Don't Stop the Music (Rihanna song)
Encyclopedia
"Don't Stop the Music" is a dance-pop
song performed by Barbadian
R&B
singer Rihanna
from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad
. It was the third single from the album in most of Europe, the second single in Germany
and Spain
and the fourth single in the rest of the world. It was first sent to radio
on December 27, 2006, in America and physically released on September 7, 2007, in Germany and elsewhere on later dates. It had many electronic dance music remixes by many European disc jockeys like The Wideboys, Bob Sinclar, and Jody Den Broeder. The song was written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Tawanna Dabney, and samples Michael Jackson
's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
". The up-tempo song has prominent dance music
characteristics with influences of techno
and house
and is lyrically about having fun on the dancefloor.
"Don't Stop the Music" was well-received by many critics for its combination of techno
and house music
. The song is one of Rihanna's most critically acclaimed and best selling singles. It garnered high commercial outcomes for Rihanna in several countries, hitting the top five in eighteen countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States. The song reached its highest international peak in eleven countries at number one including Australia, Belgium, France, Finland and Germany.
The music video
for the song features Rihanna performing in the club behind a candy store. It was directed by Taj and Rihanna, her first music video that was co-directed, along with "Disturbia
". In 2008, the song received a Grammy
nomination in the Best Dance Recording
category but lost to Justin Timberlake
's "Love Stoned". On June 23, 2010, the song reached sales of over three million downloads, becoming Rihanna's third song as a lead artist to do so.
is set in common time
. The song both interpolates from and directly samples the "African chant" section of Michael Jackson
's 1983 hit "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
". That section, in turn, was an interpolation of the 1972 song "Soul Makossa
" by Manu Dibango
. In 2009, Dibango filed a case against Rihanna and Michael Jackson for interpolating "Soul Makossa" without his consent (Dibango had previously sued Jackson directly for "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", a case that had been settled out of court).
and house music
. Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
: "In 'Don't Stop the Music,' produced by StarGate, she finds the exuberance in a rather severe techno beat". Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media
says "Stargate is responsible for the best track here, 'Don't Stop the Music', an amazing bit of synth-bass Euroclub insanity; halfway through, sampled mamasay-mamasas from Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Something' come in and seamlessly blur into the track's overpowering beat." Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters
claims "the Michael Jackson-sampling 'Don’t Stop the Music' ... inspires the type of tail feather shaking you can only produce when you're chanting, 'Ma ma say, ma ma sah, ma ma koo sah', from 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
calls "Don't Stop The Music" "most closely related to that 2006 smash ["SOS
"], a track that borrows heavily from a song that itself borrowed heavily from something else (this time it's Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' which took its 'Mama-se, mama-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa' refrain from Manu Dibango's 'Soul Makoosa'[sic])."
Nick Levine of Digital Spy
: "'Don't Stop The Music', the album's fourth single, finds Rihanna reaping the benefits of this beat-happy approach. A big, chunky floor-filler built around a looped sample of the 'mama-se, mama-sa, mama-ku-sa's from Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', it hands her an unmissable opportunity to sound sexy while wiggling her hips seductively. The whole thing works so brilliantly that, almost unwittingly, it's the best single to bear a 'Jackson, M.' writing credit since 'Blood On The Dancefloor'." Bill Lamb of About.com
gave "Don't Stop the Music" four out of five stars, praising its "thumping house beat," "room-filling Stargate production," and "clever inclusion of [a] classic Michael Jackson line" while mentioning that "its repetitive nature as dance music may not work as well on radio".
, The Netherlands, Switzerland and France which became Rihanna's first number-one single. In Italy, it is Rihanna's highest charting song to date, having reached number-two. It had also reached number-six in Ireland, before its official release in February 2008. It was a massive hit in Spain where it reached number-one in Spain's top 40 (Los 40) and enjoyed heavy club and radio play. In addition, it has been successful in Canada, where it has reached number-two on the Canadian Hot 100
, becoming her second top five single from Good Girl Gone Bad, while in Greece it peaked at number-three in Greek IFPI
Singles Chart and it is her most successful single to date. As of February 2011, it has sold 3,125,000 in U.S.A alone.
