"You Should Be Dancing" is a single by the Bee Gees, from
the album,
Children of the World, in 1976. The single hit number
one for one week on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, number one for
seven weeks on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in July
the same year, reached number five on the UK Singles Chart. The
song also peaked at number four on the
BillboardR&B chart. It was this song that first
launched the Bee Gees into disco stardom, although
rock-oriented drums and guitars can be heard in the background.
It was also the only track from the group to top the dance
chart.
The song was their third
BillboardHot 100 number-one and their sixth number-one
in Canada. It ended up the year as the #31 song of the year on
the Hot 100. It also hit number four in Ireland. In Australia,
where the brothers spent a number of years in their youth, it
managed only to nick the top 20.
"You Should Be Dancing" is known today as the first
chart-topper in which Barry Gibb uses his now-trademark
falsetto (he had previously used it on the top-10 "Nights on
Broadway" and on "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)"). The song
was prominently featured in the movie
Saturday Night Feverand appears on its soundtrack
album.
Live performances of "You Should Be Dancing" during the 1979
Spirits Having Flowntour featured the Bee Gees' younger
sibling, Andy Gibb, on backing vocals.
This song and the scene from the movie containing the song
were seen and heard in the film
Short Circuit.
The Boston Celtics also play this song when they are about
to win a basketball game accompanied by the ever popular
"Dancing Gino" video from the television show
American Bandstand.
Blockster released a cover "You Should Be...", which reached
number three in the UK chart in January 1999.
Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of
American Idol, performed the song on the show on May 8,
2007. His studio version was later released on the official
website and on
American Idol Season 6: The Collector's Edition, a
compilation of studio versions of songs performed by
Idolfinalists.