"Rhythm Is a Dancer" | ||||
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Single by Snap! | ||||
from the album The Madman's Return | ||||
Released | 30 March 1992 | |||
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Snap! singles chronology | ||||
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"Rhythm Is a Dancer" on YouTube | ||||
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![]() 2008 version |
"Rhythm Is a Dancer" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap!,released in March 1992 by Arista and Logic as the second single from their second studio album, The Madman's Return (1992). It features vocals by American singer Thea Austin. The song is written by Benito Benites,John "Virgo" Garrett III (aliases for German producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti) and Austin,and produced by Benites and Garrett III. It was an international success,topping the charts in France,Ireland,Italy,Netherlands,Germany,and the United Kingdom. The single also reached the top-five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. It spent six weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart,becoming the second biggest-selling single of 1992. Its music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh and filmed in Florida,the US.
"Rhythm Is a Dancer" was originally not planned to be released as a single. Good club reactions to the track made Snap!'s German label,Logic,change their minds. Logic arranged a private test at its own discotheque,the Omen,to see how well the public responded to the new song. This is where the instant club appeal of "Rhythm Is a Dancer" first came to notice. Rapper Turbo B,who rejected the song when he first heard it,would go on to add a rap stanza to the track. [1] Snap! won the 1992 Echo award for the Best Selling Single of the Year with "Rhythm Is a Dancer". [2]
"Rhythm Is a Dancer" features vocals by Thea Austin,and the 7-inch version features a rap verse by Turbo B.
According to Miz hit. tubes,a book which analyses the French pop charts,"This discotheque song alternates female singing in the chorus with fluid,set black male raps in the verses. These are tinted with a resonant sonority,which gives them an astonishingly melancholic softness,for a dance hit. That gives the whole track a particular colour,almost nostalgia." [3]
The spoken-word passage on the album version (not the 7-inch version) is a slightly modified version of the following lines from an essay by John Perry Barlow called "Being in Nothingness:Virtual Reality and the Pioneers of Cyberspace" and were performed by studio engineer Daniel Iribarren. [4]
How very like the future this place might be: a tiny world just big enough to support the cubicle of one Knowledge Worker. I feel a wave of loneliness and head back down. But I'm going too fast. I plunge right on through the office floor and into the bottomless indigo below. Suddenly I can't remember how to stop and turn around. Do I point behind myself? Do I have to turn around before I can point? I flip into brain fugue.
The song was originally released as a bonus track on The Madman's Return CD, and did not appear on the initial vinyl release. The spoken-word passage was replaced with a rap by Turbo B when it was decided that the song would be released as the second single off the album.
Turbo B's rap contains what one critic called the worst lyrics of all time, "I'm serious as cancer when I say rhythm is a dancer". [5] The original album version of the song did not contain the line, which is found on the more widely known 7-inch version edit of the song that was later added to the album. The immediate reaction of Turbo B when presented with the line was reportedly 'No way am I singing that shit!' [6] Although Snap! were criticized for the line and Turbo B later stated he hated it, the line had been used in hip hop music since the late 1980s. [5]
"Rhythm Is a Dancer" contains the hook/riff sample from the 1984 song "Automan" by Newcleus, written in the key of A minor with a tempo of 124 beats per minute [7] in common time. The song follows a chord progression of F–G–Am, and the vocals span from A3 to C5. The bassline groove repeats an A-F-G-A pattern with anticipation quavers. During the rap break the music hangs on Am/A chord/bass combination. [8]
AllMusic named "Rhythm Is a Dancer" one of the "standout" tracks from The Madman's Return . [9] Ken Capobianco from The Boston Globe complimented Thea Austin's "colorful" voice, adding that "everything gels" on the "intoxicating" track. [10] German Bunte deemed it "the mother of all Eurodance songs". [11] Andy Kastanas from The Charlotte Observer called it "a Euro-house marvel that's not to be missed." [12] Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly said the dance-floor anthem "became the stuff sweet Club MTV dreams were made of." [13] Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger noted its "stateliness and spaciousness" and described it as "higher minded, more spiritual". [14] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote, "Two years ago, "The Power" dominated radio both here and abroad. Snap! kind of dropped out of sight since then, and they mark their return with a Euro-dance sound that's a mega-hit internationally. Sparks fly from start to finish." [15]
