"Move On Up"
Single by Curtis Mayfield
from the album Curtis
B-side
  • "Brother of Mine"
  • "Give It Up"
ReleasedJune 25, 1971
StudioRCA Studios, Chicago
Genre
Length
  • 8:49 (album version)
  • 2:53 (single)
LabelCurtom
Songwriter(s)Curtis Mayfield
Producer(s)Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield singles chronology
"(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go"
(1970) 		"Move On Up"
(1971) 		"Get Down"
(1971)
Official audio
"Move On Up" on YouTube

"Move On Up" is a song by Curtis Mayfield from his 1970 debut album, Curtis. Nearly nine minutes long on the album version, it was released as a single in the United States, but failed to chart. An edited version of the song spent 10 weeks in the top 50 of the UK Singles Chart in 1971, peaking at number 12, and it has become a soul classic over the years.[3][4] In 2021, it was listed at No. 474 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[5]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[6] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other cover versions and sampling

In 1979, disco trio Destination recorded a medley, incorporating "Keep On Pushing", a 1964 hit by the Impressions, also written by Mayfield. Along with the tracks "Up Up Up" and "Destination's Theme", "Move On Up" hit number one on the disco chart for four weeks.[7] It peaked at number sixty-eight on the soul singles chart.[8]

The Jam, an English rock band active in the late 1970s to the early 1980s led by Paul Weller, released a version of the song on an extended play record in 1982,[9] as did Weller's The Style Council in 1985.

Kentucky-based jam-band My Morning Jacket frequently covers the song in their live shows.[10]

Just Blaze heavily sampled the song for Kanye West's 2006 single "Touch the Sky", using a slowed-down version of the horns.[11][12]

In popular culture

English football club Arsenal adopted the song as a popular post-game anthem at their Emirates Stadium.[13]

The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2002 British film Bend It Like Beckham.[14]

The song was used by Joe Biden following the end of his speeches during his 2020 presidential campaign.[15]

References

  1. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, eds. (2001). All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music. Backbeat Books/All Media Guide. p. 252. ISBN 9780879306274.
  2. ^ Maginnis, Tom. "Move on Up - Curtis Mayfield | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Warwick, Neil; Jon Kutner; Tony Brown (2004). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. p. 713. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.
  4. ^ "Search for UK Singles - 1952-2009". Polyphex.com. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
  5. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  6. ^ "British single certifications – Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  7. ^ Joel Whitburn's, Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003, 2004
  8. ^ Joel Whitburn's Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004, 2004
  9. ^ Keith (May 27, 2017). "The Jam - Move On Up". The Most Important Song. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  10. ^ Bernstein, Scott (August 5, 2012). "MY MORNING JACKET : MOVE ON UP AT RED ROCKS WITH JOHN OATES, BEN BRIDWELL AND TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE". Glide Magazine. Glide Publishing LLC. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  11. ^ Late Registration (Media notes). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2005.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Cantor, Paul (March 2, 2015). "I'ma Let You Finish, But This is the Greatest Kanye West Song of All Time". Medium. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  13. ^ "Arsenal issue response". Football London.com. August 6, 2017.
  14. ^ "'Bend It Like Beckham' is Still One of the All-Time Great Films".
  15. ^ Caitlin Byrd (February 29, 2020). "Joe Biden wins South Carolina primary, momentarily stopping Bernie Sanders' rise". Charleston Post and Courier. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
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