"Groove Is in the Heart" is a song by American

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

band

Deee-Lite Deee-Lite was an American house and dance music group formed in New York City. The group's best-known single is "Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album ''World Clique'' (1990), and was a top-ten hit in ...

, released in August 1990 as their debut and lead single from their first album, ''

World Clique ''World Clique'' is the debut album by American dance music band Deee-Lite, which was released in 1990. The album's first single, "Groove Is in the Heart", was a top-five success on both the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart as well ...

'' (1990). Written and produced by the band, it was a hit in many countries, reaching number-one in Australia and on both the Canadian ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' and US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' dance charts. Today it is widely recognized as a classic of its genre.

Background

Though the album version was not recorded until 1990, the song was originally written in the late 1980s; it was performed live as early as 1989. The backing track was built around many samples, primarily the main riff from

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

's track "Bring Down the Birds" from the ''

Blowup ''Blowup'' (sometimes styled as ''Blow-up'' or ''Blow Up'') is a 1966 mystery drama thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and produced by Carlo Ponti. It was Antonioni's first entirely English-language film, and stars David Hemming ...

'' soundtrack and Vernon Burch's "Get Up", which provided the drum track and also formed the basis for the breakdown featuring a

slide whistle A slide whistle (variously known as a swanee or swannee whistle, lotos flute piston flute, or jazz flute) is a wind instrument consisting of a fipple like a recorder's and a tube with a piston in it. Thus it has an air reed like some woodwinds ...

Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive fu ...

bassist

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading n ...

provided guest vocals, and the

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

is provided by Q-Tip of

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

editor Ned Raggett wrote in his review of ''

'', "Its reputation may rest on only one hit single -- but what a hit. 'Groove Is in the Heart' defined the summer of 1990 on radio and

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

with its delicious combination of

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, modern dance sheen, and

Lady Miss Kier Kierin Magenta Kirby (aka Lady Miss Kier) is an American singer, songwriter, DJ, designer, fashion icon, and activist. During her career, Lady Miss Kier has been the vocalist for the band Deee-Lite, a disc jockey, and solo songwriter. She support ...

's smart, sharp diva ways. Add in guest vocals and bass from

(a pity his hilarious video cameo wasn't represented here), brass from the original

Horny Horns Horny may refer to: * Horn (anatomy) * Epimedium, also known as "horny goat weed" * Hornyhead chub, a North American freshwater fish with a Twitter * Horned lizard, also known as "horny toad" or "horned frog" * Horny layer of skin * Horny, a cha ...

duo of

Fred Wesley Fred Wesley (born July 4, 1943) is an American trombonist who worked with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s and Parliament-Funkadelic in the second half of the 1970s. Biography Wesley was born the son of a high school teacher and big band lead ...

and

Maceo Parker Maceo Parker (; born February 14, 1943) is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s and Prince in the 2000s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of B ...

, and a smooth mid-song rap from

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

's Q-Tip, and the results sounded good then and now." Bill Coleman from ''

'' commented, "Sometimes you can believe the hype. Hot New York City underground dance trio more than lives up to prerelease push with this sizzling groove'n'sample funk jam, kicked into gear by the sultry and charismatic vocal presence of future diva Lady Miss Kier." He also added, ""Groove" is, well, very groovy. A

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

-paced track with a hip-hop sensibility."

Matt Stopera Matt Stopera is a senior editor at BuzzFeed. He is best known for an article he wrote in 2015 about a Chinese man who had received Stopera's stolen cell phone and posted dozens of photos of an orange tree which appeared on his iPhone's photo strea ...

and Brian Galindo from ''

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...

'' noted that it is a "perfect little slice of the early '90s New York club scene." Bevan Hannan from ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

'' described the song as "good fun". David Giles from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' said it's a "fine single". He added, "Pure Seventies funk with a Nineties groove." Helen Mead from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' stated that it is "playfully funky". The magazine also called it a "pretty faultless collage of

G-Funk G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk (P-funk) sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic. Characte ...

, Daisy Age hip-hop,

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

and dippy

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

." A reviewer from ''

People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People ...

'' noted it as "hopping". Ross Grady from ''

The Rice Thresher ''The Rice Thresher'' is the weekly student newspaper of Rice University in Houston, Texas. It was first published in 1916. It has an estimated circulation of 3,000 and is distributed throughout the university and its surrounding areas. The '' ...

'' said it is "one of the creamiest slabs of

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

ever to come from the house music scene." ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American 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 ...