Although at the time it had not been released as a promotional single in the United States, it did reach number-one on the Hot Dance Club Play
chart. Although it was premiered on BET's 106 & Park along with "Shut Up and Drive", it was at the time scrapped for "Hate That I Love You
". Several weeks after the video premiered on 106 & Park, and its peak atop Hot Dance Club Play, the single began to see a resurgence on radio, particularly on Top 40 stations. The following week, the song jumped fourteen spots to officially debut on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, despite the fact that a single release in the United States for the song had still not yet been announced. Furthermore, the song's fast-rising airplay has propelled its popularity, leading to a surge of digital downloads on iTunes from the digital album. Total downloads to date on Billboard's charts for "Don't Stop The Music" stand at over 3 million. The song, which entered the iTunes Top 100 Songs chart at number ninety-five on December 7, 2007, has climbed to number two as of January 21, 2008. This digital component has further helped the song on the Hot 100, where it has so far reached number three, becoming her seventh top ten and fourth top five single in the United States. The song was finally officially released in the U.S. in late 2007. The song is also seen by many as a pivotal point for the singer's career. Although she had already been a staple at the time of the song's surge in popularity, the song would mark the beginning of her massive chart reign in 2008. She went on to have the most sales of any artist in 2008.
In the week ending June 20, 2010, "Don't Stop The Music" topped the 3 million mark in paid downloads. It became Rihanna's fourth song as a lead and a featured artist to hit 3 million following "Disturbia
", "Umbrella"
(featuring Jay-Z
) and "Live Your Life
" (led by T.I) . She is the only artist with a grand total of four 3-million sellers. On December 30, 2007, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
based upon digital sales alone and has peaked at number four. The single's popularity in the UK has exceeded that of the third Good Girl Gone Bad single "Hate That I Love You", which only managed a peak of number fifteen upon its physical release. "Don't Stop the Music" was officially released in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2008. It spend eight weeks on the top ten and forty-two weeks in the top 100. Despite only peaking at number four, "Don't Stop The Music" is Rihanna's second longest charting single in the UK, with forty-two weeks on in the top 100 it only surpassed by her huge number-one single "Umbrella" which has appeared on the same chart for seventy-one weeks. The single has sold over 150,000 copies in Germany and has been certified gold. On January 27, 2008, it was added to Australian radio playlists. It had an early entry peaking number fifty-three.
On February 11, 2008, "Don't Stop the Music" became the highest peaking digital single on the ARIA Singles Chart, soaring from number seven to number two with a massive boost in downloads, despite the fact that the single was released in late February 2008. On February 18, 2008, the song reached number-one, becoming the first number one song in ARIA Singles Chart history based on digital downloads alone, and her third Australian number one along with "Umbrella" and "SOS
". It is widely believed the song's chart success in Australia (it held the pole position for four non-consecutive weeks, dethroning Leona Lewis
's "Bleeding Love
" twice and was certified Platinum) was due to its use on the high-rating local version of So You Think You Can Dance and its popularity in clubs. "Don't Stop the Music" had similarly charted highly in the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart
prior to its physical release. In Spain, the single was a massive hit. It even exceeded "Umbrella"s success achieving six times Platinum with sales over 240,000 units, and ending in the first position in the annual spanish singles chart 2008 published by PROMUSICAE
. "Don't Stop the Music" became Rihanna's first number-one song on the Latin America Top 40 Airplay Chart, and her second top-two song, after "Umbrella" which peaked at number-two for 10 consecutive weeks. The song is also the first English song to reach the top position since "Beautiful Liar
" by Beyoncé and Shakira
in May 2007. Rihanna has also the distinction of being the fourth international artist to reach the top position, after Madonna
, James Blunt
and Beyoncé. In Mexico, Rihanna scored her second top ten hit and first number-one single, it also became the first non-Spanish number-one hit in over a year. The song also hit number one on the ARIA charts but was knocked off on March 23, 2008, by Flo Rida
's "Low
".