James Arena, writer of Stars of '90s Dance Pop: 29 Hitmakers Discuss Their Careers wrote, "From its distinctively electrifying opening chords to its powerful rolling beats, unusually poetic lyrical depth and robust vocals, "Rhythm Is a Dancer" (...) is one of the most recognizable success stories of the '90s." [16] British Lennox Herald noted that the song is "more house oriented" than their previous hits. [17] Alan Jones from Music Week felt it is "their most commercial offering" since their debut single, adding that "it's also their most credible dance groove, and is sure to race into the Top 10." [18] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update noted the "Giorgio Moroder-ish buzzing synth". [19] Eric McClary from Reno Gazette-Journal complimented it as "the quintessential rave track, with its fast, sharp-edged industrial beat." [20] Tim Southwell from Smash Hits praised it, commenting, "Snap have gone back to their club roots here with a wonderfully infectious and simple dance shimmer which features Spanish guitars and a wispy choir vibe". [21]
"Rhythm Is a Dancer" was the second single by Snap! to reach number one in the United Kingdom, the single remained six weeks at the top position in 1992, from 2 August to 13 September. [22] The single in 1992 has reached 583,000 sales in the UK. [23] A massive hit across the world, it also topped the chart in Germany for ten weeks. In the United States, it peaked at number five in early 1993, and spent a total of 39 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. [24] In France, "Rhythm Is a Dancer" debuted at number five on 8 August 1992, before climbing to number one four weeks later (where it stayed for six weeks). The song thus became the first dance single to hit the number-one position on the French Singles Chart. Additionally, the single also peaked at the number-one position in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Zimbabwe, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100 and the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada. It earned a gold record in Australia, Austria, France, Italy, Sweden, and the US and a platinum record in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Snap! themselves re-recorded their own song in 1996 and 2003, the latter with CJ Stone (as "Rhythm is a Dancer 2003"). It reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart in May 2003. On 25 May 2008, "Rhythm Is a Dancer" re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 36, climbing as high as number 23 two weeks later. BBC Radio 1 DJs Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates theorized it was based on download performance, due to its inclusion in a television advertisement for Drench water.
The accompanying music video for "Rhythm Is a Dancer" was directed by British director Howard Greenhalgh and premiered in July 1992. [25] It was filmed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, and shows singer Thea Austin, and rapper Durron Butler (Turbo B) playing a bass guitar in the rocket garden, which is filled with smoke. Austin and her group perform the song on elevated platforms, while a group of dancers balanced their dance moves on a closed ground platform below them. Interspersed throughout these scenes are animated shots of flashing aviation maps, as well as animated figures balancing their dance moves. This was the last video to feature both Butler (Turbo B) and Austin before they left the group. The music video was later made available in HD on Snap!'s official YouTube channel in 2011, and had generated more than 131 million views as of early 2024. [26]
At the time of release, Montreal Gazette music critic Kathleen McCourt praised the video's "originality in costume and design" but wrote in disdain, "Don't waste your time with this clip." [27] In 1994, Alf Björnberg wrote that the "video is manifestly non-narrative", that the visuals are music-reliant, and that the video's content is "not strongly structured by the visuals nor by the music". [28]
In the 2017 book, Stars of 90's Dance Pop: 29 Hitmakers Discuss Their Careers by James Arena, singer Thea Austin said about the song, "I believe "Rhythm Is a Dancer" resonates so powerfully because it is spiritually and creatively blessed. The producers and I had amazing energy and great intent in our creative process. The melodies are hypnotic and make people feel good, like a nursery rhyme that people gravitate towards. The music is so unique in that there was and is no other song that sounds like "Rhythm Is a Dancer". To me, it was a perfect marriage of music and voice. [...] People wanted a song like that back then—something to kickstart their day, free them up. It was a time in life that people were being liberated, like in South Africa or for the LGBT community in the States, and the song represents that liberation for many people." [29]
In 1994, Peter Paphides and Simon Price of Melody Maker praised songs such as "What Is Love", "Mr. Vain" and "Rhythm Is a Dancer" as modern classics, "butt-shaking Wagnerian disco monsters. Or, as someone else who knew a thing or two put it: Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat." [30]
VH1 ranked "Rhythm Is a Dancer" number 36 in their list of "100 Greatest Dance Songs" in 2000. [31] MTV Dance ranked the song number four in their list of "The 100 Biggest '90s Dance Anthems of All Time" in November 2011. [32] In 2012, the track was chosen "Best Song of the Nineties" in the Nineties Top 99 on the Belgian Radio MNM for the fourth year in a row. BuzzFeed ranked it number 30 in their "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s" list in 2017. [33]
In 2008, "Rhythm Is a Dancer" was featured in an advertisement for the Drench spring water brand from drink company Britvic, featuring Brains, a character from the TV series Thunderbirds , dancing to the song.
