The Belle Stars were an all female British pop/rock band. Formed in 1980, they are best known for their 1983 hit single "Sign of the Times".
"I Will Survive" is a song by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 as the second single from her sixth album, Love Tracks (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. A top-selling song, it is a popular disco anthem, as well as being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Iko Iko" is a much-covered New Orleans song that tells of a parade collision between two tribes of Mardi Gras Indians and the traditional confrontation. The song, under the original title "Jock-A-Mo", was written and released in 1953 as a single by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford and his Cane Cutters but it failed to make the charts.
"Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, originally for Nolan's disco group. The song is famous for the repeated refrain of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" in French as part of the chorus, a sexually suggestive line that translates into English as: "Do you want to sleep with me?" The song first became a popular hit when it was recorded in 1974 by the American R&B group Labelle and held the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week, and also topped the Canadian RPM national singles chart. In 2021, the Library of Congress selected Labelle's version for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant."
"Sign o' the Times" is the lead single from American musician Prince's 1987 album of the same name. Despite being negative in nature, the song was originally intended for two separate Prince albums meant to be released in 1986, that were both shelved: Dream Factory and Crystal Ball. Prince performed all vocals & instruments on the song. "Sign o' the Times" was reportedly written and composed on a Sunday, when Prince usually wrote his most introspective songs.
"On My Own" is a duet by American singers Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald. It was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his then-wife Carole Bayer Sager and originally recorded by singer Dionne Warwick for inclusion on her album Friends (1985). The song was eventually recorded by LaBelle and McDonald for her eighth studio album, Winner in You (1986). It was released as the album's lead single on March 22, 1986, by MCA Records. Lyrically, "On My Own" was based on a relationship that had reached its end with both parties going their separate ways in a melancholy state with the occasional option of coming back together again one day.
"Celebration" is a 1980 song by American band Kool & the Gang. Released as the first single from their twelfth album, Celebrate! (1980), it was the band's first and only single to reach No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Please Don't Go" is a song written by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch, then members of KC and the Sunshine Band, and released as the second single from the band's sixth album, Do You Wanna Go Party (1979). Cover versions of the song that reached the top songs charts were recorded by Double You (1992), KWS (1992), and Basshunter (2008).
"The Joker" is a song by the Steve Miller Band from their 1973 album The Joker. Released as a single in October 1973, the song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974 and reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands. More than 16 years later, in September 1990, "The Joker" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks after being used in "Great Deal", a Hugh Johnson-directed television advertisement for Levi's, thus holding the record for the longest gap between transatlantic chart-toppers. This reissue of "The Joker" also topped the Irish Singles Chart, the New Zealand Singles Chart, the Dutch Nationale Top 100, and the Dutch Top 40.
"Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Albert Hammond and Diane Warren. It was originally recorded by American singer Tina Turner and released as the B-side to her 1986 hit single "Typical Male". It has since been included on Turner's compilation album The Collected Recordings: Sixties to Nineties (1994), as well as featuring in the Tina musical since 2018.
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label. "Don't Leave Me This Way" was subsequently covered by American singer Thelma Houston in 1976 and British duo the Communards in 1986, with both versions achieving commercial success.
"Send Me an Angel" is a song by the German rock band Scorpions, recorded for their 11th studio album, Crazy World (1990). The song was composed by Rudolf Schenker, written by Klaus Meine, and produced by Keith Olsen and the band. It was released as the album's fourth and final single in September 1991. Along with "Wind of Change", the song became the album's signature track, reaching number 44 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart on 25 January 1992, number 8 on the Mainstream Rock Chart on 19 October 1991, and high chart positions in many European countries.
"Electric Avenue" is a song written, recorded and produced by Guyanese-British singer and songwriter Eddy Grant, who released it on his 1982 album Killer on the Rampage. In the United States, with the help of the MTV video he shot for it, it was one of the biggest hits of 1983. The song refers to Electric Avenue in London, and to the 1981 Brixton riot in the Brixton district of the city.
"Beggin'" is a song composed by Bob Gaudio and Peggy Farina and first released as a single by American band the Four Seasons in 1967. Initially charting at number 16 in the US, the song became popular in the Northern soul scene in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. It has been covered multiple times, with versions by Norwegian hip-hop duo Madcon and Italian rock band Måneskin topping music charts in Europe and beyond. The Four Seasons' version was remixed in 2007 by French DJ Pilooski and re-released as a single, reaching number 32 in the UK and commercially outperforming the Four Seasons' original release there.
"I Need You" is a song written by Eric Carmen. Versions by Euclid Beach Band (1979) and then 3T (1996) were released as singles.
"How 'Bout Us" is the most successful single released by R&B music group Champaign. Composed by band keyboardist Dana Walden and originally released on the band's debut album How 'Bout Us, the title track peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. A romantic ballad, the song was released on Valentine's Day, 1981.
"Use Somebody" is a song recorded by the American rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night, and it entered American and British charts in early October 2008, three weeks after the album release. The single was augmented with a music video released a month later.
"Release " is a song recorded and released by singer Patti LaBelle as a single on the Epic label in 1980. The title track of LaBelle's fourth solo album, Released. It was written and produced by renowned New Orleans funk musician Allen Toussaint. LaBelle recorded the song in mid-range as the song produced a post-disco dance groove. The single failed to hit the Billboard Hot 100 and barely hit the R&B charts where it peaked at number 61 while it peaked at number 48 on the dance singles chart. It had some bigger success internationally reaching the top 20 on the Dutch charts. As a result of that success, LaBelle promoted the song on Dutch TV in the fall of that year.
"Casanova" is a 1987 single by American R&B vocal group LeVert, written and produced by Reggie Calloway. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number nine on the UK Singles Chart, LeVert's only Top Ten on either chart. It was the first new jack swing song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. It topped the chart for two weeks, becoming the group's second number-one. It has become a standard number for New Orleans brass bands following its popularization by the Rebirth Brass Band. The song is featured in 1987's The Pick-Up Artist, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Molly Ringwald, and appears on the soundtrack album of the Whoopi Goldberg movie Fatal Beauty, released the same year.
"Sexy and I Know It" is a hit song by American duo LMFAO from their second studio album, Sorry for Party Rocking. It was released as the third single from the album on September 16, 2011. The song was written by Stefan Kendal Gordy, GoonRock, Erin Beck, George M. Robertson and Kenneth Oliver, and it was produced by Party Rock. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 7, 2012, and remained there for two weeks.
