Celebration (Kool & the Gang song)

"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. In 2016, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[3]

"Celebration"
Side-A label of 1980 US single
Single by Kool & the Gang
from the album Celebrate!
B-side	"Morning Star"
Released	October 1980
Recorded	January–March 1980
Studio	House of Music, West Orange, New Jersey
Genre	Post-disco[1] funk[2]
Length	3:42 (7-inch version) 4:17 (video version) 5:00 (12-inch / album version)
Label	De-Lite
Songwriter(s)	Ronald Nathan Bell Claydes Charles Smith George Melvin Brown James "J.T." Taylor Robert Spike Mickens Earl Eugene Toon Jr. Dennis Ronald Thomas Robert Earl Bell Eumir Deodato
Producer(s)	Eumir Deodato Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang singles chronology
"Hangin' Out" (1980) "Celebration" (1980) "Take It to the Top" (1980)
Music video
"Celebration" on YouTube

In 2021, the Library of Congress selected "Celebration" for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".^[4]

Origins

Co-founder Ronald Bell, the group's saxophonist and musical arranger, explained the origins of the song;

The initial idea came from the Quran. I was reading the passage, where God was creating Adam, and the angels were celebrating and singing praises. That inspired me to write the basic chords, the line, 'Everyone around the world, come on, celebration.'^[5][6]

Composition

"Celebration" is in the A♭ Mixolydian mode in common time and was written as a collaboration by the whole band.^[7] The song moves at a tempo of 123 beats per minute.^[8] The group's vocals span from A♭₃ to E♭₅.^[7]

Critical reception

Record World called the song "one big party hook with cool chorus chants & a boss bass",^[9] while Stereogum called Taylor's vocals "calmly ecstatic" and described it as a charmingly simple, and thus, fun song due to its lack of subtext.^[6]

Commercial performance

"Celebration" reached No. 1 on the Billboard 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 only Billboard No. 1 hit.

By late 1980, the song had also reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Dance and R&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 the St. Louis Cardinals after winning the 1982 World Series. In 1981, it was commonly played by radio stations in honor of the release of US hostages from captivity in Iran.^[11] It was also an international hit, reaching No. 7 in the United Kingdom on November 29, 1980, spending 13 weeks in the chart.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1980–1981) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] 33 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 3 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 1 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 17 France (IFOP)[16] 24 Ireland (IRMA)[17] 17 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 2 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[20] 1 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[21] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 6 UK Singles (OCC)[23] 7 US Billboard Hot 100[24] 1 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[25] 1 US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)[26] 1 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[27] 34 US Cash Box Top 100[28] 1 US Record World Singles[29] 1 West Germany (GfK)[30] 17 Chart (1988–1989) (Remix) Peak position France (SNEP)[16] 97 UK Singles (OCC)[31] 56 Chart (2013) Peak position France (SNEP)[32] 129

Year-end charts Chart (1981) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[33] 50 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[34] 9 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[35] 41 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[36] 47 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[37] 16 US Billboard Hot 100[38] 6 US Cash Box Top 100[39] 10

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[40]	Platinum	150,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[41]	Gold	45,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[42]	Gold	30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[43]	Gold	400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[44]	3× Platinum	3,000,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Dragon version

"Celebration"
Single by Dragon
from the album Bondi Road
B-side	"Blue Blue Is the Radio"
Released	November 1987
Length	3:56
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Ronald Nathan Bell Claydes Charles Smith George Melvin Brown James "J.T." Taylor Robert Spike Mickens Earl Eugene Toon Jr. Dennis Ronald Thomas Robert Earl Bell Eumir Deodato
Producer(s)	David Hirschfelder
Dragon singles chronology
"Nothing to Lose" (1987) "Celebration" (1987) "River" (1988)
Music video
"Celebration" on YouTube

"Celebration" was covered in 1987 and released as a single by New Zealand-Australian band Dragon. It was released as the lead single from the band's ninth studio album, Bondi Road (1989). The song peaked at number 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report.

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[45]	11

Kylie Minogue version

"Celebration"
Single by Kylie Minogue
from the album Greatest Hits
B-side	"Let's Get to It" "Too Much of a Good Thing"
Released	November 16, 1992 (1992-11-16)[46]
Studio	PWL (London)
Length	4:06
Label	PWL
Songwriter(s)	Donna Johnson Claydes Charles Smith Earl Eugene Toon Jr. James "J.T." Taylor Ronald Nathan Bell George Melvin Brown Dennis Ronald Thomas Eumir Deodato Robert Spike Mickens Robert Earl Bell
Producer(s)	Phil Harding Ian Curnow
Kylie Minogue singles chronology
"What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)" (1992) "Celebration" (1992) "Confide in Me" (1994)
Music video
"Celebration" on YouTube

"Celebration" was covered by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, who originally recorded it for her fourth studio album, Let's Get to It, but it was not included on the album's release.^[47] It later appeared on her 1992 Greatest Hits album and was released as its second single on 16 November 1992. It peaked at No. 20 on the UK 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 albums Ultimate Kylie, The Best of Kylie Minogue, and Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection. The techno-rave mix of the track is featured on the Kylie's Non-Stop History 50+1 album. It was also Minogue's last single with PWL and Stock Aitken Waterman.^[47]

Formats and track listings

• 7-inch single

1. "Celebration"
2. "Let's Get to It" – 3:50

• 12-inch single

1. "Celebration" (Have a Party Mix)
2. "Let's Get to It" (12" Mix) – 4:52

• CD single

1. "Celebration"
2. "Celebration" (Have a Party Mix)
3. "Let's Get to It" (12" Mix) – 4:52

• Australian CD single

1. "Celebration"
2. "Celebration" (Have a Party Mix)
3. "Too Much of a Good Thing"

• Japanese CD maxi single

1. "Celebration"
2. "Celebration" (Have A Party Mix)
3. "Celebration" (Techno RAVE Remix)
4. "Let's Get To It" (7" Mix)
5. "Let's Get To It" (12" Mix)

Charts

Chart (1992–1994)	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 Dance (Music Week)[53]	25

See also

• Music portal

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981
• List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1981
• List of number-one dance singles of 1980 (U.S.)
• List of number-one singles of 1981 (Canada)
• List of number-one singles from the 1980s (New Zealand)
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1980 (U.S.)
• List of post-disco artists and songs