"Rigor Mortis" is a song by American

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

band Cameo, released on April 20, 1977 as a single from their debut studio album, ''

Cardiac Arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

''. In the US, the song peaked at number 33 on the

Hot Soul Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...

chart. In this instance "Rigor Mortis" is a

euphemism A euphemism ( ) is when an expression that could offend or imply something unpleasant is replaced with one that is agreeable or inoffensive. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the u ...

for being lonesome on the dance floor.

Reception

Barry Michael Cooper Barry Michael Cooper (June 12, 1958 – January 22, 2025) was an American writer, producer, and director, best known for his screenplays for the films ''New Jack City'' (1991), '' Sugar Hill'' (1994), and '' Above the Rim'' (1994), sometimes cal ...

of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' wrote, "The first time I heard Cameo's song "Rigor Mortis", I knew there was something different about the guys that sang it. They didn't have that West Coast studio glitz nor a midwestern twang in their vocals. They were gritty, raw, alley-honed, and street sharp."

Charts

In the media

* "Rigor Mortis" was sampled in

Brand Nubian Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, composed of three emcees ( Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar), and formerly three DJs ( DJ Alamo, DJ Sincere, and DJ Stud Doogie). Their debut studio album, '' One for Al ...

's song "Brand Nubian". *

DJ Quik David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and record producer from Compton, California, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has ...

sampled "Rigor Mortis" for his song "Get at Me".

References

1977 singles 1977 songs Cameo (band) songs Songs written by Larry Blackmon {{1970s-single-stub