"Funkytown" is a song by American disco-funk group Lipps Inc., written and produced by Steven Greenberg and released by Casablanca Records in March 1980 as the second single from the group's debut studio album, Mouth to Mouth (1979). The track was met with immediate commercial success, reaching number one on various record charts in different countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Israel, New Zealand, Spain, West Germany and on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Composition and lyrics
Sung by Lipps Inc.'s lead vocalist Cynthia Johnson, the tune features the narrator pining for a metaphorical place that will "keep me movin', keep me groovin' with some energy", while Lipps Inc. members were dreaming of relocating from Minneapolis to New York City. The song is in time with a key of C major.
Chart performance
In the United States, "Funkytown" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on March 29, 1980 and spent four weeks at number one, from May 31 to June 21, 1980. It also topped the Disco Top 60 chart for four non-consecutive weeks "Funkytown" was first certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on May 23, 1980 and later Platinum on July 17, 1980. Billboard magazine ranked the song as the eighth most popular single of 1980. It is Lipps Inc.'s only US Top 40 hit single. Johnson's website says the singer had never been asked to perform in a video of "Funkytown".
Legacy and impact
In 1997, DJ John Acquaviva listed "Funkytown" with his top ten tracks, saying "It's always been one of my favorite songs. It's got an amazing bassline that sounds great on a good system and people love it." In October 2000, VH1 ranked the song number 64 in their list of "100 Greatest Dance Songs". In 2003, English music journalist Paul Morley included it in his list of "Greatest Pop Single of All Time". In 2009, it was ranked number 94 on Entertainment Weeklys "The 100 Greatest Summer Songs": "This one-hit wonder belonged to the tail end of the disco era but also presaged the techno-pop epoch about to come ... totally synthetic, totally cool." Same year, VH1 ranked the song number 37 on its list of the "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 1980s". In 2018, Time Out ranked it number 44 on its list of "The 100 best party songs", writing, Funkytown' expresses a simple, repetitive yearning for the pulse of a bigger city, goosed by a killer ten-note synth riff. "Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me", sings Cynthia Johnson in a robotic, vocoderized voice (a precursor to the Auto-Tune sound) before busting out an unmodified, soulful wail, pleading for a trip to the party destination of her dreams. Released in 1980, 'Funkytown' came late to the disco party, but gave it a jolt of electricity." In 2018, ThoughtCo. ranked the song number seven on its list of the "25 Best Dance Pop Songs of All Time".
Track listing and formats
All tracks were written and produced by Steven Greenberg.
- US 7-inch vinyl single <small>(810 326-7)</small>
:A1. "Funkytown" – 3:57
:B1. "All Night Dancing" – 3:09
- Australian 12-inch vinyl single <small>(6198 342)</small>
:A1. "Funkytown" – 7:46
:B1. "All Night Dancing" – 8:18
- Mexican 12-inch vinyl single <small>(3027)</small>
:A1. "Funkytown" (Super Disco version) – 12:43
:B1. "All Night Dancing" – 3:09
Charts
Weekly charts
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
!Chart (1980)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|Argentina (Prensario)
|align="center"|9
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report)
|align="center"|1
|-
|-
|-
|-
|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
|align="center"|1
|-
|Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)
|align="center"|2
|-
|France (IFOP)
|align="center"|1
|-
|-
|Italy (Musica e dischi)
|align="center"|5
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|South Africa (Springbok Radio)
|align="center"|5
|-
|Spain (AFE)
|align="center"|1
|-
|-
|-
|-
|US Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|1
|-
|US Disco Top 60 (Billboard)
|align="center"|1
|-
|US Record World
|align="center"|1
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1980)
!Rank
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report)
|align="center"|4
|-
|Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)
|align="center"|3
|-
|Canada Top Singles (RPM)
|align="center"|14
|-
|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
|align="center"|5
|-
|Netherlands (Single Top 100)
|align="center"|10
|-
|New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
|align="center"|7
|-
|Spain (AFE)
|align="center"|2
|-
|US Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|8
|-
|US Cash Box Top 100
|align="center"|10
|}
Certifications and sales
Pseudo Echo version
In 1986, "Funkytown" was covered by Australian new wave band Pseudo Echo in rock form on their album Love an Adventure. It peaked at number one for seven weeks in Australia and six weeks in New Zealand. It was also a hit internationally, reaching the top 10 in Canada (#1), South Africa (#2), Sweden (#9), the UK (#8), and the US (#6).
Track listing and formats
- US 7-inch vinyl single (EMI 1883)
:A1. "Funkytown" – 3:40
:B1. "Lies Are Nothing" – 3:58
- 12-inch vinyl maxi single (ED 237) / (RCA 5217–7)
:A1. "Funkytown" (Dance Mix) – 6:32
:B1. "Funkytown" – 3:40
:B2. "Lies Are Nothing" – 3:58
Charts
Weekly charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1986–1987)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report)
|align="center"|17
|-
|-
|South Africa (Springbok Radio)
|align="center"|2
|-
|-
|-
|-
|US Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|6
|-
|US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)
|align="center"|12
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable"
!Chart (1986)
!Rank
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report)
|align="center"|93
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1987)
!Rank
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report)
|align="center"|17
|-
|New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
|align="center"|1
|-
|US Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|99
|-
|US Dance/Electronic Singles Sales (Billboard)
|align="center"|37
|}
{|class="wikitable"
!Chart (1988)
!Rank
|-
|South Africa (Springbok Radio)
|align="center"|18
|}
Certifications and sales
See also
- List of one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
- Lists of number-one singles (Austria)
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1980
- List of number-one dance singles of 1980 (U.S.)
- List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1980
- List of number-one singles of 1980 (Canada)
- List of number-one singles of 1987 (Canada)
- List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1980
- List of European number-one hits of 1980
- List of number-one singles of 1980 (France)
- List of number-one hits of 1980 (Germany)
- List of number-one singles from the 1980s (New Zealand)
- List of number-one songs in Norway
- List of number-one singles of the 1980s (Switzerland)