for "Don't Stop the Music" was premiered on BET
's 106 & Park
on July 20, 2007. The video was filmed the day after the "Shut Up and Drive
" video in club Radost in Prague
(district Prague 2
), Czech Republic
. It was directed by Taj and Rihanna. The video opens with Rihanna and two of her friends coming out of a taxi, and they walk into a candy store telling a boy to be quiet. They sneak into the back of the candy store where there is a secret club. The verse begins with Rihanna singing in the bathroom while checking herself out and putting on makeup. After this she walks out of the bathroom and walks into the club where everyone is dancing, and the chorus begins. The rest of the video just shows Rihanna and her friends dancing in the club. The video was choreographed by Tina Landon
. Nolan Padilla from the Jennifer Lopez
reality television show DanceLife
makes a guest appearance. It reached number 2 on MTV
's TRL
and number 1 on Yahoo!
music Top 100 videos. As of May 2011 the video had been viewed over 143 millions times on YouTube
.
on April 9, 2008, sung by the remaining contestants of American Idol
as past So You Think You Can Dance
finalists performed various dance routines. It was also featured on the D&G fashion show, on the Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007. The song has been used in week seven of Dancing with the Stars
by Kristi Yamaguchi
and Mark Ballas
and in 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist
Kim Yu-Na's 2008–2009 season exhibition program. The song is also part of the regular rotation on WGN-TV
's annual telecast of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
.
UK CD single (0602517621619)
EU Maxi-CD single (0602517466760)
AU Maxi-CD single (1746676)
IT 12" vinyl (TIME 494)
Side A
Side B
UK Promo CD single (DONTSTOPCJ1)
UK 2 x 12" promo vinyl (RISTOPVP1)
Side A
Side B
Side C
Side D
Australian Remixes
covered this song on his 2009 album The Pursuit
and released it as his second single from the album, after "I'm All Over It
".
The song entered the Dutch Top 40
on the 6th February 2010 at number 31, a week later the single climbed to number 24, in its 3rd week the single dropped to number 28.
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song performed by Barbadian
Barbadian people
Barbadians are people originating on the Caribbean island of Barbados whether they live there or in the Barbadian diaspora.Rihanna is by far the most popular Barbadian on the planet.-Diaspora:...
R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released May 30, 2007, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during October 2006 to April 2007 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Rihanna worked with producers Christopher "Tricky"...
. It was the third single from the album in most of Europe, the second single in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the fourth single in the rest of the world. It was first sent to radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
on December 27, 2006, in America and physically released on September 7, 2007, in Germany and elsewhere on later dates. It had many electronic dance music remixes by many European disc jockeys like The Wideboys, Bob Sinclar, and Jody Den Broeder. The song was written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Tawanna Dabney, and samples Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was released on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records as the fourth single from Jackson's sixth studio album Thriller in 1982. It is the first song on Thriller...
". The up-tempo song has prominent dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
characteristics with influences of techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and is lyrically about having fun on the dancefloor.
"Don't Stop the Music" was well-received by many critics for its combination of techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
. The song is one of Rihanna's most critically acclaimed and best selling singles. It garnered high commercial outcomes for Rihanna in several countries, hitting the top five in eighteen countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States. The song reached its highest international peak in eleven countries at number one including Australia, Belgium, France, Finland and Germany.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song features Rihanna performing in the club behind a candy store. It was directed by Taj and Rihanna, her first music video that was co-directed, along with "Disturbia
Disturbia (song)
"Disturbia" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was released as the third single from the reloaded edition of the album, and seventh overall...
". In 2008, the song received a Grammy
50th Grammy Awards
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,...
nomination in the Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
category but lost to Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
's "Love Stoned". On June 23, 2010, the song reached sales of over three million downloads, becoming Rihanna's third song as a lead artist to do so.
Composition
"Don't Stop the Music" is a moderately fast dance groove composed in the key of F-sharp minor with 120 beats per minute. The tempoTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
. The song both interpolates from and directly samples the "African chant" section of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's 1983 hit "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was released on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records as the fourth single from Jackson's sixth studio album Thriller in 1982. It is the first song on Thriller...
". That section, in turn, was an interpolation of the 1972 song "Soul Makossa
Soul Makossa
"Soul Makossa" is a 1972 single by Cameroonian makossa saxophonist Manu Dibango. It is often cited as one of the first disco records. In 1972 David Mancuso found a copy in a Brooklyn West Indian record store and often played it at his Loft parties. The response was so positive that the few copies...
