an international hit, reaching number 4 on the Billboard charts, and won both groups a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single in 1987 Soul Train Music Awards. Both versions are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Ray Erskine Parker Jr. is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song for the 1984 film Ghostbusters and also sounds from the animated series The Real Ghostbusters. Previously, Parker achieved a US top-5 hit in 1982 with "The Other Woman". He also performed with his band, Raydio, and with Barry White in the Love Unlimited Orchestra.
Sports is the third album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released on September 15, 1983, by Chrysalis Records. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on June 30, 1984, and ultimately charted for 160 weeks. Sports was ranked No. 2 on the Billboard year-end album chart for 1984 and spawned four top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Heart and Soul" and "The Heart of Rock & Roll" earning Grammy Award nominations. Sports also did very well internationally, where most of its singles charted in the top 40 in multiple countries. The album has been certified 7× Platinum by the RIAA.
"Cat's in the Cradle" is a folk rock song by American singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, from his fourth studio album, Verities & Balderdash (1974). The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974. As Chapin's only number-one song, it became the best known of his work and a staple for folk rock music. Chapin's recording of the song was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.
"A Whole New World" is the signature song from Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in their respective roles as the singing voices of the main characters Aladdin and Jasmine, the ballad serves as both the film's love and theme song. Lyrically, "A Whole New World" describes Aladdin showing the confined princess a life of freedom and the pair's acknowledgment of their love for each other while riding on a magic carpet.
"In the Summertime" is the debut single by British rock band Mungo Jerry, released in 1970. It reached number one in charts around the world, including seven weeks on the UK Singles Chart, two weeks at number one on the Canadian charts, and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US. It became one of the best-selling singles of all-time, eventually selling 30 million copies. Written and composed by the band's lead singer, Ray Dorset, while working in a lab for Timex, the lyrics of the song celebrate the carefree days of summer. The track was included on the second album by the band, Electronically Tested, issued in March 1971.
Raydio is an American funk and R&B vocal group formed in 1977 by Ray Parker Jr., with Vincent Bonham, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael. In 1978 Charles Julian Fearing and Larry “Fatback” Tolbert joined the band, along with Darren Carmichael.
"Living in America" is a 1985 song composed by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight and performed by James Brown. It was released as a single in 1985 and reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song entered the Billboard Top 40 on January 11, 1986, and remained on the chart for 11 weeks. It also became a top five hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart; it was his only top 10 single in the UK. It was his first Top 40 hit in ten years on the US pop charts, and it would also be his last. In 1987, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and won Brown a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (also titled "Against All Odds") is a song by English drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins. It was recorded for the soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. It is a power ballad in which its protagonist implores an ex-lover to "take a look at me now", knowing that reconciliation is "against all odds", but worth the gamble. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, the first of seven US No. 1s for Collins in his solo career. "Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now)" also topped the charts in Canada, Ireland, and Norway, while peaking at No. 2 in the United Kingdom.
"Turtle Power!" is a song by American hip hop duo Partners in Kryme. The song was released by SBK Records and was from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soundtrack. An early unfinished version without Shane Faber's production was featured in the film's closing credits, and it is this version which is now commonly found on retro 90s compilations and on streaming sites, despite the fact the film mix was not officially released in the 1990s. In the UK, the film mix heard in the end credits featured the words "ninja" replaced with "hero", even though the film was not retitled the UK, unlike the 1987 cartoon series. The track was also used in the 2013 Activision's video game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
"Mr. Telephone Man" is a song by New Edition, and the second single from their eponymous second album, New Edition. Released as a single, by December 8, 1984, it was being added to the most "Hot Black" radio station playlists.
"On Our Own" is a song by American singer Bobby Brown from the soundtrack of the 1989 Columbia motion picture Ghostbusters II. It was released as a single on May 30, 1989. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot Black Singles chart for one week and at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. Outside the US, it reached number one in New Zealand for three weeks and became a top-five hit in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
"I Want a New Drug" is a song by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News from their third album Sports. It is its second single, following the top-ten hit "Heart and Soul" in January 1984. The single reached number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Dance Club Play chart. It is a love song wherein the word "drug" has an intentionally open-ended meaning for the listener's interpretation, and became one of the band's signature songs.
"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" is a song credited to British-Australian singer Leo Sayer, taken from his 1976 album Endless Flight.
"Rhythm of the Night" is a song by American musical recording group DeBarge, written by Diane Warren and released on February 23, 1985, on the Motown label as the first single from their fourth studio album of the same name. The song was Warren's breakthrough as a songwriter and was the biggest hit recorded by the Motown family singing group, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
"A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" is a 1981 song recorded by American R&B vocalist and songwriter Ray Parker Jr., along with his group, Raydio. It led their 1981 album, A Woman Needs Love, the last Parker recorded with Raydio.
Ghostbusters II is the soundtrack album for the film of the same name, released by MCA Records in 1989. The soundtrack includes the Billboard Hot 100 number two hit "On Our Own" performed by Bobby Brown, as well as Run-D.M.C.'s rendition of "Ghostbusters". The film score, Ghostbusters II: Original Motion Picture Score is composed by Randy Edelman. Since the release of the film in 1989, the complete film score was unreleased, until it was finally released on August 13, 2021.
"Jack and Jill" is a 1977 hit song by R&B vocal group Raydio. It was the first single from their debut album Raydio, and became an international top 10 hit. It reached number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Cashbox Top 100. It reached number five in Canada, number four in Australia, and the top twenty in UK. It was the first of five U.S. top 10 singles by Ray Parker Jr. and/or Raydio.
Ghostbusters: Original Soundtrack Album is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, released by Arista Records on June 8, 1984. The soundtrack includes the Billboard Hot 100 number one hit "Ghostbusters", written and performed by Ray Parker Jr. The film score, Ghostbusters: Original Motion Picture Score, was composed by Elmer Bernstein. The film score remained unreleased until March 16, 2006, when it was released by Varèse Sarabande.
And underneath all this jubilation, a simple, electric, instantly familiar synth-rock jam pulses away.