'' ranked the song third in its 100 Greatest Dance Songs list, adding: "No song delivered the group's world-conscious Word as colorfully and open-heartedly as 'Groove Is in the Heart,' which flew up the Billboard charts while goosing stuffed shirts." Caroline Sullivan from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' wrote that the "ripping floor filler" has "got the samples and twiddly electronoises so necessary for dancefloor success nowadays, but there's also a hummable melody and sense of humour about it all." ''

'' and ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

''s

Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...

annual critics' poll named "Groove Is in the Heart" the best single released in the year 1990.

Chart performance

An immediate smash in

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s, the song went to number-one on the US

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart and also hit number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It peaked at number-one for one week in Australia in November 1990, while it reached number two in New Zealand. In the UK, the record was equally popular and was released as a

double A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

with "What Is Love", and, with the UK single released with the subtitle "peanut butter mix" (because the single was heavily edited and completely omitted the contributions by

and Q-Tip), it eventually reached number two during September 1990. Its placing second was due to a rule instituted in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in the 1980s, which settled any "ties" over chart positions due to equal sales: the single with sales that had increased most from the previous week would reside above the other, controversially giving "

The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Bat ...

" by the

Steve Miller Band The Steve Miller Band is an American rock music, rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles t ...

the top place. Following complaints from Deee-Lite's record company,

WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...

, the rule, of which this song had been the only victim, was scrapped and joint positions were once again allowed. However, it turned out that the 2,595 panel sales that both records achieved for this week of September 15, 1990, had been rounded up, with chart compilers Gallup later releasing the data that showed that the Steve Miller Band hit was indeed a fraction ahead (selling about eight copies more than Deee-Lite). "The Joker" spent a second week at the number-one spot and thereafter convincingly outsold "Groove Is in the Heart". In Europe, the single managed to climb into the top 10 also in Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, as well as on the

Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by ''Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately f ...

, where it hit number five in September 1990. Additionally, it was a top 20 hit in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, while it peaked within the top 30 in Austria. It earned a

gold record Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile meta ...

in the US, after 500,000 singles were sold. In Australia and the UK, it earned a platinum record, when 70,000 and 600,000 units, respectively, were sold.

Impact and legacy

In 2003, ''

Q Magazine ''Q'' was a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''. '' ...

'' ranked "Groove Is in the Heart" at number 323 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". '' VH1'' placed it at No. 67 in their list of "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s" in 2007. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' named it the 59th best track of the 1990s. They wrote: "With their sass-tastic frontwoman and kitsched-to-death fashion sense, Deee-Lite probably seemed like a good bet at a time when pop's future was still up for grabs. If you were a kid in the 'burbs, they almost resembled a Daisy Age hip-hop group (the day-glo/flower-power look, the Q-Tip guest rap) as much as a house act (a strange urban subculture we had little access to in junior high)." In 2011, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' featured the song on their "A history of modern music: Dance". In April 2017 the single was re-released on pink vinyl, as part of

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

with remixes of "What Is Love?" on the B-Side. ''

'' listed the song number three in their "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" list in 2017. In 2018, '' Time Out'' listed the song number 23 in their list of "The 100 best party songs", adding: "In this tale of New York's anything-is-possible East Village of the late '80s, a trio of candy-coloured club kids – Super DJ Dmitri, Lady Miss Kier and Towa Tei – decide to form a band. The threesome (with a little help from ringers Q-Tip, Maceo Parker and Bootsy Collins) come up with 'Groove Is in the Heart', a sweetly innocent percolator of a tune that, against all odds, becomes the worldwide club smash of 1990. True story!" In 2021, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked the "Groove Is in the Heart" at 233 in its updated list of

The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...

, calling it "a collage across different generations of funkateers."

Accolades

(*) indicates the list is unordered.

Samples used

This is an incomplete list of samples used in the song. *Bel-Sha-Zaar with Tommy Genapopoluis and the Grecian Knights – "Introduction" from the album ''The Art of Belly Dancing'', 1969, Gateway: GSLP 3527 (intro music, vocal sample: "''We're going to dance, and have some fun''") *

– "Bring Down the Birds" from the soundtrack album ''

Blow-Up ''Blowup'' (sometimes styled as ''Blow-up'' or ''Blow Up'') is a 1966 mystery drama thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and produced by Carlo Ponti. It was Antonioni's first entirely English-language film, and stars David Hemmings ...

