Good Vibrations — Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Mark Wahlberg’s group borrowed Loleatta Holloway’s voice from a 1980 disco record and took “Good Vibrations” to No. 1 in the US in 1991.
- Debut single by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway, released by Interscope on 7 July 1991.
- Built on Holloway’s vocal from “Love Sensation” (1980), written by Dan Hartman.
- No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland; No. 14 in the UK.
“Good Vibrations” turned a 1980 disco vocal into a 1991 pop-rap No. 1. Mark Wahlberg rapped the verses, Loleatta Holloway’s voice carried the chorus, and Donnie Wahlberg put it together as producer. It came out in July 1991 and was the lead single from the album Music for the People.
A 1980 disco vocal
The hook comes from “Love Sensation”, released by Loleatta Holloway in 1980 on Gold Mind Records. Dan Hartman wrote and produced it, Norman Harris arranged it and Tom Moulton mixed it. It spent a week at No. 1 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart in September 1980. Two years before “Good Vibrations”, Black Box had already built “Ride on Time” on the same vocal.
Making the record
Donnie Wahlberg produced the single and wrote it with Amir “Spice” Shakir and Mark Wahlberg; later releases also credit Hartman. Holloway is credited as featured artist and sings the chorus in the video. The track gave her the biggest US pop hit of her career.
Release and charts
Interscope released “Good Vibrations” in the US on 7 July 1991. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated 5 October 1991, topped the 12-inch Singles Sales chart, reached No. 4 on the Cash Box Top 100 and No. 10 on Dance Club Play. Australia got it on 23 September 1991. Abroad it went to No. 1 in Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland, No. 2 in Norway, No. 3 in Germany, No. 4 in Australia, No. 7 in Canada, No. 8 in Belgium, the Netherlands and New Zealand, No. 14 in the UK and No. 16 in Ireland. It went gold in the US and Australia, and it finished 1991 at No. 20 on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100.
The video and the legacy
Scott Kalvert directed the black-and-white video, which shows Marky Mark boxing and features Traci Bingham; boxer Micky Ward is credited for boxing technique. AllMusic’s Steve Huey called it “easily the most infectious song Marky Mark ever recorded”. BuzzFeed put it at No. 43 in its 2017 list of the greatest dance songs of the 1990s, and Billboard ranked it No. 115 in its 2019 list of the decade’s top songs.
For more of the moment when rap, house and pop met on the charts, read about “Now That We Found Love” by Heavy D & the Boyz and “Gypsy Woman” by Crystal Waters.
FAQ
Who sings the chorus on Good Vibrations?
Loleatta Holloway. Her vocal comes from her 1980 disco single “Love Sensation”, written and produced by Dan Hartman, and she is credited as featured artist.
When did Good Vibrations reach No. 1?
It topped the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated 5 October 1991, after its US release on 7 July 1991.
Who produced Good Vibrations?
Donnie Wahlberg. He wrote it with Mark Wahlberg and Amir “Spice” Shakir; later releases also credit Dan Hartman.