" by Manu Dibango
Manu Dibango
-External links:*...
. In 2009, Dibango filed a case against Rihanna and Michael Jackson for interpolating "Soul Makossa" without his consent (Dibango had previously sued Jackson directly for "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", a case that had been settled out of court).
Critical reception
Many critics praised "Don't Stop the Music" for Rihanna's slick transition into dance music combining influences of technoTechno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
. Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
: "In 'Don't Stop the Music,' produced by StarGate, she finds the exuberance in a rather severe techno beat". Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
says "Stargate is responsible for the best track here, 'Don't Stop the Music', an amazing bit of synth-bass Euroclub insanity; halfway through, sampled mamasay-mamasas from Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Something' come in and seamlessly blur into the track's overpowering beat." Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
claims "the Michael Jackson-sampling 'Don’t Stop the Music' ... inspires the type of tail feather shaking you can only produce when you're chanting, 'Ma ma say, ma ma sah, ma ma koo sah', from 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
calls "Don't Stop The Music" "most closely related to that 2006 smash ["SOS
SOS (Rihanna song)
"SOS" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her second studio album, A Girl like Me. The song was produced by J. R. Rotem and written by Rotem and Evan "Kidd" Bogart. It was released as the lead single from the album...
"], a track that borrows heavily from a song that itself borrowed heavily from something else (this time it's Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' which took its 'Mama-se, mama-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa' refrain from Manu Dibango's 'Soul Makoosa'[sic])."
Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
: "'Don't Stop The Music', the album's fourth single, finds Rihanna reaping the benefits of this beat-happy approach. A big, chunky floor-filler built around a looped sample of the 'mama-se, mama-sa, mama-ku-sa's from Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', it hands her an unmissable opportunity to sound sexy while wiggling her hips seductively. The whole thing works so brilliantly that, almost unwittingly, it's the best single to bear a 'Jackson, M.' writing credit since 'Blood On The Dancefloor'." Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave "Don't Stop the Music" four out of five stars, praising its "thumping house beat," "room-filling Stargate production," and "clever inclusion of [a] classic Michael Jackson line" while mentioning that "its repetitive nature as dance music may not work as well on radio".
Chart performance
"Don't Stop the Music" has achieved considerable success in several European countries. It reached a peak of number-one in Austria, Belgium, Germany, LuxembourgLuxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, The Netherlands, Switzerland and France which became Rihanna's first number-one single. In Italy, it is Rihanna's highest charting song to date, having reached number-two. It had also reached number-six in Ireland, before its official release in February 2008. It was a massive hit in Spain where it reached number-one in Spain's top 40 (Los 40) and enjoyed heavy club and radio play. In addition, it has been successful in Canada, where it has reached number-two on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, becoming her second top five single from Good Girl Gone Bad, while in Greece it peaked at number-three in Greek IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
Singles Chart and it is her most successful single to date. As of February 2011, it has sold 3,125,000 in U.S.A alone.
Although at the time it had not been released as a promotional single in the United States, it did reach number-one on the Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart. Although it was premiered on BET's 106 & Park along with "Shut Up and Drive", it was at the time scrapped for "Hate That I Love You
Hate That I Love You
"Hate That I Love You" is a song by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released as the third single from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad on August 21, 2007. It features R&B singer Ne-Yo, who had worked with Rihanna previously, contributing to her 2006 hit "Unfaithful". The song was produced...
". Several weeks after the video premiered on 106 & Park, and its peak atop Hot Dance Club Play, the single began to see a resurgence on radio, particularly on Top 40 stations. The following week, the song jumped fourteen spots to officially debut on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, despite the fact that a single release in the United States for the song had still not yet been announced. Furthermore, the song's fast-rising airplay has propelled its popularity, leading to a surge of digital downloads on iTunes from the digital album. Total downloads to date on Billboard's charts for "Don't Stop The Music" stand at over 3 million. The song, which entered the iTunes Top 100 Songs chart at number ninety-five on December 7, 2007, has climbed to number two as of January 21, 2008. This digital component has further helped the song on the Hot 100, where it has so far reached number three, becoming her seventh top ten and fourth top five single in the United States. The song was finally officially released in the U.S. in late 2007. The song is also seen by many as a pivotal point for the singer's career. Although she had already been a staple at the time of the song's surge in popularity, the song would mark the beginning of her massive chart reign in 2008. She went on to have the most sales of any artist in 2008.
