Let the Music Play (song)

"Let the Music Play"
Single by Shannon
from the album Let The Music Play
Released	September 1983
Format	7", 12"
Genre	Synthpop Freestyle Boogie Electro
Label	Mirage/Atco/Atlantic Records
Writer(s)	Chris Barbosa Ed Chisolm
Producer	Mark Liggett Chris Barbosa
Shannon singles chronology
"Let the Music Play" (1983) "Give Me Tonight" (1984)

"Let the Music Play" is a song recorded by Shannon in 1983.

The original version of the record was produced by Mark Liggett and Chris Barbosa. By the early 1980s, the backlash against disco had driven dance music off mainstream radio stations in the US. The rhythmic ingenuity of "Let the Music Play" was largely due to Robby Kilgore, who played all the instruments on this seminal track. It featured a series of keyboard chords produced by gating a drum machine Roland TR-808. The song hit #1 on the US Dance chart in November 1983 and #8 on the US Singles Chart in February 1984. Some mark this as the beginning of the dance-pop era.

"Let the Music Play" was Shannon's only US Top 40 hit. It was ranked 43rd on the 2009 VH1 Special 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 1980s.

Chart peaks

Chart (1983)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	14
US Billboard Hot 100	8
US Hot Dance Club Songs	1

Preceded by "Holiday" / "Lucky Star" by Madonna

Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single October 29, 1983 – December 3, 1983

Succeeded by "Talking in Your Sleep" by The Romantics

Cover versions

• In 1991, Latin freestyle artist Tiana did a cover of this song.
• In 1996, Scottish singer Mary Kiani covered the song and hit the #19 spot on the UK singles chart.
• There is a cover by Music Instructor on its album Electric City of Music Instructor released in 1998.
• Exile, a Japanese boyband did a cover of this song in their album titled Asia released in 2006.
• In 2006, Mexican pop band RBD covered "Let the Music Play," which is featured on its first English-language album, Rebels, but only as an iTunes digital-download exclusive. The track was not included on the album itself.
• "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)," the second single from the 2009 album Battlefield by Jordin Sparks, samples the song.
• In 2003 the Danish production team AEROSOL (Tommy Scott & Remo Münch) covered the song, which featured Anne Murillo on vocals.

Mary Kiani version

"Let the Music Play"
Single by Mary Kiani
from the album Long Hard Funky Dreams
Released	April 1, 1996
Format	CD single, 12" vinyl
Genre	Euro Dance, Euro House
Label	1st Avenue, Mercury Warehouse Records, Leeds UK
Writer(s)	Chris Barbosa Ed Chisolm
Mary Kiani singles chronology
"I Give It All To You" / "I Imagine" (1995) "Let the Music Play (Mary Kiani version)" (1996) "100%" (1996)

In 1996, Mary Kiani covered "Let the Music Play" as her third solo single. The song was remixed in a variety of styles, notably by Paul Oakenfold of Perfecto and Steve Rodway of Motiv8. A video of the song was also released.

Track listings and formats

These are the main formats and track listings of the single release of Mary Kiani's "Let the Music Play".

#	Title	Length
UK CD single MERCD456
1.	"Let the Music Play" [Radio Mix]	3:50
2.	"Let the Music Play" [Perfecto Radio Mix]	5:40
3.	"Let the Music Play" [Motiv8 Club Mix]	6:32
4.	"Let the Music Play" [Mr. Spring Contrary Mary Mix]	5:34
5.	"Let the Music Play" [Perfecto Vocal Mix]	8:00
6.	"Let the Music Play" [Argonauts Kiani Do This Mix]	5:42
7.	"Let the Music Play" [Mr. Spring Club Edit]	4:29
UK 12" MERX456
A1.	"Let the Music Play" [Motiv8 Club Mix]	6:33
A2.	"Let the Music Play" [Union Jack Mix]	6:27
B1.	"Let the Music Play" [Perfecto Vocal Mix]	8:01
B2.	"Let the Music Play" [Perfecto Dub Mix]	5:00
UK 12" MERX457 / Fubar12
A1.	"Let the Music Play" [Casio Brothers Mix]
A2.	"Let the Music Play" [George Bowie Mix]
B1.	"Let the Music Play" [Steve Kerr Mix]
B2.	"Let the Music Play" [Tom Wilson & David Livingston Mix]