"Ain't Nobody" is a song by American

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 mi ...

band

Rufus Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin '' rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician * Rufus ...

and American singer

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Q ...

. It was released on November 4, 1983, as one of four studio tracks included on their

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music * Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of album ...

album, ''

Stompin' at the Savoy "Stompin' at the Savoy" is a 1933 jazz standard composed by Edgar Sampson. It is named after the famed Harlem nightspot the Savoy Ballroom in New York City. History and composition Although the song is credited to Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar ...

'' (1983). "Ain't Nobody" quickly gathered popularity, and reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 22 on the US ''Billboard''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

. It has become one of Khan's

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...

s. Rufus keyboardist David "Hawk" Wolinski wrote the song around a repeating

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

loop backed by a Linn LM-1 drum computer; however,

John "JR" Robinson John Frederick Robinson (born December 29, 1954), known professionally as JR, is an American drummer and session musician who has been called "one of the most recorded drummers in history". He is known for his work with producer Quincy Jones, ...

, the band's drummer, played real drums for the recording session. The band held a democratic vote, and they decided to include the song in their album repertoire. Once the song was recorded, Warner executives wanted to issue another song as the album's first single. Wolinski threatened to give the song to singer

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

and producer

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

for Jackson's album ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' if the song was not the lead-off single. The label relented and "Ain't Nobody" was issued and hit number one on the R&B chart for the week ending October 15, 1983. The song was included on the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' ...

to the 1984 film ''

Breakin' ''Breakin (also known as ''Breakdance'' in the United Kingdom and ''Break Street '84'' in other regions) is a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film directed by Joel Silberg and written by Charles Parker and Allen DeBevoise based on a ...

''. In 2021, "Ain't Nobody" was ranked number 403 on ''

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

''s

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 i ...

. The song was adopted in the United Kingdom by fans of some of the country's football clubs, with the words: ''Ain't nobody loves (player), makes me happy, makes me feel this way''.

Composition

The song is performed in the key of

E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: : Changes needed ...

with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 104 beats per minute in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...

. Khan's vocals span from G₃ to E₅ in the song.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Jaki Graham version

In 1994, British singer-songwriter Jaki Graham released her cover of "Ain't Nobody". It was released as the first and lead single from her fourth and last album, ''

Real Life Real life is a phrase used originally in literature to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds, and in acting to distinguish between actors and the characters they portray. It has become a popular term on the ...

'' (1994). Graham's version reached number one on the 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 adverti ...

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 th ...

chart for five weeks as well as being in the Top 5 favourite videos for BET (Black Entertainment Charts). The single also reached number 44 in the UK, number 11 in Iceland and number 17 in Australia.

Critical reception

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

'' called the song "smashing", and stated that Graham "returns with a grand reading of a

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

nugget. Track is the latest in an onslaught of competitive versions of the song by various divas. This one, however, is the real deal, thanks to Graham's considerable charm as well as a plethora of mixes that range from peppy NRG to muscular

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 cond ...

. A sure-fire club hit, don't be surprised if crossover radio beckons." English newspaper ''

Reading Evening Post The ''Reading Post'' (until 2009, the ''Reading Evening Post'') was an English local newspaper covering Reading, Berkshire and surrounding areas. The title page of the paper featured the Maiwand Lion, a famous local landmark at Forbury Gardens. Th ...

'' commented, "This is one of those covers that doesn't really improve on the original. But the

song is a soul classic and Jaki Graham gives it a good shot, even if her voice doesn't seem quite powerful enough for its bitter-sweet melodrama. A hard one not to sing along with."

Music video

The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for "Ain't Nobody" was directed by American film director and producer

Antoine Fuqua Antoine Fuqua (born May 30, 1965) is an American filmmaker, known for his work in the action and thriller genres. He was originally known as a director of music videos, and made his film debut in 1998 with ''The Replacement Killers''. His critica ...

Track listings

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Diana King version

In 1995, Jamaican singer-songwriter Diana King recorded a cover single of "Ain't Nobody", released as the third single from their debut album, '' Tougher Than Love'' (1995). It peaked at number 95 on the ''

, number four on the ''Billboard''

chart and number 13 on 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 ...

Critical reception

from ''

'' complimented the song as a "sexy hip hop interpretation" and "irresistible", complimenting King's "assured performance". M.R. Martinez from ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' described it as a "bumpin' cover".

