Situation (song)

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"Situation"
File:YazooSituation.jpg
Single by Yazoo
from the album Upstairs at Eric's
B-side
  • "Only You" (7")
  • Remix (12")
Released
  • 1982
  • 1990
  • 1999
Format
Recorded 1981
Genre Synthpop[1]
Length
  • 3:44 (Original version)
  • 2:22 (UK Mix)
  • 5:40 (US Mix)
  • 2:24 (7")
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Yazoo singles chronology
"Don't Go"
(1982)		 "Only You/Situation"
(1982)		 "The Other Side of Love"
(1982)

"Situation" is a 1982 single by British synthpop band Yazoo. The song was originally released in the UK as the B-side to Yazoo's debut single, "Only You", which went to number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Released as a single in North America, the song peaked at number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, and hit the top 40 in Canada, peaking at number 31. In late summer 1982 it became Yazoo's first song to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, remaining at number one on this chart for four weeks. It also crossed over to the Black Singles chart, peaking at number 31.

The song features a memorable synthesizer hook by Vince Clarke (similar to the work he had done with his previous band, Depeche Mode), combined with the vocals by Alison Moyet (including her laughter, which has since been sampled in countless other songs, including the international novelty dance hit "Macarena").[2]

Its most famous version is the American 12-inch remix by François Kevorkian. This version was included on the US version of Yazoo's album Upstairs at Eric's and is the version of the song which receives the most radio airplay in the United States (where the song, despite its modest showing on the Hot 100, is still played on alternative, variety-hits and dance-oriented radio stations).

In 1990, and again in 1999, the song was remixed by various noted DJs, including Peter Rauhofer and Richard "Humpty" Vission. The 1999 remixes were released to dance clubs. In October of that same year, this renewed interest in the song sent "Situation" to number 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for a second time.

In 2006, Slant Magazine ranked the song at number 64 in their list of the "100 Greatest Dance Songs".[3]

Versions

The original version's first chorus does not have the response lyrics. The 7" version skips to the verses before the first chorus with response lyrics.

Track listings

Accolades

Year Publisher Country Accolade Rank
1982 The Village Voice United States "Singles of the Year" (26)[4] 20
2005 Blender United States "Top 500 Songs of the 80s-00s"[5] 417
2006 Slant Magazine United States "100 Greatest Dance Songs"[3] 64
2011 Robert Dimery United Kingdom "1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die"[6] *
2011 Treble United States "Top 200 Songs of the '80s"[7] 168

(*) indicates the list is unordered.

Charts

Preceded by Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number one single
21 August 1982 – 11 September 1982 (4 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Walking on Sunshine" by Rockers Revenge featuring Donnie Calvin
Preceded by Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number one single
9 October 1999 – 23 October 1999 (3 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Waiting for Tonight" by Jennifer Lopez

Cover versions

It was covered by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1994 on his album, The Lead and How To Swing It.

Sampling

The song has been sampled numerous times for its synthesized beat. Among the artists who have sampled "Situation" are:

Other uses

The song has been featured on various 1980s compilation albums as well as appearing in a commercial for Classic NES Series.

It was featured in the 2002 film The Rules of Attraction and in TurboTax's 2014 commercial for Super Bowl XLVIII.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Yazoo – Situation" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6168." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Yazoo - Situation search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Yazoo – Situation" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Yazoo – Situation (Remix)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  17. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Yazoo – Situation (Remix)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Yazoo – Situation (Remix)". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1990-12-15" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Yazoo – Don't Go 1999 Mix" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links

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