From the Disco Era until the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Billboard maintained a weekly Dance Club Songs chart. As its name suggests, it ranked the most popular songs played in dance clubs. Not surprisingly, disco titans like Donna Summer and Chic dominated the chart in its early years. Over time, artists ranging from Madonna to Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode and Beyoncé have had great success on the chart.
Videos by American Songwriter
We would have fully expected any of the above-mentioned artists to show up frequently in the top spot of a dance chart. The six artists featured here have also reached No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart, even though each is far better known for their work in other genres. So get your boogie shoes and get ready to be surprised.
Supertramp, “I’m Beggin’ You”
The same band that brought us “The Logical Song” and “Give a Little Bit,” as well as prog-rock opuses like “Fool’s Overture” and “Rudy,” actually had a couple of dance hits in the ‘80s. The first single Supertramp released after the departure of Roger Hodgson, “Cannonball,” received airplay on rock and Top 40 stations, and it also got played in the clubs, reaching No. 9 on the Dance Club Songs chart in 1985. Two years later, the lead single from Free as a Bird, “I’m Beggin’ You,” went all the way to No. 1. While the bulk of Supertramp’s work won’t likely find its way anywhere near the disco floor, “I’m Beggin’ You” and its four-on-the-floor beat, horns, and jaunty synth lines make this a bona fide dance hit.
Ray Charles, “I’ll Be Good to You” (by Quincy Jones with Chaka Khan)
We probably shouldn’t be surprised by Ray Charles topping the dance chart, given that his songs covered a lot of genre territory, gracing the R&B, country, and adult contemporary charts, as well as the Billboard Hot 100. However, his first appearance on the Dance Club Songs chart came 37 years after he had his first chart hit with “Mess Around.” “I’ll Be Good to You,” in which Charles duets with Khan, appeared on Quincy Jones’ 1989 album Back on the Block, and it hit No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs rankings in February 1990. Charles would go on to score two more hits on the chart, first on INXS’ “Please (You Got That…)” in 1993 and then posthumously on “Walkin’ and Talkin’” in 2006.
The original version of “I’ll Be Good to You” by The Brothers Johnson predated the Dance Club Songs chart by four months, but it went to No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart in 1976.
Sheryl Crow, “Soak Up the Sun”
Sheryl Crow’s original version of “Soak Up the Sun” showed up in the places where we’re used to seeing her songs, including the Hot 100 (No. 17), adult alternative (No. 1), and adult contemporary (No. 5) charts. The Victor Calderone and Mac Quayle remix gave Crow her first Dance Club Songs entry in April 2002 and her only No. 1 song on the chart. She would make her only other appearance on the chart six months later with the remix of “Steve McQueen.”
Bob Marley and The Wailers, “Sun Is Shining”
There is no disputing the danceability of Bob Marley and The Wailers’ music, but they made it to the Dance Club Songs chart only once before Marley’s death in 1981. “Could You Be Loved” went to No. 6 in 1980, and it wouldn’t be until 1999 that he and the Wailers would return to the chart. Danish producer Funkstar De Luxe remixed “Sun Is Shining,” and the new version of the song—originally released in 1971—went to No. 1. Another Funkstar De Luxe remix of a Marley song, “Rainbow Country,” peaked at No. 7 on the Dance Club Songs chart, giving Marley his third and final entry in those rankings.
The Romantics, “Talking in Your Sleep”
Here’s another artist that makes danceable music, yet we don’t instantly associate them with dance clubs. The Detroit-based rockers did not made the dance chart with their 1980 breakthrough hit, “What I LIke About You,” but three years later, they took “Talking in Your Sleep” all the way to No. 1. The song was a triple threat, also peaking at No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100. The Romantics made two more appearances on the Dance Club Songs chart, getting to No. 21 with “One in a Million” and No. 42 with “Mystified.”
Greg Kihn Band, “Jeopardy”
Prior to the release of “Jeopardy” in 1983, the Greg Kihn Band had become a presence on album-oriented rock stations. Over the preceding two years, they placed five songs on the Mainstream Rock chart, the best-known being “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em).” “Jeopardy” was an AOR hit, too, becoming the band’s third Top 5 Mainstream Rock hit, but its funky clavinet-driven groove made it a Top 40 (No. 2 on the Hot 100) and dance smash, too. While the song got people moving on dance floors across the U.S., it’s probably even better remembered for Weird Al Yankovic’s parody. Admit it—you can’t hear the song without singing I lost on Jeopardy, baby.
The Greg Kihn Band would never have a hit as big as “Jeopardy” again, but they did reach the dance chart one more time as their 1985 single “Lucky” peaked at No. 16.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
