Celebration by Kool & the Gang

About

A staple of New Year’s Eve parties, wedding receptions, corporate parties, graduations, birthdays, roller rinks, bat mitzvahs, Democratic conventions and just about any social gathering that could lead to dancing. You couldn’t escape this song even if you lived under a rock in a cave in Iran your entire life. In fact, when American hostages were returned home from Iran after 444 days of captivity, they were greeted with this song. Despite having a dozen top 10’s in the US, “Celebration” is Kool & The Gang’s only chart-topper, and their only platinum-selling hit. It was released in late 1980 and peaked at #1 the following February. It also reached #1 in New Zealand and made the top 10 in several countries including the UK. When lead singer JT Taylor’s mother first heard it, she knew it was going to be a massive hit, telling her son, “You’re gonna play this song for the rest of your life – so get ready!” The song was inspired by a line in the Q'uran, specifically “the passage where God was creating Adam, and the angels were celebrating and singing praises”.