Even streamers want to go to Funkytown.
“Funkytown,” the 1980 international smash by the Twin Cities’ own Lipps, Inc., is the fourth biggest one-hit wonder since 1970.
That’s according to online gaming site Spin Genie that based its rankings on U.S. sales and streaming on Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram reels as well as average monthly searches.
No. 1 went to Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” a 1999 novelty number by an Italian Eurodance group.
Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” ranked second, followed by Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5,” then “Funkytown” and the Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out.”
“Funkytown” was a disco hit crafted by Twin Cities producer/drummer Steven Greenberg and engineer David Rivkin at Sound 80 studio in south Minneapolis. Cynthia Johnson was the featured vocalist.
Not only did “Funkytown” spend four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the spring of 1980 but it topped the charts in 28 countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and West Germany.
“Funkytown” has been featured in several movies, most recently in 2022’s “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” as well as television’s “South Park,” “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Friends.”
