Y.M.C.A. (song)

"Y.M.C.A."
One of A-side label variants of U.S. 7-inch vinyl single
Single by Village People
from the album Cruisin'
B-side"The Women"
ReleasedOctober 17, 1978
Recorded1978
StudioSigma Sound, New York City
GenreDisco
Length
  • 3:49 (single/video version)
  • 4:47 (album version)
  • 6:47 (12" disco version)
LabelCasablanca
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jacques Morali
Village People singles chronology
"Macho Man"
(1978) 		"Y.M.C.A."
(1978) 		"In the Navy"
(1979)
Music video
"Y.M.C.A." on YouTube

"Y.M.C.A." is a song by American disco group Village People, written by Jacques Morali (also the record's producer) and singer Victor Willis[1] and released in October 1978 by Casablanca Records as the only single from their third studio album, Cruisin' (1978). A medley with "Hot Cop" reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart,[2] while the song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1979, placing behind both "Le Freak" by Chic and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart.[3] Outside the US, "Y.M.C.A." reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart around the same time, becoming the group's biggest hit. It has sold 12 million copies worldwide.[4]

The song remains popular and is played at many sporting events in the US and Europe, with crowds joining in on the dance by spelling out the four letters of the song's title via arm movements. In September 2000 "Y.M.C.A." was used as the Space Shuttle wake-up call on day 11 of STS-106.[5] In 2009, "Y.M.C.A." set a Guinness World Record when over 44,000 people danced to Village People's live performance of the song at the 2008 Sun Bowl game in El Paso, Texas.[6]

"Y.M.C.A." is No. 7 on VH1's list of "The 100 Greatest Dance Songs of the 20th Century".[7] In 2020, "Y.M.C.A." was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame[8] and selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[9][10] In its official press release, the Library noted that "back in its heyday, 'Y.M.C.A.' was a hit around the world, going to No. 1 on the charts in over 15 countries, and its ongoing popularity is evidence that, despite the naysayers, disco has never truly died."[9]

  1. ^ Littlefield, Dana (March 5, 2015). "Village People cop wins 50% of 'YMCA' rights". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  2. ^ "The Village People Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  3. ^ "Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. January 2, 2013.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference wwsales was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Audio Wakeup Call Index". Spaceflight.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on October 17, 2000. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  6. ^ Peterson, Jan (February 2, 2012). "Dancing Without the Stars: "YMCA" and Other Record-Breaking Dance Events". Yahoo TV. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  7. ^ "the VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs". Disco-disco.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  8. ^ "GRAMMY Hall of Fame 2021 Inductions Announced". December 21, 2020.
  9. ^ a b "National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist". Library of Congress – National Recording Registry. March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  10. ^ "The Village People's YMCA is preserved for posterity". BBC News. March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.