In the week ending June 20, 2010, "Don't Stop The Music" topped the 3 million mark in paid downloads. It became Rihanna's fourth song as a lead and a featured artist to hit 3 million following "Disturbia
Disturbia (song)
"Disturbia" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was released as the third single from the reloaded edition of the album, and seventh overall...
", "Umbrella"
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
(featuring Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
) and "Live Your Life
Live Your Life
"Live Your Life" is a song by American rapper T.I., and the third single, from his sixth studio album Paper Trail. It was released as the third single from the album on September 23, 2008. The song features Barbadian pop singer Rihanna, and was produced by Just Blaze and Canei Finch. It officially...
" (led by T.I) . She is the only artist with a grand total of four 3-million sellers. On December 30, 2007, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
based upon digital sales alone and has peaked at number four. The single's popularity in the UK has exceeded that of the third Good Girl Gone Bad single "Hate That I Love You", which only managed a peak of number fifteen upon its physical release. "Don't Stop the Music" was officially released in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2008. It spend eight weeks on the top ten and forty-two weeks in the top 100. Despite only peaking at number four, "Don't Stop The Music" is Rihanna's second longest charting single in the UK, with forty-two weeks on in the top 100 it only surpassed by her huge number-one single "Umbrella" which has appeared on the same chart for seventy-one weeks. The single has sold over 150,000 copies in Germany and has been certified gold. On January 27, 2008, it was added to Australian radio playlists. It had an early entry peaking number fifty-three.
On February 11, 2008, "Don't Stop the Music" became the highest peaking digital single on the ARIA Singles Chart, soaring from number seven to number two with a massive boost in downloads, despite the fact that the single was released in late February 2008. On February 18, 2008, the song reached number-one, becoming the first number one song in ARIA Singles Chart history based on digital downloads alone, and her third Australian number one along with "Umbrella" and "SOS
SOS (Rihanna song)
"SOS" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her second studio album, A Girl like Me. The song was produced by J. R. Rotem and written by Rotem and Evan "Kidd" Bogart. It was released as the lead single from the album...
". It is widely believed the song's chart success in Australia (it held the pole position for four non-consecutive weeks, dethroning Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
's "Bleeding Love
Bleeding Love
"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder and produced by Tedder for British singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song is the album's lead single , released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007...
" twice and was certified Platinum) was due to its use on the high-rating local version of So You Think You Can Dance and its popularity in clubs. "Don't Stop the Music" had similarly charted highly in the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
prior to its physical release. In Spain, the single was a massive hit. It even exceeded "Umbrella"s success achieving six times Platinum with sales over 240,000 units, and ending in the first position in the annual spanish singles chart 2008 published by PROMUSICAE
PROMUSICAE
Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry...
. "Don't Stop the Music" became Rihanna's first number-one song on the Latin America Top 40 Airplay Chart, and her second top-two song, after "Umbrella" which peaked at number-two for 10 consecutive weeks. The song is also the first English song to reach the top position since "Beautiful Liar
Beautiful Liar
"Beautiful Liar" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé and Colombian Latin pop singer Shakira. The song was written by Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Knowles for the re-release of Knowles'...
" by Beyoncé and Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
in May 2007. Rihanna has also the distinction of being the fourth international artist to reach the top position, after Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, James Blunt
James Blunt
James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
and Beyoncé. In Mexico, Rihanna scored her second top ten hit and first number-one single, it also became the first non-Spanish number-one hit in over a year. The song also hit number one on the ARIA charts but was knocked off on March 23, 2008, by Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
's "Low
Low (Flo Rida song)
"Low" is the debut single by American rapper Flo Rida, featured on his debut album Mail On Sunday and also featured on the soundtrack to the 2008 film Step Up 2: The Streets. The song features T-Pain and was co-written with T-Pain. There is also a remix in which the hook is sung by Flo Rida rather...
