| Can't Stop the Music | |
| Cover: | CantStoptheMusicsingle.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Village People |
| Album: | Can't Stop the Music |
| B-Side: | "Milkshake", "Liberation" |
| Released: | 1980 |
| Recorded: | 1980 |
| Genre: | Disco |
| Length: | 3:37 |
| Label: | Casablanca |
| Producer: | Jacques Morali |
| Prev Title: | Sleazy |
| Prev Year: | 1979 |
| Next Title: | Magic Night |
| Next Year: | 1980 |
"Can't Stop the Music" is a song recorded by American disco group the Village People. As the group's first release after the exit of original lead singer Victor Willis, with lead vocals sung by replacement cop Ray Simpson, the song was the first Village People single since their commercial breakthrough to not chart inside the US top 40, though it fared much better in Europe (reaching #7 in Belgium, #10 in West Germany, #11 in the UK, #15 in Sweden, #18 in Ireland, and #19 in Austria), South Africa (reaching #1 in the country), and Oceania (reaching #1 in Australia and #2 in New Zealand). It is the title track from the soundtrack album of their feature film, Can't Stop the Music, which failed to attract a major audience, except in Australia.[1]
Recently, Village People have included "Can’t Stop The Music" in their set, breaking tradition of the Cop singing lead and instead having two of the other members take over lead vocal duties as Victor takes a break in the middle of the show.
Cash Box said that compared to the Village People's previous hits, this song "[emphasizes] the music a bit more and [softens] the normally strident beat."[2] Record World said that "this joyous dancer reaches epic proportions via strings & a full chorus."[3]
| Chart (1980-1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 1 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 19 |
| Belgium (Ultratop) | 7 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[5] | 8 |
| France (IFOP)[6] | 50 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 2 |
| South Africa (Springbok)[7] | 1 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 15 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 11 |
| US Disco Singles (Billboard) | 27 |
| West Germany (Official German Charts) | 10 |
| Chart (1980) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] [9] | 6 |
| South Africa[10] | 7 |
Puerto Rican boy band Menudo wrote a Spanish-language adaptation of the song, entitled "No Se Puede Parar la Música", in 1981.