"Big Fun" is a song by American electronic music group

Inner City The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists somet ...

. The single went to number-one on the dance chart in the U.S. for one week, and was the first of five releases by the band to reach the top spot. "Big Fun" also peaked at number fifty on the American R&B singles chart. It was also a top-ten hit in the UK. "Big Fun" was described as a "surprise crossover success" in the United Kingdom by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

Impact and legacy

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose pare ...

'' listed "Big Fun" at number 7 in their list of ''The 20 Best Dance Music Tracks In History'' in 2015, adding,

""Big Fun" was electronic dance music's first pop moment. But beyond its obvious commercial impact, “Big Fun” was also a milestone in the way it mixed a catchy lead vocal and synth hook with what was essentially a techno backing track. Electronic dance music, for better or worse, would never again be a wholly underground phenomenon."

Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and Nightclub, clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' ...

'' ranked it as one of ''The 30 best vocal house anthems ever'' in 2018, stating that the song "marries Paris Grey’s celebratory vocals with Kevin Saunderson’s vibrant production that’s packed full of fun flourishes. One of the most surefire party-starters in the crate of any DJ." British public service broadcaster BBC included the song in their ranking of ''30 tracks that shaped dance music over the last 30 years'' in 2019. They noted,

"As one of house music’s most infectious crossover hits Big Fun was a hit for young dancers and older ravers alike. It transformed dance music from something found in club basements to a genre that could move an entire nation."

Other versions and homages

*The song was sampled (and backmasked) in “Just a Techno Groove” by Frank De Wulf under his projects Sounds In Order/Dow Jones in 1989. *German DJ and remixer Gardeweg used portions of this song, along with Inner City's other two singles, "Good Life" and "Paradise," for his 2003 single "All I Want". *At the end of 2014, a new version was recorded by D.O.N.S. and Terri B! on Carrillo Records. This version peaked at number one on the US dance chart. *

Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song " Ne ...

's 1988 UK top 10 single " Take Me To Your Heart" was heavily inspired by "Big Fun", according to its writer and producer Matt Aitken, who described the track as "a homage", before adding, "You can't copyright a synth pattern."

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References