'', 1966 (bassline) * Vernon Burch – "Get Up" from the album ''Get Up'', 1979 (drums, crowd noise,

) *

Ray Barretto Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Lati ...

– "Right On" from the album ''Barretto Power'', 1972 (cowbell) *Theme from the TV series ''

Green Acres ''Green Acres'' is an American television sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to ''Petticoat Junction'', the series was first broadcast on ...

'', 1965 (vocal sample: looped "''I''" sample ("''I-i-i-i-i-i''"), sung by

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress, businesswoman, singer, and socialite. She voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the animated Disney Classics, ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), ...

) *

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was a Trinidadian and Tobagonian American, Trinbagonian-American percussionist, songwriter, musical arranger, record producer, steelpan virtuoso and philanthropist. His compositions ...

– "Jam on the Groove" from the album ''Sound of a Drum'', 1976 (percussion) *

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

– "Uptight" from the album ''

Wildest Organ in Town! ''Wildest Organ in Town!'' is an album by Billy Preston. Released in 1966, it was arranged by Sly Stone. The album peaked at No. 118 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Critical reception AllMusic wrote that Preston's "early prowess as a flashy organ equ ...

'', 1966 (breakbeat under rap by Q-Tip) *

The Headhunters The Headhunters are an American jazz fusion band formed by Herbie Hancock in 1973. The group fused jazz, funk, and rock music. History (and name) Hancock had grown dissatisfied with his prior band, Mwandishi, and wanted to make a band with a st ...

– "God Make Me Funky" from the album ''

Survival of the Fittest "Survival of the fittest" is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection. The biological concept of fitness is defined as reproductive success. In Darwinian terms, th ...

'', 1975 (drum fill) *Hateful Head Helen – "Hateful Head Helen", 1989 (vocal sample: "''blulululu''")

Track listings

* CD maxi – Europe #"Groove Is in the Heart" (meeting of the minds mix) – 5:14 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (peanut butter mix) – 3:31 #"What Is Love?" (holographic goatee mix) – 4:10 #"What Is Love?" (rainbow beard mix) – 4:04 * CD maxi – US #"Groove Is in the Heart" (LP version) – 3:55 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (peanut butter radio mix) – 3:32 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (meeting of the minds mix) – 5:14 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (Jelly Jam beats) – 2:12 #"What Is Love?" (holographic goatee mix) – 4:13 #"What Is Love?" (frenchapella) – 0:57 #"What Is Love?" (rainbow beard mix) – 4:03 * 2017 Record Store Day Re-Release :A1. "Groove Is in the Heart" (Meeting of the Minds mix) :A2. "Groove Is in the Heart" (Peanut Butter mix) :A3. "Groove Is in the Heart" (Jelly Jam Beats) :B1. "What Is Love?" (Holographic Goatee mix) :B2. "What Is Love?" (Frenchapella) :B3. "What Is Love?" (Rainbow Beard mix) * 7-inch single #"Groove Is in the Heart" (peanut butter mix) – 3:29 #"What Is Love?" (holographic goatee mix) – 4:10 * 12-inch maxi #"Groove Is in the Heart" (meeting of the minds mix) – 5:10 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (peanut butter mix) – 3:29 #"What Is Love?" (holographic goatee mix) – 4:10 #"What Is Love?" (rainbow beard mix) – 4:02 * Digital single #"Groove Is in the Heart" – 3:54 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (Bootsified to the Nth Degree) – 5:04 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (Meeting the Minds Mix) – 5:10 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (Peanut Butter Mix) – 3:29 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (Jelly Jam Beats) – 2:12 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (Instrumental) – 3:45 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (Acapella) – 3:38 #"Groove Is in the Heart" (Extended Version) – 4:59

Performers

Credits adapted from the album

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...

for ''

''. *

– lead and background vocals * Q-Tip – rap *

– background vocals *

– saxophone *

– trombone

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Cover versions

American retail chain

Target Corporation Target Corporation (doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a compon ...

used the song, as performed by

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...

with

Questlove Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thou ...

and

Black Thought Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973), better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, actor and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group the Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove (Ahmir Thompson). Regarded ...

from

the Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

, in a series of 2015 television advertisements.

References

{{authority control 1990 debut singles 1990 songs Deee-Lite songs Elektra Records singles Number-one singles in Australia Songs written by Herbie Hancock Songs written by Q-Tip (musician) Songs written by Towa Tei Songs about music