Celebration

This post-disco, upbeat dance song was Kool & the Gang's only American #1. It is commonly played at weddings, parties, sporting events and just about anywhere there is something to be celebrated. The song is appropriate at everything from a bar mitzvah to a graduation because the lyrics are so generic, referring to a "party," "good times" and a "celebration."

Kool & the Gang's sax player Ronald Bell, also known as Khalis Bayyan, told Billboard that the song came out of a time of religious study. "The initial idea came from reading the Q'uran," he explained. "I was reading the passage where God was creating Adam, and the angels were celebrating and singing praises. That inspired me to write the basic chords and the line, Everyone around the world, come on, let's celebrate."

This song was foreshadowed in the hit "Ladies Night" with the lyrics "Come on, let's all celebrate" near the end. According to Ronald Bell, that was "the key to finishing 'Celebration.'"