15 Facts About Lady Gaga’s ‘Just Dance’ As The Hit Turns 15
We offer 15 facts about the electro cut that propelled Lady Gaga to the top of the charts and launched a legendary career.
At this point, doesn’t it feel like Lady Gaga has been a part of our lives – and the pop music conversation – forever? She’s so successful and beloved, it’s tough to remember a time before she changed things forever with her dance-pop sound.
While it might seem as if she’s always been a force to be reckoned with, the truth is that it all began with her single “Just Dance,” which turns 15 years old this month.
To celebrate the global smash’s anniversary, here are 15 facts about the electro cut that propelled the then-struggling singer-songwriter from New York City to the top of the charts and launched a legendary career that is only getting bigger and bigger as time goes on.
Fact #1
“Just Dance” has been certified 11-times platinum by the RIAA – or diamond and then some. It is tied with “Bad Romance” as her most-certified single.
Fact #2
Gaga states she wrote “Just Dance” in only about 10 minutes.
Fact #3
“Just Dance” became Gaga’s first No. 1 single on the Hot 100 in January 2009. It had been released in August 2008.
Fact #4
When “Just Dance” finally rose from No. 2 to No. 1 on the Hot 100, Billboard noted that it had completed the longest trip from reaching the tally to the top spot in nearly a decade.
Fact #5
The song spent nearly five months on the Hot 100 before hitting No. 1.
Fact #6
“Just Dance” earned Gaga her first Grammy nomination. It was up for the Best Dance Recording trophy in 2009, but lost to Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007).”
Fact #7
When “Just Dance” climbed to No. 1 on the Hot 100, it replaced Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” atop the tally.
Fact #8
The song features vocals from both Colby O’Donis and Akon, though only the former is officially credited.
Fact #9
“Just Dance” was at one time considered for The Pussycat Dolls.
Fact #10
Thanks to his inclusion on “Just Dance,” Colby O’Donis earned two Grammy nominations–one for Best Dance Recording and then another as a featured artist on The Fame, which was up for Album of the Year the following ceremony.
Fact #11
Akon originally recorded a verse for the song and was supposed to be a credited featured artist, but Universal Music reportedly wouldn’t clear his vocals, so he didn’t end up on the finished single.
Fact #12
American radio stations initially wouldn’t play “Just Dance,” as it didn’t fit with the popular sounds and styles of the time. It was only after the track enjoyed commercial success internationally that it picked up in the U.S.
Fact #13
The song was produced by RedOne, whose name is called out in the very beginning – though countless people believe someone is saying “red wine.”
Fact #14
“Just Dance” was recorded at Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Other artists who have recorded in the same spot include Britney Spears (Femme Fatale), Beyoncé (Beyoncé and Lemonade), Kanye West (The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation), Justin Bieber (Purpose), and countless others.
Fact #15
The “Just Dance” music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas, who has worked with many major stars in the music industry. She is one of the only people to win the Best Music Video Grammy more than once, as she took home the prize for both Rihanna and Calvin Harris’ “We Found Love” and Beyoncé’s “Formation.”
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