| "Dr. Beat" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Album artwork | ||||
| Single byMiami Sound Machine | ||||
| from the album A Toda MáquinaandEyes of Innocence | ||||
| Released | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Dance-pop | |||
| Length | 4:26 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Enrique E. García | |||
| Producer(s) | Emilio Estefan | |||
| Miami Sound Machine singles chronology | ||||
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"Dr. Beat" is the first international single released by the American bandMiami Sound Machine, led by Cuban-American singerGloria Estefan, on their firstEnglish language, but eighth overall,studio album,Eyes of Innocence. The song was written by the band's drummer Enrique "Kiki" García and was released worldwide in 1984, becoming a hit in several European countries and propelled the album to success.
"Dr. Beat" was not quite as popular in theUS as some of Miami Sound Machine's later singles, only peaking at number 17 on theBillboardHot Dance Club Play chart. However, it became one of the group's biggest international hits, reaching the top 10 in Spain and peaking at number six in the United Kingdom.
The song has maintained popularity through inclusion on a number of 1980s retrospective albums. It also became popular again in 2005 when Scottish DJ and producerMylo mashed the song up with his hit "Drop the Pressure" to create "Doctor Pressure", which became a hit single in its own right.[1][2]
In 2024, the song's 2000 remix "Emergency 911" byPrezioso & Marvin went viral on social media, becoming popular on video-sharing platforms likeTikTok andInstagram. It was remixed again inbudots style by Dj Johnrey as "Emergency Budots" in 2024 which would spawn a viral TikTok dance trend that same year.[3][4]
Although "Dr. Beat" did not chart on the main US Hot 100, it saw success in various countries in Europe. The song entered the chart in theUK in the top 10, helped in large part by an appearance onTop of the Pops by the band, and then started to make debut on other European charts. The song was less popular in theUnited States in comparison to the other countries, but became a dance hit, peaking in the top 20 on the USDance Club Play charts.
The song was certified Silver by theBPI in theUnited Kingdom for its sales of 200,000 copies and Gold by theARIA inAustralia for its sales of 35,000 units.[5]
At the beginning of the music video for the song, which was shot on location on the rooftop of theBacardi Imports Tower where Enrique García and Emilio Estefan worked for a short time, Gloria Estefan is singing and dancing on the roof of a tall building, in front of frantic crowd. Estefan is calling for Dr. Beat, which is played by songwriter and drummer Enrique García, to help cure her from her desire to dance continuously. Dr. Beat takes her from the scene to the hospital, as Estefan performs a choreography on the way. In the hospital, Dr. Beat conducts some investigations and performs surgery on Estefan. In the end a boom box is removed from inside of Estefan where it was attached to a cord similar to a umbilical cord on a child and cut by Dr. Beat.
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Dr. Beat".
Original versions
Weekly charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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| United Kingdom (BPI)[24] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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