Critical reception
AllMusic editor Andrew Hamilton noted that the song is a "remake/takeoff" of the Gap Band's nonsensical funk riff "Oops Upside Your Head". [2] Bill Coleman from Billboard magazine commented,"Sizzling hip-hop jam should help act maintain 'the power' over club and radio jocks." [3] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote that "reaching into The Gap Band songbook,this powerhouse outfit comes up with the perfect remake,giving it a glowing nineties treatment." [4] Push from Melody Maker remarked that the song "was an attempt at something a little different" than sticking around with the same formula as "The Power". [5] Another editor,Andrew Smith,called it "juddery funk". [6]
David Giles from Music Week felt it has "a shuffling rhythm distinctive enough to earn them another big success." [7] Gene Sandbloom from The Network Forty described it as a "powerful bass busting track combining rap and song. Already one of the most danced to songs in the country." [8] A reviewer from Newcastle Evening Chronicle named "Ooops Up" one of the best songs of the World Power album. [9] Tom Doyle from Smash Hits declared it as "one of the best attempts" in matching the brilliance of their debut,"The Power". He called it "a sort of cover of the Gap Band's 'Ooops Upside Your Head' mixed with a dodgy reinterpretation of 'Little Miss Muffet'." [10]
The closing lines about "Little Miss Muffet" were actually an ad-lib by singer Penny Ford when recording the song. Ford was unhappy with her vocal performance in the previous part of the track so began messing around so that recording wouldn’t be used. However,the producers loved it and kept Ford’s ad-lib in the track. The "Little Miss Muffet" lines are loosely based on lyrics from the George Clinton track "Let’s Take it to the Stage".
"Ooops Up" peaked at number-one in Greece and it reached number two in Austria,the Netherlands,Norway,Sweden,Switzerland and West Germany. It also entered the top 10 in Belgium, [11] Denmark, [12] Finland, [13] Italy, [14] Luxembourg, [15] Spain [16] and the United Kingdom. In the latter country,the single peaked at number five during its third week on the UK Singles Chart,on 24 June 1990. [17] It stayed at that position for two weeks. Outside Europe,"Ooops Up" reached number one on the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada,number four in Australia,number five in Zimbabwe,number eight in New Zealand and number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100. On the Billboard Dance Club Play chart,it peaked at number four.
The song was awarded with a gold record in Australia (35,000),Austria (25,000),Sweden (25,000) and the US (500,000) and a silver record in the United Kingdom (200,000).
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