"That's the Way (I Like It)" is a song by American disco and funk band KC and the Sunshine Band from their self-titled second studio album (1975). The single became the band's second No. 1 hit in the Billboard Hot 100, and it is one of the few chart-toppers in history to hit No. 1 on more than one occasion during a one-month period, as it did between November and December 1975. It topped the American pop chart for one week, and then was replaced by another disco song, "Fly, Robin, Fly" by Silver Convention. "That's the Way (I Like It)" returned to No. 1 for one more week after "Fly, Robin, Fly" completed three weeks at the top. "That's the Way (I Like It)" also spent one week at No. 1 in the soul singles chart.[3] The song is in natural minor.[4]
The song was also an international chart hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada[5] and the Netherlands and charting in Australia (No. 5), Belgium (No. 2), Ireland (No. 17), New Zealand (No. 12), Norway (No. 5), the United Kingdom (No. 4) and West Germany (No. 20).
Record World said that "A spirited, uplifting sound is based around a theme which should be reverberating across the country in no time!".[6]
For release as a single and radio airplay, the song was toned down from the original recording, which would have jeopardized it receiving getting radio airplay at the time. However the sexual overtones may have improved the record's reception at discos, increasing its overall popularity in the charts.[7]
"That's the Way (I Like It)" was referenced by English comedian Joe Lycett in his 2016 live stand-up special That's the Way, A-Ha A-Ha, Joe Lycett.[citation needed]
In 1979, singer Pete Burns used the chorus in the song "Black Leather", composed and recorded in the early stages of Dead or Alive (then Nightmares in Wax). In 1984, the group covered the song for their debut studio album, Sophisticated Boom Boom (1984), creating their first UK top 40 single.
In 1997, British pop/dance act Clock released a cover of the song, which appears on their Japan-only album release Boogie Sound. It was a moderate hit in early 1998, peaking at No. 17 in Ireland,[31] No. 11 in the United Kingdom[32] and No. 66 in France.[33]
A reviewer from Music Week rated Clock's version two out of five, adding, "But with Clock's established grip on the Top 20, no doubt it will sell."[34] The magazine's Alan Jones wrote, "Clock get short shrift from critics, though record buyers can't get enough of them. They will certainly tick up another hit with 'That's the Way (I Like It)', an obvious cover of the old KC & the Sunshine Band track currently doing service as a TV commercial soundtrack. It stays close to the original, and will provide one of the first big hits of 1998."[35]
^ abAlex Henderson. "KC and the Sunshine Band review on AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 9 June 2013. "Fueled by such addictive funk hits as "That's the Way (I Like It)" and "Get Down Tonight," the album established K.C. as one of the top stars of the disco era."
^Weeks, Marcus (2015). "KC & The Sunshine Band - "That's the Way (I Like It)". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 350.
^Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 315.
^Stephenson, Ken (2002). What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis, p.89. ISBN978-0-300-09239-4.
^"Hits of the Week"(PDF). Record World. October 18, 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
^Dimery, Robert (2010). 1001 songs you must hear before you die. United Kingdom: Cassell Illustrated. p. 350. ISBN978-1-84403-736-0.
^ abKent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. pp. 85, 163. ISBN0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.
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