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...

for

Dotmusic ''Dotmusic'' was a music webzine that existed as a standalone website from 1 June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine ''Music Week'', the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a ...

said, "Now it is the turn of Diana King's soft

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

fied version to crash into the charts, give inganother hit and prolong the life of a quite brilliant pop song." Pan-European magazine ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' noted that the follow-up to "

Shy Guy "Shy Guy" is a song by Jamaican recording artist and songwriter Diana King for the movie soundtrack album '' Bad Boys''. It also appeared on King's debut studio album, ''Tougher Than Love'' (1995). The song was written by King, Kingsley Gardne ...

" sees the Jamaican vocalist "lose some of ing'srough

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The R ...

edges in favour of a smoother R&B sound", adding that the chorus is "pure, uplifting modern

." A reviewer 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 ...

'' rated it three out of five, writing, "A fairly standard cover of the

classic, with strong production. ingmight just convert some more fans." Ralph Tee from the magazine's ''RM'' Dance Update stated, "'Shy Guy' turned out to be an international smash and this follow-up has similar crossover opportunities."

Music video

was produced to promote the single, directed by American film, television, commercial and music video director Kevin Bray. It was later published on King's official

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

channel in October 2009. The video has amassed more than two million views as of May 2021.

Track listings

Charts

LL Cool J remix

Rapper

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

recorded an interpolation of the song for the soundtrack to the 1996 film ''

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America ''Beavis and Butt-Head Do America'' is a 1996 American adult animated comedy film based on the MTV animated television series ''Beavis and Butt-Head''. The film was co-written and directed by series creator Mike Judge, who reprises his roles fro ...

'', based on the

adult animated An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of major ...

series ''

Beavis and Butt-Head ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American adult animated series created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor, an ...

''. Released as the soundtrack's second single, the song peaked at number 46 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number four on the Hot Rap Singles Chart and number 27 on the ''

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart. Outside of the United States, the song topped the charts in the United Kingdom, where the song was also a hit for Gwen Dickey and KWS (reaching number 21) and

The Course The Course were a electronic dance music, dance music act from the Netherlands. It consisted of DJ/producer Vincent Hendriks and vocalists Dewi Lopulalan and Irma Derby.

(number eight).

Critical reception

from ''

'' described LL Cool J's version as a "

juiced hip-hop ditty." He added, "The rap vet playfully unfurls his patented love-talk on top of an insinuating classic-funk bassline. The hip-grinding verses lead to a chantable chorus that re-creates the best portions of the timeless

nugget . Programmers starved for something sexy and immediately appealing need look no further." Alan Jones from ''

'' felt that "LL Cool J's comeback with Ain't Nobody is more workmanlike than inspired, with all the lyrical dexterity we expect from him." He noted that "it includes an un-named femme who takes over to sing the chorus though this simply draws attention to what a good vocalist

is. A surefire hit, and quite a big one at that, though not one of LL's best."

Music video

The accompanying

of this version, directed by Michael Martin, produced by Jonathan Heuer, and cinematography by Martin Coppen, was partially filmed at

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portl ...

of Oregon. It also shows a pool party filled with guests, including Maia Campbell,

Brian McKnight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for h ...

Alfonso Ribeiro Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and television host. He is best known for his roles as Alfonso Spears on the sitcom ''Silver Spoons'', Carlton Banks on the NBC sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ...

Cedric the Entertainer Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He hosted BET's ''ComicView'' during the 1993–1994 season and '' Def Comedy Jam'' in 1995. He is b ...

John Salley John Thomas Salley (born May 16, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player, talk show host, and actor. He was the first player in NBA history to win championships with three franchises (since joined by Robert Horry, Danny Gree ...

, and

John Witherspoon John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense real ...

Charts

Richard X vs. Liberty X version

In 2003, English-Irish pop group

Liberty X Liberty X (originally called Liberty) are a British-Irish group originally consisting of Michelle Heaton, Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. The group was formed by the five finalists of the 2001 ITV talent show '' Popstar ...

released a version of the song titled "Being Nobody", produced by

Richard X Richard Philips, better known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for arti ...

, as the lead single from Richard X's debut studio album, ''

Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1 ''Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1'' is the debut compilation album by British pop producer Richard X. The album features 15 tracks all produced by Richard X, most of which feature guest vocals. Track listing # "Start" (Richard X) # "Bein ...

'' (2003), as well as the lead single from Liberty X's second studio album, ''

Being Somebody ''Being Somebody'' is the second studio album by English-Irish pop vocal group Liberty X. It was released on 3 November 2003 via V2 Records. The album was released a year-and-a-half after their debut release, '' Thinking It Over''. The album p ...

'' (2003). The song is a pseudo-

mashup Mashup may refer to: * Mashup (culture), the rearrangement of spliced parts of musical pieces as part of a subculture * Mashup (education), combining various forms of data and media by a teacher or student in an instructional setting * Mashup (m ...