".
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Don't Stop the Music" was premiered on BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on July 20, 2007. The video was filmed the day after the "Shut Up and Drive
Shut Up and Drive (Rihanna song)
"Shut Up and Drive" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . Released as album's second single, the song was solicited to the US radios on June 12, 2007 and was physically released on August 27, 2007 in the United Kingdom...
" video in club Radost in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(district Prague 2
Prague 2
Prague 2, formally the Prague 2 Municipal District , is a second-tier municipality in Prague. It is co-extensive with the national administrative district of the same name....
), Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. It was directed by Taj and Rihanna. The video opens with Rihanna and two of her friends coming out of a taxi, and they walk into a candy store telling a boy to be quiet. They sneak into the back of the candy store where there is a secret club. The verse begins with Rihanna singing in the bathroom while checking herself out and putting on makeup. After this she walks out of the bathroom and walks into the club where everyone is dancing, and the chorus begins. The rest of the video just shows Rihanna and her friends dancing in the club. The video was choreographed by Tina Landon
Tina Landon
Tina Landon is an award-winning Mexican-American choreographer based in Los Angeles who has worked with Prince, Anastacia, Mýa, Pink, Jay-Z, Marc Anthony, Kristi Yamaguchi, Aerosmith, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Shakira, Pussycat Dolls, Tina...
. Nolan Padilla from the Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
reality television show DanceLife
DanceLife
DanceLife is a 2007 dance-oriented US TV reality show, featuring and produced by Jennifer Lopez. The series follows the lives of seven dancers trying to break into the world of professional dance and trying to "make it" in Hollywood...
makes a guest appearance. It reached number 2 on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
and number 1 on Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
music Top 100 videos. As of May 2011 the video had been viewed over 143 millions times on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Impact
The song was the opening song on Idol Gives BackIdol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. A second Idol Gives Back concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the show. Idol Gives Back was not held in 2009 due to the ongoing...
on April 9, 2008, sung by the remaining contestants of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
as past So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
finalists performed various dance routines. It was also featured on the D&G fashion show, on the Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007. The song has been used in week seven of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 6)
The sixth season of Dancing with the Stars premiered on March 17, 2008; the first results show was a double-elimination episode airing on March 25, 2008. The show followed the format of previous seasons, with 12 couples....
by Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristine Tsuya "Kristi" Yamaguchi-Hedican is an American figure skater. She is the 1992 Olympic Champion in ladies' singles. Yamaguchi also won two World Figure Skating Championships in 1991 and 1992 and a U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1992. She won one junior world title in 1988 and two...
and Mark Ballas
Mark Ballas
Mark Alexander Ballas Jr. is an American dancer.Ballas is a professional ballroom dancer on the ABC program Dancing with the Stars. He began competing on the show in the fall of 2007. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography in 2011...
and in 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist
Figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics
The figure skating competition of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Pacific Coliseum between February 14 and 27, 2010. It was the 23rd edition of the figure skating event at the Olympics, and the 21st edition at the Winter Olympics....
Kim Yu-Na's 2008–2009 season exhibition program. The song is also part of the regular rotation on WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
's annual telecast of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
The MDA Labor Day Telethon is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association . The first MDA telethon was during the Thanksgiving Day weekend of 1952 and titled Party for MDA. It has been held annually since 1966...
.
Track listing and formats
"Don't Stop the Music" was released on CD and 12" vinyl commercially and as "Don't Stop the Music": Remixes" promotionally.Don't Stop the Music
EU CD single (06025 1746679 1)UK CD single (0602517621619)
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Album Version) - 4:27
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The WideboysWideboysThe Wideboys are UK house, Bassline and UK garage Record producers and remixers.The Wideboys are managed by Matt Waterhouse from MWR/Hyperactive. In 2008, they signed to Sony ATV Music Publishing. Prior to this, The Wideboys had been signed in various deals with the likes of Warner, Univeral and...
