| "Celebration" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.png) Side-A label of 1980 US single | ||||
| Single byKool & the Gang | ||||
| from the albumCelebrate! | ||||
| B-side | "Morning Star" | |||
| Released | October 1980 | |||
| Recorded | January–March 1980 | |||
| Studio | House of Music,West Orange, New Jersey | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:42 (7-inch version) 4:17 (video version) 5:00 (12-inch / album version) | |||
| Label | De-Lite | |||
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| Kool & the Gang singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Celebration" onYouTube | ||||
"Celebration" is a song by American bandKool & the Gang. Released in October 1980 byDe-Lite Records as the first single from their twelfth album,Celebrate! (1980), it was the band's first and only single to reach No. 1 on theUSBillboard Hot 100. In 2016, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[3]
In 2021, theLibrary of Congress selected "Celebration" for preservation in theNational Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".[4]
Co-founderRonald Bell, the group's saxophonist and musical arranger, explained the origins of the song;
The initial idea came from theQuran. I was reading the passage, whereGod was creatingAdam, and theangels were celebrating and singing praises. That inspired me to write the basic chords, the line, 'Everyone around the world, come on, celebration.'[5][6]
"Celebration" is in theA♭Mixolydian mode incommon time and was written as a collaboration by the whole band.[7] The song moves at atempo of 123 beats per minute.[8] The group's vocals span from A♭3 to E♭5.[7]
Record World called the song "one big party hook with cool chorus chants & a boss bass",[9] whileStereogum called Taylor's vocals "calmly ecstatic" and described it as a charmingly simple, and thus, fun song due to its lack of subtext.[6]
"Celebration" reached No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981, and held that position for two weeks before Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" overtook it.[10] It remains the band's onlyBillboard No. 1 hit.
By late 1980, the song had also reached No. 1 on both theBillboardDance andR&B charts. The song was featured heavily on the radio throughout the year. It has since been frequently used in weddings and parties,[10] and is a popular anthem for sporting events, including serving as the theme song for theSt. Louis Cardinals after winning the1982 World Series. In 1981, it was commonly played by radio stations in honor of the release ofUS hostages from captivity in Iran.[11] It was also an international hit, reaching No. 7 in theUnited Kingdom on November 29, 1980, spending 13 weeks in the chart.
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[40] | Platinum | 150,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[41] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[42] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[43] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[44] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[45] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| "Celebration" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byDragon | ||||
| from the albumBondi Road | ||||
| B-side | "Blue Blue Is the Radio" | |||
| Released | November 1987 | |||
| Length | 3:56 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | David Hirschfelder | |||
| Dragon singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Celebration" onYouTube | ||||
"Celebration" was covered in 1987 and released as a single by New Zealand-Australian bandDragon. It was released in November that year byRCA Records as the lead single from the band's ninth studio album,Bondi Road (1989). The song peaked at number 11 on the AustralianKent Music Report.
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[46] | 11 |
| "Celebration" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byKylie Minogue | ||||
| from the albumGreatest Hits | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | November 16, 1992 (1992-11-16) | |||
| Studio | PWL (London, England) | |||
| Length | 4:06 | |||
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| Kylie Minogue singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Celebration" onYouTube | ||||
"Celebration" was covered by Australian singer and songwriterKylie Minogue, who originally recorded it for her fourth studio album,Let's Get to It (1991), but it was not included on the album's release.[47] It later appeared on her 1992Greatest Hits album and was released as its second single on 16 November 1992 byMushroom andPWL International. It was produced by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, and peaked at No. 20 on theUK Singles Chart and at No. 21 in Australia. "Celebration" has been cited many times as one of Minogue's favorite songs, and it was included on her greatest hits albumsUltimate Kylie,The Best of Kylie Minogue, andStep Back in Time: The Definitive Collection. The techno-rave mix of the track is featured on theKylie's Non-Stop History 50+1 album. It was also Minogue's last single with PWL International andStock Aitken Waterman.[47]
| Chart (1992–1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[48] | 21 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[49] | 26 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[50] | 53 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[51] | 11 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[52] | 20 |
| UK Airplay (Music Week)[53] | 24 |
| UK Dance (Music Week)[54] | 25 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | November 16, 1992 |
| PWL International | [55] |
| Australia | November 30, 1992 |
| Mushroom | [56] |
| January 18, 1993 | 12-inch vinyl | [57] | ||
| Japan | January 21, 1993 | CD | PWL | [58] |
