here were some critics who dismissed "(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty" as a piece of disco fluff. "To some it was a nonsense song," says KC, "but it had a lot more meaning and depth. I think during that time, a lot of people were afraid to open up, they were afraid what this one sitting next to them was going to say, or what their neighbor was doing. I remember doing concerts and seeing the entire crowd having a good time, and you'd see one or two people sitting there playing Mr. Big. There were several connotations to 'Shake Your Booty.' It could mean get off your can and get out there and do it, in every area, not necessarily dancing -- in your whole life."

"(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty" stands alone as the number one single with the most repeated word in its title. No other number one song dared to repeat the same word four times.

The gimmick of repeating words in a title has been used by some artists more than others. Abba are masters of the art, having released singles like "Money, Money, Money," "Honey, Honey," "On and On and On," "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" and the all-time repetitive champ, "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do."

In June 1990, Rhino Records released the 16-track collection The Best of KC and the Sunshine Band, which features "(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty" and seven other KC hits that made the Top 40 in the US.

While "Shake Your Booty" remains the clear winner among number one singles, it is followed closely by four songs that repeat the same word three times:

"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"
"Turn! Turn! Turn!"
"Too Much, Too Little, Too Late"
"Say, Say, Say"

Elvis gets a special award for repeating two words three times each in "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You." There are five number one songs that repeat two words twice. These multiple offenders include:

"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)"
"He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)"
"You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Sing in My Show)"
"All Night Long (All Night)"
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car"

There are 21 number one songs that simple repeat one word twice. They are too abundant to list here, but a careful perusal will reveal they range from Perry Como's "Round and Round" to Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," a contender despite its hyphen.

The fact that 82 out of 700 number one singles repeat words in their titles is not enough proof that doubling up your bon mots is a surefire way to get to number one. Just ask the Kingsmen, who spent six weeks at number two with "Louie Louie," or the Blendells, who only reached number 62 with "La La La La La."

- Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, Billboard, 1988.

 

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