"Exterminate!"
Single by Snap! featuring Niki Haris
from the album The Madman's Return
Released7 December 1992
Length4:21
LabelLogic
Songwriter(s)
  • John "Virgo" Garrett III
  • Benito Benites
  • Niki Haris
Producer(s)Snap!
Snap! singles chronology
"Rhythm Is a Dancer"
(1992) 		"Exterminate!"
(1992) 		"Do You See the Light (Looking For)"
(1993)
Music video
"Exterminate!" on YouTube

"Exterminate!" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap! featuring American singer Niki Haris. It was released in December 1992 as the third single from their second studio album, The Madman's Return (1992), and features vocals by the group's new front woman, Haris. It is based on the track "Ex-Terminator" and was included in later editions of the album. Released first at the end of 1992, it was a hit in several countries, peaking at number-one in Finland and Spain, and number two in the United Kingdom, where it spent 15 weeks on the charts.

A popular version of the song, came from a duet recorded by F. Michael Sky and Farmer Murray in 2003. Critics acclaimed the track as it climbed to the top five songs in Switzerland.

Chart performance

"Exterminate!" peaked at number one in Finland and Spain. It entered the top five in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands , Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it reached number two. In the UK, the song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.[1] "Exterminate!" also reached the top 10 in Austria, Norway and Portugal (10). Outside Europe, it peaked at number two on the RPM Dance chart in Canada, number six in Zimbabwe, number 25 in New Zealand, number 29 on the US Billboard Dance Club Play, and number 50 in Australia. In Germany, the single was awarded with a gold record after 250,000 units were shipped.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Former Madonna backing singer steps into the spotlight as the German act's new (at least for the moment) front woman. Electronic hip hop beats are doused with ambient sound effects, while Haris offers an appropriately ominous and forceful vocal. Not as radio-friendly as the previous "Rhythm Is a Dancer", but a savvy club entry that should glide onto playlists."[2] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton said, "Its chart success so far is somewhat of a surprise being, aside from the one vocal line, almost an instrumental and certainly with little of the quirky appeal of the earlier singles."[3] Sharon O'Connell from Melody Maker felt it's "full of latent power but just sitting on the launch pad."[4]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote that it "might not be as accessible on first hearing, but it's actually a killer dance song which chokes you with its chorus with built-in snappy piano riff."[5] A reviewer from Music Week stated, "The trance-like tune builds and builds from a five note riff, while new vocalist Niki Harris manages to fill in some soulful wailing as well as the Dalek's catchphrase. The song hasn't got the same killer pop chorus as "Rhythm Is a Dancer", but its sheer simplicity will win the day."[6] Barbara Ellen from NME commented, "After what seemed like an interminable long and shaky period post "The Power", Snap seem to have rediscovered their dancing feet recently, first with "Rhythm Is a Dancer" and now this upfront, arrestingly sterile disco diversion."[7] Mark Sutherland from Smash Hits gave the song three out of five in his review.[8]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Exterminate!" was directed by Angel,[9] who had previously directed the video for "Colour of Love". This was the first video that Durron Butler (Turbo B) does not appear. It received heavy rotation on MTV Europe.[10]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[46] Gold 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  2. ^ Flick, Larry (20 March 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  3. ^ Masterton, James (10 January 1993). "Week Ending January 16th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  4. ^ O'Connell, Sharon (2 January 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 29. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  5. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 16 January 1993. p. 8. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 12 December 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  7. ^ Ellen, Barbara (2 January 1993). "Singles". NME. p. 20. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  8. ^ Sutherland, Mark (6 January 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 45. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Snap Exterminate VIVA VHS". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Station Reports > MTV Europe/London" (PDF). Music & Media. 30 January 1993. p. 38. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  13. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1779." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 5. 30 January 1993. p. 44. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  16. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 7. 13 February 1993. p. 19. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  17. ^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. 6 March 1993. p. 17. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  18. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 9789511210535.
  19. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!" (in French). Les classement single.
  20. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 7. 13 February 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (05.03.1993 – 11.03.1993)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 4 March 1993. p. 29. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  23. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Exterminate!". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  24. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 9. 27 February 1993. p. 28. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Snap! feat. Niki Haris" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  26. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  27. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!". Top 40 Singles.
  28. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!". VG-lista.
  29. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  30. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!". Singles Top 100.
  31. ^ "Snap! feat. Niki Haris – Exterminate!". Swiss Singles Chart.
  32. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 9 January 1993. p. 16. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  33. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 23 January 1993. p. 4. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  34. ^ "Snap Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  35. ^ "Snap! Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  36. ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  37. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1993" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  38. ^ "Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  39. ^ "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  40. ^ "Top 100 Singles – Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  41. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1993". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  42. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1993" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  43. ^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 1993" (in German). Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  44. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  45. ^ "The RM Club Chart 93" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 25 December 1993. p. 4. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  46. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Snap; 'Exterminate')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
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