| "Oh Sheila" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork for US and some other territorial releases | ||||
| Single by Ready for the World | ||||
| from the album Ready for the World | ||||
| B-side | "I'm the One Who Loves You" | |||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Ready for the World | |||
| Ready for the World singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Oh Sheila” on YouTube | ||||
"Oh Sheila" is a song by American R&B band Ready for the World. Released as a single in 1985, it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, and the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart. It was the first of two chart toppers for the band on the Billboard R&B chart, preceding their 1986 number-one R&B hit "Love You Down".
The song is commonly misattributed to Prince, due to the similarities to his vocal and musical style, heavy use of the detuned rimshot sound of a drum machine, and the belief that the song's lyrics allude to frequent Prince collaborator Sheila E.[3][4]
The use of a faux British accent during parts of the song was the preference of singer Melvin Riley Jr., who said "I like that kind of accent, so I thought I'd use that sound."[5]
- ^ Breihan, Tom. "The Number Ones: Ready for the World's "Oh Sheila"". Stereogum. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ Smith, Troy L. (13 May 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "The Prince Hit That Wasn't a Prince Hit". Grammy.com. The Recording Academy. May 12, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ DeKnock, Jan (October 13, 1985). "Ready For the World on Top with Prince-like 'Oh Sheila'". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ Jackson, Dana (December 5, 1985). "This Group's Finally Ready for the World". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2018.