"I Just Want to Celebrate" is a song recorded by American rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Rare Earth

Rare Earth (band)

Rare Earth is an American rock band affiliated with Motown's Rare Earth record label , who prospered in 1970-1972. Although not the first white band signed to Motown, Rare Earth was the first big hit-making act signed by Motown that consisted only of white members...

. It served as the lead single

Lead single

A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...

 from their 1971 album One World

One World (Rare Earth album)

One World is the fourth studio album by rock band Rare Earth and was released in June 1971. "I Just Want to Celebrate" became a Top 10 Gold certified hit, and the album would become the third Gold album from the ensemble.-Side one:...

and the band's fifth single overall. "I Just Want to Celebrate" peaked at #7 on the pop charts and would be Rare Earth's final top 10 single. It would be the opening song on their live album

Live album

A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...

, Rare Earth in Concert

Rare Earth in Concert

Rare Earth in Concert is a live album by rock band Rare Earth, which was released as a double-LP in 1971.-Side one:# "I Just Want to Celebrate" – 4:40# "Hey Big Brother" – 7:26...

, released later that year. The song would be included on various live and best-of compilations in the coming years.

Appearances

The song has been included on numerous 1970s compilation album

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

s in the many years following its release.

Into the 21st century, "I Just Want to Celebrate" has been used in major national advertising campaigns by Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 and AT&T

AT&T

AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...

. It appeared in the final episode of the TV show Six Feet Under and has also been prominently featured in the movie Three Kings, A Knight's Tale

A Knight's Tale (film)

A Knight's Tale is a 2001 American action-adventure film directed, produced, and written by Brian Helgeland. The film stars Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk, Rufus Sewell, Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer, and James Purefoy as Sir Thomas Colville/Edward, the Black Prince.The...

and Land of the Lost

Land of the Lost (film)

Land of the Lost is a 2009 American science-fiction comedy film directed by Brad Silberling and starring Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel, based on the 1974 Sid and Marty Krofft TV series of the same name.-Plot:...

, in the trailer for the movie Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder is a 2008 American action satire comedy film written, produced, and directed by Ben Stiller, and starring Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., and Jack Black. The main plot revolves around a group of prima donna actors who are making a Vietnam War film...

and in the end credits music in episode 24 ("One Day in the Valley") of Entourage

Entourage (TV series)

Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...

.

Cover versions and samples

Nu metal

Nu metal

Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...

 band Grade 8

Grade 8 (band)

-Background:Grade 8 formed in 1996 in the Los Angeles area. They signed with Lava Records in 2002, and released their self-titled debut album grade 8 on February 11, 2003...

 recorded a cover

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 of "I Just Want to Celebrate," shortened to "Celebrate," as the final track for their 2003 self-titled debut

Grade 8 (album)

Grade 8 is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal/rap metal music group Grade 8. It was released on February 11, 2003 via Lava Records. The album failed to gain commercial success and resulted in Grade 8 being dropped from Lava.-Musical style:...

.

On October 27 & 28, 2007, heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

 opened with "I Just Want to Celebrate" during their acoustic performances at Neil Young

Neil Young

Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...

's Bridge School Benefit

Bridge School Benefit

The Bridge School Benefit is an annual non-profit charity concert held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. The concerts are all organized by musician Neil Young and his wife, Pegi....

 show. The song came as a shock to fans and would be the first of numerous uncharacteristic covers in the shows.

Compton, California

Compton, California

Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...

 rappers N.W.A.

N.W.A.

N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....

 sampled "I Just Want to Celebrate" in the song " Real Niggaz Don't Die" from their 1991

1991 in music

See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...

 album Niggaz4Life. In late 2007, three separate hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

 albums sampled

Sampling (music)

In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 the hit 1970s single: a rendition entitled "We Celebrate" from Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah

Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...

's The Big Doe Rehab

The Big Doe Rehab

The Big Doe Rehab is the seventh studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released December 2007 on Def Jam Records.- Album information :The album was released on December 4, 2007...

; the opening track "Sirens" from Little Brother's Getback

Getback

Getback is the third studio album from Little Brother, released on October 23, 2007. On October 12, Phonte leaked the album himself to Okayplayer.com-Details:...

; UGK

UGK

UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...

's "Trill Niggas Don't Die" from Underground Kingz.

Reception

The song has become regarded among the most popular hits of the 1970s. Allmusic's Joe Viglione named "I Just Want to Celebrate" an AMG Track Pick and noted that without its inclusion on One World, "the album would've been an instant bargain-bin candidate."