Club Mix) - 6:37
EU Maxi-CD single (0602517466760)
AU Maxi-CD single (1746676)
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Album Version) - 4:27
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Club Mix) - 6:37
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Instrumental) - 4:18
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Video) - 3:59
IT 12" vinyl (TIME 494)
Side A
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Bob Sinclar Club Mix) - 7:48
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Bob Sinclar Radio Edit) - 3:27
Side B
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Big Room Mix) - 10:31
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Album Version) - 4:27
Don't Stop the Music: Remixes
US Promo CD single (DEFR 16771-2)- "Don't Stop the Music" (Album Version) - 4:27
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Radio Edit) - 4:22
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Radio Edit) - 3:10
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Edit) - 4:08
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Big Room Mix) - 10:33
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Club Mix) - 6:39
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Remix) - 8:08
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Big Room Dub) - 8:34
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Dub Mix) - 6:44
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Dub) - 7:38
UK Promo CD single (DONTSTOPCJ1)
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Album Version) - 4:27
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Radio Edit) - 4:22
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Radio Edit) - 3:10
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Edit) - 4:08
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Big Room Mix) - 10:33
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Club Mix) - 6:39
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Remix) - 8:08
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Big Room Dub) - 8:34
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Dub Mix) - 6:44
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Dub) - 7:38
UK 2 x 12" promo vinyl (RISTOPVP1)
Side A
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Big Room Mix) - 10:33
Side B
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Big Room Dub) - 8:34
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Jody Den Broeder Radio Edit) - 4:22
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Edit) - 4:08
Side C
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Remix) - 8:08
- "Don't Stop the Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Dub) - 7:38
Side D
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Club Mix) - 6:39
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Dub Mix) - 6:44
- "Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Radio Edit) - 3:10
Australian Remixes
- "Don't Stop The Music" (Album Version) - 4:29
- "Don't Stop The Music" (Jody den Broeder Radio Edit) - 4:22
- "Don't Stop The Music" (The Wideboys Radio Edit) - 3:11
- "Don't Stop The Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Edit) - 4:08
- "Don't Stop The Music" (Jody den Broeder Big Room Mix) - 10:33
- "Don't Stop The Music" (The Wideboys Club Mix) - 6:39
- "Don't Stop The Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Remix) - 8:08
- "Don't Stop The Music" (Jody den Broeder Big Room Dub) - 8:34
- "Don't Stop The Music" (The Wideboys Dub Mix) - 6:44
- "Don't Stop The Music" (Solitaire's More Drama Dub) - 7:38
Peak positions
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
2 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2007) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 15 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 14 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 39 |
| French Singles Chart | 12 |
| German Singles Chart | 12 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 10 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
| Australian Singles Chart | 12 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 4 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 2 |
| German Singles Chart | 38 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 39 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 20 |
| UK Singles Chart | 24 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 17 |
Decade-end charts
| (2000–2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 12 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum |
| Belgium | Platinum |
| Brazil | Platinum |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| Finland | Gold |
| Germany | Gold |
| New Zealand | Gold |
| Spain | 6× Platinum |
| Sweden | Platinum |
| United Kingdom | Silver |
| United States | 3× Platinum |
Chart processions and successions
Radio and release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | September 7, 2007 | Radio | Def Jam Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group... /SRP |
| Germany | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
||
| United States | January 15, 2008 | ||
| United Kingdom | February 4, 2008 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
|
| Brazil | April 4, 2008 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Universal Music Brasil |
Jamie Cullum version
Jamie CullumJamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...
covered this song on his 2009 album The Pursuit
The Pursuit (album)
The Pursuit is the fifth studio album by Jamie Cullum. It was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom, and released in the United States and Canada on 2 March 2010. It was produced by Greg Wells and Martin Terefe, and mixed by Gregg Wells, Thomas Juth and Ryan Hewitt. The album's title...
and released it as his second single from the album, after "I'm All Over It
I'm All Over It
"I'm All Over It" is the first single from The Pursuit, the fifth studio album by Jamie Cullum. It was released on November 2, 2009 and entered the UK top 75 at #55, up from #92 the week before....
".
The song entered the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
on the 6th February 2010 at number 31, a week later the single climbed to number 24, in its 3rd week the single dropped to number 28.
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
24 |