Y.M.C.A. – Village People | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#2 for 3 weeks) and R&B (#32); 1979
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
With their campy costumes and catchy songs and tongue-in-cheek persona, the Village (as in Greenwich)People became one of the most enduring images of the disco era. Their story began when producer Jacques Morali purposefully set out to create a group designed to attract gay fans. Roles were carefully chosen and songs with gay undercurrents composed. The single San Francisco (You’ve Got Me) sold respectably in England, then Macho Man charted in the U.S. Y.M.C.A. followed, hitting #1 in Britain and #2 in America. Three of their albums sold over a million copies. Then the Village People stepped on a career landmine by starring in Can’t Stop The Music, a movie so breathtakingly awful that it drove the final nails into disco’s coffin. Only Y.M.C.A., with its trademark arm moves courtesy of American Bandstand’s audience, saved the Village People from cultural oblivion.
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:
- Jacques Morali
Lyrics Written by:
- Jacques Morali
- Victor Willis
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).