"Celebration" is in the key A♭ major and was written by Kool & the Gang.[2]
Chart performance
Celebration reached no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981, and held that position for two weeks before being ousted by Dolly Parton's "9 to 5".[3] It's the band's only no. 1 hit. By late 1980, the song had also reached no. 1 on both the Billboard Dance and R&B charts. The song featured heavily on the radio for nearly the entire year and is still heard today at weddings and parties,[3] and is a popular anthem for sporting events, especially at the end of a championship win. It was also an international hit, reaching no. 7 in the United Kingdom on November 29, 1980, overall spending 13 weeks in the chart.
"Celebration" was covered as a 1992 single by Australian singer-songwriter, Kylie Minogue. It was recorded by Minogue in 1991 for her 4th studio album, Let's Get to It, but it was not included on the album's release. However, it later appeared on the 1992 Greatest Hits album and was released as the second single. It peaked at no. 20 in the UK Singles Chart and at no. 21 in Australia. One of Minogue's least commercially popular singles, it has been cited many times as one of her favorite songs, and unlike "Finer Feelings" and "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)", "Celebration" was included on her greatest hits compilation albums Ultimate Kylie and The Best of Kylie Minogue. The techno-rave mix of the track is featured on the Kylie's Non-Stop History 50+1 album. It was also Minogue's last single with PWL and Stock Aitken Waterman. The music video was filmed in Rio de Janeiro.
Live performances
Minogue performed the song on the following concert tours:
"Celebration" was covered as a 1987 single by the New Zealand band Dragon. It also appeared on the 1988 studio album, Bondi Road and the 1989 compilation album Snake Eyes on the Paradise Greatest Hits 1976–1989. It peaked at no. 11 on the Australian Singles Chart.[32]