The Guardian placed it as number 69 in their list of "The 100 greatest UK No 1s" in 2020, adding, "Dance-pop in the 90s often traded in profound melancholy – Haddaway’s "What Is Love" and Corona’s "Rhythm of the Night" being other classic examples – and "Rhythm Is a Dancer" is one of the saddest of all. With its gospel vocals and cathedral-ready chords, it makes raving feel like a serious spiritual quest rather than something to do on a Friday."
Writer of the 2020 book, Move Your Body (2 The 90s): Unlimited Eurodance, Juha Soininen wrote that "Rhythm Is a Dancer" would go on to be "as meaningful to Eurodance as Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" was to the whole dance music genre." [34]
Year | Publisher | Country | Accolade | Rank |
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1992 | Echo Music Awards | Germany | "Single of the Year" [2] | 1 |
1993 | WMC International Dance Music Awards | United States | "Best House 12-inch Single" [35] | 1 |
1993 | WMC International Dance Music Awards | United States | "Single of the Year" [36] | 1 |
2000 | VH1 | United States | "100 Greatest Dance Songs" | 36 |
2005 | Bruce Pollock | United States | "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000" | Unranked |
2005 | Süddeutsche Zeitung | Germany | "1020 Songs 1955–2005"[ citation needed ] | Unranked |
2010 | Musikexpress | Germany | "Die 90er - Kritiker" [37] | 20 |
2011 | MTV Dance | United Kingdom | "The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems of All Time" [38] | 4 |
2011 | Out | United States | "The 50 Gayest Songs of the 1990s" [39] | Unranked |
2015 | Esquire | United States | "Top 40 Flashback: Revisiting the Hit Songs of February 1993" [40] | 11 |
2017 | BuzzFeed | United States | "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s" | 30 |
2019 | Billboard | United States | "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s" [41] | 184 |
2020 | The Guardian | United Kingdom | "The 100 Greatest UK No 1s" [42] | 69 |
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [84] [99] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [100] | Gold | 25,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [101] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [102] | Gold | 250,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [103] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [104] | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [105] | Platinum | 75,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [106] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [107] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [108] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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Germany | 30 March 1992 |
| Logic | [55] |
United Kingdom | 22 June 1992 |
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| [109] |
Japan | 2 September 1992 | Mini-CD |
| [110] |
"Rhythm Is a Dancer", which itself sampled the beat from a 1984-song called "Automan" by American electro, synth and old-school hip hop band Newcleus, [111] has been covered by numerous artists including German singer Key Biscayne (aka Lian Ross) in 1992, Italian radio host Leone di Lernia who recorded a parody of the song in Italian, [112] Max Deejay who recorded an instrumental cover in 1997, System Drivers in 2002, The Superb, a Brazilian rock act produced by Chilean DJ Sokio [113] in 2005, Israeli-Italian artist Sagi Rei for his 2005 album Emotional Songs, Chic Flowerz featuring Muriel Fowler in 2006.
British indie pop band Bastille's 2013 single "Of the Night" was a mashup of "Rhythm Is a Dancer" and another 1990s dance classic, Corona's "The Rhythm of the Night". [114]
American singer Jeremih and rapper YG's 2014 song "Don't Tell 'Em" interpolates the song. [115]
German House DJ Damon Paul covered “Rhythm Is a Dancer” [116] featuring Simone Mangiapane, on his album of the same name in 2014, under the Sounds United label.
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of rap, techno and Eurodisco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use of rich vocals, sometimes with rapped verses. This, combined with cutting-edge synthesizers, strong bass rhythm and melodic hooks, establishes the core foundation of Eurodance music.
