Murder on the Dancefloor

"Murder on the Dancefloor"
Single by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
from the album Read My Lips
B-side "Never Let Me Down"
Released 3 December 2001
Format CD single, 12-inch single
Recorded 2001
Genre Dance-pop, nu-disco, house
Length 3:52 (album version)
3:38 (radio edit)
Label Polydor, Universal
Writer(s) Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gregg Alexander
Producer(s) Gregg Alexander, Matt Rowe
Certification Platinum (ARIA), Silver (BPI)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor singles chronology
"Take Me Home"
(2001)		 "'Murder on the Dancefloor"
(2001)		 "Get Over You / Move This Mountain"
(2002)

"Murder on the Dancefloor" is a song written by Gregg Alexander and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Alexander and Matt Rowe for Ellis-Bextor's first album, Read My Lips. After the release of "Take Me Home" in August 2001, Ellis-Bextor released her best-selling single to date in December 2001.

The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart,[1] stayed on the charts for twenty-three weeks, and became the most played song of 2002 in all of Europe, becoming a top ten hit all around the world, except in the United States, where the song was not published as a physical single.

Background and release

The follow-up single to "Take Me Home (A Girl Like Me)" was originally planned to be "Lover", an album track from Read My Lips, as read in first edition album stickers and announced by the label, but for unknown reasons the release was cancelled and replaced by "Murder on the Dancefloor" that turned out to be Sophie's biggest hit.

Reception

Critical reception

The song is deemed to be among Ellis-Bextor's fan favourite songs.

Charts and certifications

The song is Ellis-Bextor's greatest hit so far internationally. It was also a hit in Australia peaking at number three,[2] staying in the top fifty for twenty weeks,[2] being accredited platinum by ARIA[3] and becoming the eleventh-highest selling single for 2002.[4]

Music video

The music video was directed by Sophie Muller and it centres around a dance competition. The winner's prize consists of a pair of golden high-heel shoes and a substantial amount of money. Desperate to win, Ellis-Bextor proceeds to sneakily injure and disqualify the majority of the other dancers. She causes one to slip on butter, before tripping-up another, who sees her do it and angrily points at her to no avail. Next she slyly poisons a trio of potential rivals by spiking the punch during a refreshment period and then unstraps a female contestant's clothes causing her to run off. She finally frames a male dancer of cheating on his partner, by planting a G-String on his person, this results in his partner slapping him and exiting the dance floor.

Ellis-Bextor then turns her attention to the trio of judges. By using what seems to be chloroform, she incapacitates the only female judge on the panel. Once the competition is down to the final four couples, Ellis-Bextor notices that the lead judge (played by Colin Stinton) has a weak spot for beautiful women. Using this to her advantage, Ellis-Bextor approaches him when he is alone at the judging table and seduces him. Lovestruck, the lead judge succeeds in persuading the remaining judge to have Ellis-Bextor declared the winner, much to her fellow dancers' disapproval.

The video concludes with the other dancers grudgingly applauding (before promptly deserting) Ellis-Bextor and her dance partner, as she happily clutches her cash prize and the golden shoes on the winner's podium.

Track listing

UK CD single
  1. "Murder on the Dancefloor" – 3:53
  2. "Never Let Me Down" – 3:46
  3. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Parky & Birchy Remix) – 7:24
  4. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (video) – 3:50
Cassette single
  1. "Murder on the Dancefloor" – 3:37
  2. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Jewels & Stone Mix Edit) – 4:52
German CD single
  1. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (radio edit) – 3:37
  2. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (extended album version) – 5:32
  3. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Jewels & Stone Mix Edit) – 4:50
  4. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (G-Club Vocal Mix Edit) – 5:10
  5. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Phunk Investigation Vocal Edit) – 5:07
  6. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Parky & Birchy Remix) – 7:22
  7. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Twin Murder Club Mix) – 7:11
France CD single
  1. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (album version) – 3:57
  2. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (French & Fresh Club Remix By RLS & Jeepee) – 6:20
  3. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Phunk Investigation Vocal Edit) – 5:09
  4. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Energized Mix By Guéna LG) – 5:32
  5. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (G-Club Vocal Mix Edit) – 5:11
Brazil CD maxi-single
  1. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (album version) – 3:50
  2. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (extended album version) – 5:30
  3. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (G-Club Vocal Mix Edit) – 5:08
  4. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (G-Club Vocal Mix) – 8:05
  5. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (G-Club Dub Mix) – 6:36
  6. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Jewels & Stone Mix Edit) – 4:51
  7. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Jewels & Stone Remix) – 5:39
  8. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Phunk Investigation Vocal Edit) – 5:07
  9. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Phunk Investigation Vocal Mix) – 8:30
  10. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Parky & Birchy Remix) – 7:23
  11. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Twin Murder Club Mix) - 7:07
  12. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Danny D Remix) – 7:56

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (2001–02) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 18
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 7
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[9] 5
Denmark (Tracklisten)[10] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 15
France (SNEP)[12] 5
Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 11
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[14] 2
Hungary (Single Top 40)[15] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[16] 2
Italy (FIMI)[17] 5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 2
Norway (VG-lista)[20] 2
Poland (Polish Singles Chart)[21] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[22] 8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 7
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[24] 2
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[25] 26

Year-end charts

Chart (2002) Position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 11
Germany (Official German Charts)[26] 69

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[27] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[28] Gold 25,000*
France (SNEP)[29] Gold 250,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Silver 200,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone


References

  1. ↑ "UK chart peak @ Charts Stats". Charts Stats. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Australian chart peak". Australian-charts. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
  3. ↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditation - 2002 Singles". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
  4. 1 2 "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2002". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
  5. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  9. ↑ Canadian peak AllMusic
  10. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Tracklisten.
  11. ↑ "Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Murder on the Dancefloor" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  12. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in French). Les classement single.
  13. ↑ "Musicline.de – ELLIS-BEXTOR,SOPHIE Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  14. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  15. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  16. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 1, 2002". Irish Singles Chart.
  17. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Top Digital Download.
  18. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Sophie Ellis-Bextor search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  19. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Top 40 Singles.
  20. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". VG-lista.
  21. ↑ "Nielsen Music Control". Archived from the original on 2007-10-15.
  22. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Singles Top 100.
  23. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Swiss Singles Chart.
  24. ↑ "Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  25. ↑ "Cassie – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Cassie.
  26. ↑ "Top 100 Singles-Jahrescharts (2002)". Offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  28. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2001". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
  29. ↑ "French single certifications – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  30. ↑ "British single certifications – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Murder on the Dancefloor in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search

External links

Read My Lips
Shoot from the Hip
Trip the Light Fantastic
Make a Scene
Wanderlust
Familia
Featured singles
Extended plays
Tours
As headliner
As supporting act
Related articles
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