"Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" is a song by Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys, released as a single in October 1998 from the band's first compilation, Greatest Hits! Part 1 (1998), and their first international studio album, The Party Album (1999). It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in June 1999 and peaked atop the charts of Flanders, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden while also topping the Canadian RPMDance 30 chart. It was a top-10 hit in several other countries, including Australia, France, and Italy.
Background
The song was written by Vengaboys producers Danski and Delmundo, with the first verse interpolating the ABBA song "Lay All Your Love on Me" written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.[2] It was released to radio in the United States in June 1999 and re-released to US radio in June 2017.[3] In the United Kingdom, Positiva Records issued the song as two CD single.[4][5]
The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending 20 June 1999.[11] It has sold over 620,000 copies in the UK as of July 2014.[12]
Critical reception
The song received mixed reviews, though most were generally positive. It was named the fifth "worst ever summer song" in a survey conducted by Tony Blackburn and music e-tailer www.bol.com.[13]AllMusic editor William Cooper wrote that "the campy approach can be overbearing, but the upbeat, tuneful material on this release is difficult to dislike."[14] Andrew Cowen from the Birmingham Post described the song as being "as daft as the title".[15] While Craig Seymour of The Buffalo News named it a "boppy uptempo tune" that is "sure to please the aerobics instructor in all of us".[16]BuzzFeed listed the song at number 66 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s" in 2017.[17] Can't Stop the Pop described it as "a relentless tour-de-force of Eurodance". They added that "it's like a slightly poppier take on 2 Unlimited, with perfectly crisp, dizzying Wurlitzer-synth melodies and a thumping beat that evokes the spirit – if not quite the reality – of mid-‘90s club nights."[18] A writer from the Daily Record said that Vengaboys were ready "for their biggest hit yet", adding that it, like their previous singles, was "another full on party anthem".[19] The writer also wrote that the song "has more bounce than a bouncy castle",[20] and added, "Start singing it and you won't stop all day. Band of the year anyone?"[21]
Insider said that "this sweet and poppy hit is a total earworm and chances are you still remember it all these years later."[22] A reporter from the Milton Keynes Citizen branded it a "spine-chilling teeny-pop chart hit".[23] The song was featured at number fifteen on The People's list of "top songs of 1999".[24] Pop Rescue wrote that "this song is so catchy – with its thumping beats, simple melody, and easy to remember chorus. It includes plenty of big ‘woaahhohohohoh‘ dance vocals and robotic vocal samples."[25] Katjusa Cisar from the Wisconsin State Journal described it as "a sublime mix of catchy melodies, booming bass and stupidly simple lyrics, dating back to the days when Euro dance-pop was at its peak."[26]
Usage in the media
In November 1999, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" was used in an advert in Japan for Nissan for their Wingroad5-door estate.[27] In 2001, British furniture retailer DFS used the song to front a promotion campaign and their sales increased by ten per cent.[28] Lisa Vaas from eWeek reported that an internet viral game containing malware had been used to gain remote control of computers; once in control, the attackers would "torture" their victims by playing Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom.[29] In 2012, US recording artist Rye Rye sampled the song in the chorus to her single "Boom Boom".[30] It was also used during the credits of the last editions of the Jeux sans frontières in 1999.[31] Beginning in 2022, the song was adapted into a chant by supporters of English football club Crystal Palace, with the lyrics "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom / Mateta's in the room / There ain't no striker better / Than Jean-Philippe Mateta".[32]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Vaas, Lisa (31 October 2007). "Dancing Skeletons are Latest Storm Botnet Trick; Halloween-themed spamming is leading users to a dancing skeleton game that installs a Trojan and gains remote access to victims' PCs". eWeek. Ziff Davis Media. ProQuest198555275. Researchers also note that the malware-serving site further tortures visitors by playing the song "Boom Boom Boom Boom! " from the Vengaboys.
^Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (Dutch CD single liner notes). Vengaboys. Breakin' Records. 1998. KRAK 4036.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (Dutch maxi-CD single liner notes). Vengaboys. Breakin' Records. 1998. KRAK4035.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (UK CD1 liner notes). Vengaboys. Positiva Records. 1999. CDTIVS114, 7243 8 87208 0 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (UK CD2 liner notes). Vengaboys. Positiva Records. 1999. CDTIV-114, 7243 8 872082 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (UK cassette single sleeve). Vengaboys. Positiva Records. 1999. TCTIV114, 7243 8 87208 4 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (Australian CD single liner notes). Vengaboys. Central Station. 1999. CSR CD5 0339.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Vengaboys. Groovilicious. 1999. GM089.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (US 2×12-inch single vinyl discs). Vengaboys. Groovilicious. 1999. GM 089.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
