U Can’t Touch This – M.C. Hammer | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#8) & R&B (#1); 1990

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

M.C. Hammer’s trademark parachute pants and sideways dance moves may seem dated now, yet, in 1990 they were the hottest game in town.

Between the rhythm sample from Rick James’ #3 R&B hit, Super Freak (Part 1), and Hammer’s flamboyant eye-catching showmanship, U Can’t Touch This generated sparks that burned down cultural barriers.

Throughout the spring and summer of 1990, the MTV generation couldn’t get enough of Hammer’s Touch. The follow-ups, Have You Seen Her and Pray, both also based on R&B classics, were even bigger pop hits.

These and the rest of the Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em album were recorded on the road using a mobile studio while Hammer toured in support

of his first LP. When the dust settled from Please, Hammer’s 21 week occupation of the #1 spot, it had sold over 10 million units, placing it among the top albums of all time.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• MC Hammer

Lyrics Written by:

• Stanley Burrell
• James Johnson
• Alonzo Miller

Awards:

• “U Can’t Touch This” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards in 1991
• “U Can’t Touch This” was nominated at the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video and MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.