
Shake It
Trace Cyrus, Billy Ray's adopted son, and Mason Musso built a synth hook that went double platinum.

Trace Cyrus, Billy Ray's adopted son, and Mason Musso built a synth hook that went double platinum.

An anarchist collective from Leeds, a sample from Brassed Off, and a chorus about ordinary people refusing to stay down.

James Ford produced it, all three sisters wrote it, and the harmonies turn a plea into a groove.

Wilde rebuilt the Holland-Dozier-Holland original as hi-NRG and became the second act to take it to number one.

Curnin called it an indictment of dishonest politicians, Rupert Hine produced it, and America took it to number four.

Number two in America, three weeks atop the rock chart, and the video that closed Palmer's mannequin trilogy.

Seven and a half minutes, James Murphy at the desk, Haitian percussion, and Bowie volunteering his voice.

Gaudio first wrote it about Prohibition's repeal, then Judy Parker rewrote the lyric and drummer Gerry Polci sang lead.

Chaka Khan's label blocked her from the duet, so Palmer sang it alone over Tony Thompson's drum intro.

A rare Yamaha CP-30 supplies the riff, and Oates traced the song to Delta blues jammed against Texas swing.

Rhodes had the backing track in mind before reaching the studio; the Sri Lanka video carried it to number three.

A baritone Mosrite missing its two middle strings, and a party record that talked Lennon out of retirement.

Moroder cut the backing track in Los Angeles, Harry wrote the words in hours, and it ruled 1980.

Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol passed; Simple Minds cut it reluctantly, then kept the placeholder chant that closes it.

Don Was suggested welding a fifteen-minute jam to a shouted chorus, and Cindy Wilson's tin-roof ad-lib stayed in.

It missed the UK top forty, all Fairlight sequencing except Hook's bass, and now every indie disco needs it.

Gabriel wanted real brass, hired the Memphis Horns' Wayne Jackson, then knocked his old band Genesis off number one.

Van Halen dropped in, played the solo for free, and Jackson made rock and pop the same building.