THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

40-Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars-Uptown Funk.

2014-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 3.54. It took 66 years, but finally a song reached Number 1 on Billboard with the word ‘Funk’ in the title.

Two songs with the word ‘Funky’ had previously topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, ‘Play That Funky Music,’ from ‘Wild Cherry,’ (see also best songs 240) in 1976, and ‘Funkytown’ by ‘Lipps Inc,’ in 1980. In America ‘Uptown’ is slang for the affluent side of a city or town. Other well known songs that have used ‘Uptown’ include,’Uptown Girl,’ (Billy Joel) ‘Uptown Uptempo Woman,’ (Randt Edelman) and ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ (Althea and Donna) (see also best songs 101.)

Bruno Mars (see also best songs 174) was born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8th, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, with sales in excess of 130 million records he is one of the best selling artists of all time. At the age of two, he was nicknamed ‘Bruno’ by his father because he thought that he resembled the professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino (1935-2018.) Bruno has said that he chose his stage name ‘Mars’ at a time when he was living in, and was also surrounded by poverty,’I felt like I didn’t have no pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I’m from Mars.’

The discography of Bruno Mars includes three studio Albums released between 2010-2016, and 32 singles issued between 2010-2022, he has also released a collaborative Album in 2021, ‘An Evening with Silk Sonic (with Anderson Paak as Silk Sonic.’) In America on the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 singles chart, he has had 25 hits, either charting as a solo artist or in collaboration, of which eight of those singles have made Number 1. In the UK he has charted on 20 occasions, with five of his singles reaching the top spot.

‘Uptown Funk’ was first released as a single in November 2014, and later appeared on the fourth studio Album ‘Uptown Special,’ from Mark Ronson (see also best songs 806) in January 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ was co-written by Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Philip Laurence, (see also best songs 174) and Jeff Bhasker, the song was produced by Ronson, Mars, and Bhasker. ‘Uptown Funk’ has been the subject of several lawsuits due to sampling disputes, with two of those lawsuits being successful. In 2015 similarities with ‘Oops Up Side Your Head,’ the 1979 song by The Gap Band led that band, along with keyboardist Rudolph Taylor, and producer Lonnie Simmons to be added as co-writers of ‘Uptown Funk,’ and receiving 17% of the publishing royalties. The other name added to the songwriting credits is that of the American rapper, and songwriter ‘Trinidad James, whose 2012 single ‘All Gold Everything’ is heavily sampled in ‘Uptown Funk.’ There have been many more lawsuits issued, including the band ‘Collage,’ who claimed similarities to their 1983 song ‘Young Girls,’ also the Rap group ‘The Sequence,’ with their 1979 song ‘Funk You Up,’ and ‘Zapp,’ with their 1980 track ‘More Bounce to the Ounce,’ and on listening to all these songs, it is impossible to not make a good case for plagiarism. Whether any other artists have ever received royalties has not been revealed.
Another piece of music that can claim an influence on ‘Uptown Funk’ is the theme to the 1980’s BBC television children’s wildlife show ‘The Really Wild Show,’ that shows presenter Michaela Strachan has said,’It hadn’t occurred to me that it sounded like the theme tune until I listened to it again. Maybe that’s why I like it so much.’

‘Uptown Funk’ name checks the American actress Michelle Pfeiffer, this is a reference to her role in the 1983 movie ‘Scarface,’ the ‘white gold’ is Cocaine, which played a part in that movies story line. On being mentioned in one of Pop Music’s most successful ever songs Michelle Pfeiffer has said,’I was incredibly flattered. It was very cool. It was a little embarrassing at times. You know, carpool with the kids and the song comes on and my son’s like… (imitates him shrinking back into his seat.) Or I’m in exercise class, and the song comes on and (sighs with exasperation). But yeah, I love the song.’

‘Stop, wait a minute fill my cup, put some liquor in it. Take a sip, sign a check, Julio get the stretch. Ride to Harlem, Hollywood
Jackson, Mississippi, if we show up, we gon’ show out smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy.’