Snap! is a German Eurodance group formed in 1989 by producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The act has been through a number of lineup changes over the years, including American singers, songwriters, and rappers Thea Austin, Turbo B, Niki Haris, and Penny Ford. Their best-known hits are "The Power" and "Rhythm Is a Dancer", both of which reached No. 1 in multiple countries.
"No Limit" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance group 2 Unlimited, released in January 1993 by Byte, ZYX and PWL. It was their fifth single in total and the first to be released from their second album, No Limits! (1993). Co-written by the group's Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, the song became one of their most commercially successful singles, especially in Europe, reaching the number-one spot in 35 countries and the top 10 in several others. Like previous releases, the UK version of the single removed all of the raps from Slijngaard, leaving just Dels' vocals. One word from the rap was kept, the word 'Techno' which was looped and repeated during the middle of the song, turning the line into "Techno! Techno! Techno! Techno!" and giving the song an extra vocal hook. Its accompanying music video was directed by Nick Burgess-Jones and received heavy rotation on MTV Europe.
"Good Vibrations" is a song by American group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway. It was released in July 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, Music for the People (1991). The song became a number-one hit in the United States, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.
"Jump" is a song by American hip hop duo Kris Kross, released on February 6, 1992 by Ruffhouse and Columbia, as their first single from their debut studio album, Totally Krossed Out (1992). It was produced by Jermaine Dupri and Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo, and achieved international success, topping charts in Switzerland, Australia, and the United States. Additionally, it was the third-best-selling song of 1992 in the United States, with sales of 2,079,000 physical copies that year. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Rich Murray and filmed in Atlanta. Billboard magazine featured "Jump" in their lists of "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s" in 2019 and "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2023.
"Get Ready for This" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch music group 2 Unlimited. It was released in 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, Get Ready! (1992). Originally, the single was produced as an instrumental, titled the "Orchestral Mix". It became a hit and conscious of their popularity, Wilde & De Coster wanted a more accessible, formatted formula for their project to grow. Ray was then asked to write lyrics and add a rap to the track. On Ray Slijngaard's suggestion, Anita Doth joined as the female vocalist.
"Another Night" is a song by German Eurodance and pop music project Real McCoy. The single is featured on their hit album Another Night (1995), which was the American release of the project's second album, Space Invaders. The song was written and produced in Germany by Juergen Wind and Frank Hassas (Quickmix) in 1993 under the producer team name Freshline. It was released in Europe on 12 July 1993 by Hansa Records and two music videos were produced, directed by Nigel Dick and Angel Garcia.
"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" is a song by American dance music group C+C Music Factory, released by Columbia Records on November 18, 1990 as the debut and lead single from their first album, Gonna Make You Sweat (1990). The song is sung by Martha Wash and rapped by Freedom Williams. It was written by Robert Clivillés and Williams, and produced by Clivillés and David Cole. The song charted internationally and achieved great success in Austria, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and the United States, where it reached number one on the dance charts. The accompanying music video was directed by Marcus Nispel, and features singer/dancer Zelma Davis lip-syncing to Wash's vocal parts. Billboard magazine ranked "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" No.402 among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2023.
"Informer" is a song by Canadian reggae musician Snow, released in August 1992 by East West Records as the first single from his debut album, 12 Inches of Snow (1993). The song is well known for the line "a licky boom boom down" and for Snow's fast toasting and often unintelligible lyrics.
"Mr. Vain" is a song by German musical group Culture Beat, released in April 1993 by Dance Pool as the lead single from the group's second studio album, Serenity (1993). The song was written by Steven Levis, Nosie Katzmann and Jay Supreme, and produced by Torsten Fenslau. Tania Evans is the lead vocalist and Supreme is the rapper. The female part of the lyrics describes the narcissist title character Mr. Vain, while the rap embodies his selfish desires.
"The Power" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap!, released as their debut single. It was released on 3 January 1990 by Ariola and Arista as the lead single from their debut studio album, World Power (1990). The song reached number one in Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and Zimbabwe, as well as on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Rap charts. On the Billboard Hot 100, "The Power" managed to reach number two for one week.