, taking the lyrics of "Ain't Nobody" and placing them over an instrumental interpolation of

the Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...

's "

Being Boiled "Being Boiled" is the debut single by the British synthpop band the Human League. Composed by Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with lyrics by Philip Oakey, it has been released several times since 1978, finally becoming a UK top ten hit in 1982. ...

". Additional elements from both songs were also used such as the recurring synth line from "Ain't Nobody" and the line "OK, ready? Let's do it." in the intro of the main mix are from the intro of "Being Boiled". Liberty X first performed "Being Nobody" on ''

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ''Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'' (referred to simply as ''Saturday Night Takeaway'' or ''SNT'') is a British television variety show, created and presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquially known as Ant & Dec), an ...

'' on February 8, 2003. They also performed it twice on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'', with other performances on ''The National Lottery Wright Ticket'' and '' CD:UK'' before officially released on March 17, 2003. Shortly after that, the 2003 remastered version of the original 1983 hit "Ain't Nobody" was released in April of that year.

Critical reception

The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics. It was deemed "instantly memorable" by

RTÉ.ie RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)'s online activities, located at the URL https://www.rte.ie/. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely comm ...

reviewer Linda McGee, whilst Louis Pattison of '' NME'' believed it was "Truly, a record to get over-excited about." Alexis Kirke of

musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...

said: "The marriage of the credible dance-bootleg production of Richard X with high profile pop-act Liberty X is not only a perfect career-expanding synergy for both, but also a powerful musical synergy in which the seventies meets the eighties during the noughties." Writing for ukmix.org, Martin P gave the song five stars out of five and called it "It's pure pop perfection with a twist of R&B – one of the best Liberty X singles!"

Track listing

# "Being Nobody" (Main Mix) – 3:37 # "Being Nobody" (Richard X Remix) – 4:25 # "Being Nobody" (X-Strumental) – 3:38

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Scooter version

"It's a Biz (Ain't Nobody)" is a single by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

hard dance Hardcore (also known as hardcore techno or hardcore house) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in the early 1990s. It is distinguished by faster tempos and a distorte ...

band Scooter. It was released on March 23, 2012, as the fifth single from their fifteenth studio album, ''

The Big Mash Up ''The Big Mash Up'' is the fifteenth studio album from German electronic dance music band Scooter and was released on 14 October 2011.

'' (2011).

Track listings

CD single (2-track) Download

Charts

Felix Jaehn version

In 2015, German music producer and DJ

Felix Jaehn Felix Kurt Jähn (born 28 August 1994), known professionally as Felix Jaehn (), is a German DJ and music producer specializing in tropical house. He achieved international success with his remix of Omi's song "Cheerleader", which topped the char ...

released a remix titled "Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)" featuring vocals by British singer

Jasmine Thompson Jasmine Ying Thompson (born 8 November 2000) is an English singer. She began her career at the age of ten by filming herself singing and uploading the videos to YouTube. In 2014, she was featured on German deep house producer Robin Schulz's son ...

. It is the lead single for his eponymous 2016 debut EP, ''Felix Jaehn''. The remix was based on a solo release of the song by Thompson in 2013, when Thompson was 13, which had peaked at number 32 on the

. However, the Felix Jaehn remix became a far bigger international chart success, peaking at number one or two in a number of European countries (including number two in the United Kingdom) as well as the top 10 in other European countries and Australia.

Track listing

#"Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)" – 3:01 #"I Do" – 3:02

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1983 songs 1983 singles 1994 singles 1995 singles 1996 singles 1997 singles 2003 singles 2012 singles 2015 singles Chaka Khan songs Diana King songs Felix Jaehn songs Liberty X songs LL Cool J songs KWS (band) songs Jasmine Thompson songs Delilah (musician) songs Scooter (band) songs Dutch Top 40 number-one singles UK Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Austria Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in Israel Number-one singles in Poland Number-one singles in Romania Songs written by Hawk Wolinski Song recordings produced by Russ Titelman Song recordings produced by Richard X Warner Records singles Avex Group singles Festival Records singles Columbia Records singles Polydor Records singles Pulse 8 singles Island Records singles Sony Music singles Geffen Records singles Virgin Records singles Tropical house songs Synth-pop songs Music videos directed by Antoine Fuqua Music videos directed by Kevin Bray (director)

Composition

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Jaki Graham version

Critical reception

Music video

Track listings

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Diana King version

Critical reception

Music video

Track listings

Charts

LL Cool J remix

Critical reception

Music video

Charts

Richard X vs. Liberty X version

Critical reception

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Scooter version

Track listings

Charts

Felix Jaehn version

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

See also

References