Onka's Big Moka

This article is about the Toploader album. For the anthropological film with a similar spelling, see Ongka's Big Moka.

Onka's Big Moka is the debut studio album by English band Toploader, which was released on 22 May 2000, through S2 Records. Having been recorded between 1998 and 1999, it was produced by long time collaborator of the Manic Street Preachers, Dave Eringa. After its release, the album reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart and stayed on the chart for six months.

Onka's Big Moka
Studio album by Toploader
Released	22 May 2000
Recorded	1998–1999
Studio	RAK, London; Ocean Way Recording, Los Angeles
Genre	Post-Britpop alternative rock
Length	48:02
Label	S2
Producer	Dave Eringa
Toploader chronology
Onka's Big Moka (2000) Magic Hotel (2002)
Singles from Onka's Big Moka
"Achilles Heel" Released: 3 May 1999 "Let The People Know" Released: 26 July 1999 "Dancing In The Moonlight" Released: 21 February 2000 "Only For A While" Released: 9 April 2001

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
BBC	Favourable link
Blender	[2]
New Straits Times	[3]
Select	[4]
USA Today	[5]

The song "Dancing in the Moonlight", a cover of the Boffalongo song, was later featured in television commercials for the supermarket chain Sainsbury's, on the soundtrack of the 2002 American coming-of-age teen romantic drama A Walk to Remember, the 2010 comedy film Four Lions, and the 2019 television series The Umbrella Academy.

The album cover was taken at Lancaster Gate, located in the Bayswater district of Central London, while the title is a reference to the 1974 anthropological documentary Ongka's Big Moka: The Kawelka of Papua New Guinea.

Track listing

All tracks written by Joseph Washbourn, except tracks 2 & 7.

1. "Let the People Know" – 3:54
2. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Sherman Kelly) – 3:52
3. "Achilles Heel" – 4:18
4. "Breathe" – 3:56
5. "Do You Know What Your Future Will Be?" – 4:24
6. "Only for a While" – 3:51
7. "Just Hold On" (Dave Smith, Tim Woodcock, Mike Terry) – 4:01
8. "Higher State" – 3:11
9. "High Flying Bird" – 4:10
10. "Summer Cycle" – 4:38
11. "Just About Living" – 4:01
12. "Floating Away (In the Bath Tub)" – 3:22

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Onka's Big Moka Chart (1999–2001) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 99 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[7] 36 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] 86 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] 43 Irish Albums (IRMA)[10] 6 Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] 3 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 85 UK Albums (OCC)[13] 4

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Onka's Big Moka Chart (2000) Position UK Albums (OCC)[14] 25 Chart (2001) Position UK Albums (OCC)[15] 29

Certifications

Certifications for Onka's Big Moka

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[16]	3× Platinum	900,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.