"More and More" is a song by German Eurodance music project Captain Hollywood Project. It was released in July 1992 by labels Blow Up and Dino Music as the first single from their first album, Love Is Not Sex (1993). The female singer on the song is German singer Nina Gerhard. It reached No. 1 in Germany and was a top-five hit in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. "More and More" also found success in Australia and North America, peaking at No. 15 in Canada, No. 17 in the United States, and No. 43 in Australia. Overall, the single has sold over seven million units worldwide. Two different music videos were produced to promote the single; one was directed by Bruce Ashley.
"Exterminate!" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap! featuring American singer Niki Haris, released in December 1992 by Logic Records as the third single from their second studio album, The Madman's Return (1992), and features vocals by the group's new front woman, Haris, who also is credited for co-writing it. Going for a more trance-like song than its predecessor, "Rhythm Is a Dancer", it is based on the track "Ex-Terminator" and was included in later editions of the album. Released first at the end of 1992, it was a hit in several countries, peaking at number-one in Finland and Spain, and number two in the United Kingdom, where it spent 15 weeks on the charts. The music video for "Exterminate!" was directed by Angel Gracia.
"Strike It Up" is a song by Italian music group Black Box. It was the fifth single from their debut studio album, Dreamland (1990), and was released on 6 February 1991 in many countries worldwide by Polydor and Deconstruction. The single was a success on many charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, where it peaked at number eight. It also topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in June 1991 for one week. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. "Strike It Up" also was a top-10 hit in Denmark, Greece, Ireland, and the Netherlands. And on the Eurochart Hot 100, the track reached number 38. The accompanying music video was directed by Neil Thompson.
"The Rhythm of the Night" is a song by Italian Eurodance group Corona. It was released as their debut single in 1993 in Italy, then elsewhere the following year. The song is the title track of the group's debut studio album, The Rhythm of the Night (1995), and was written by Francesco Bontempi, Annerley Emma Gordon, Giorgio Spagna, Pete Glenister and Mike Gaffey. It was produced by Bontempi, and the vocals were performed by Italian singer Giovanna Bersola, who is not credited on the single and does not appear in the music video. The woman who appears in the video is the group's frontwoman Olga Souza. The video was A-listed on Music TV-channels, such as Germany's VIVA. The song was a worldwide hit in 1994, peaking at number-one in Italy, and within the top five in most of Europe, while in the US, it fell short of the top ten, reaching number eleven on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100.
The Madman's Return is the second studio album by German Eurodance group Snap! It contains the international massive hit "Rhythm Is a Dancer", which reached No. 1 in France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom and peaked at No. 5 in the US and Canada. The album was certified platinum in Switzerland and gold in Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom but only reached No. 121 on the US Billboard 200.
"Do You See the Light (Looking For)" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap!, released in May 1993 by Logic and BMG Ariola as the fourth and final single from their second studio album, The Madman's Return (1992). It features American singer Niki Haris, who also is credited for co-writing it. The song received positive rewiews from music critics, many of them were comparing it to the work of Giorgio Moroder. "Do You See the Light (Looking For)" reached number one in Finland, while peaking within the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK. On MTV Europe, its accompanying music video received heavy rotation.
"Colour of Love" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap!, released in December 1991 by Arista and Logic as the first single from their second studio album, The Madman's Return (1992). It features vocals by American singer-songwriter Thea Austin and rap by Turbo B, and received positive reviews from music critics, many of them naming it a standout of the album. Quite successful on the charts in Europe, the song became a top-10 hit in at least 11 countries, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number eight. The accompanying music video was filmed in Death Valley, California.
"Ooops Up" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap!, released in June 1990 as the second single from their debut studio album, World Power (1990). The song is a re-working of "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Ooops!)"; a 1980 hit by the Gap Band, with whom band member Penny Ford was a former backing singer. The single was a world-wide hit and reached number-one in Greece. Lyrically the song is about Murphy's Law. The narrator talks about it and everything that went wrong during his day. Its music video was directed by Liam Kan.
"Cult of Snap" is a song recorded by German Eurodance group Snap!. It was released in September 1990 as the third single from their debut studio album, World Power (1990). The song reached No. 1 in Spain for four weeks and it also peaked at No. 2 in Austria and Zimbabwe. Snap! performed the song on the British TV show Top of the Pops.