"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" is a song by American dance music group C+C Music Factory, released by Columbia Records on October 10, 1990, as the lead single from their debut album, Gonna Make You Sweat (1990). The song is sung by Martha Wash and rapped by Freedom Williams; it was written by Williams, Robert Clivillés and David Cole, and produced by Clivillés and Cole.
In early 1991, the song charted internationally, topping the charts of Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. The accompanying music video was directed by Marcus Nispel, and features singer/dancer Zelma Davis lip-syncing to Wash's vocal parts. In 2023 and 2025, Billboard magazine ranked "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" among the best pop and dance songs of all time.
Background and writing Robert Clivillés wrote and produced an instrumental track that was to become "Gonna Make You Sweat".The Depressing Story of America's Favorite Pump-Up Jam , VICE (October 4, 2016) He offered the track to vocal trio Trilogy, but when they declined to record it, Clivillés decided to use the track for his and David Cole's band, C+C Music Factory. The rap verse was performed by Freedom Williams and the female vocals by Martha Wash.
The music video showed singer and dancer Zelma Davis lip-syncing to Wash's vocal parts. After discovering that the group was using Davis in the music video, Wash (who does not appear in the video) unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate with the producers of the C+C Music Factory for sleeve credits and royalties. Additionally, the song used an edited compilation of vocal parts that Wash recorded in June 1990 for an unrelated demonstration tape. On December 11, 1991, Wash filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court against C+C Music Factory's Robert Clivillés and David Cole, charging the producers and their record company, Sony Music Entertainment, with fraud, deceptive packaging, and commercial appropriation. The case was eventually settled in 1994, and as a result of the settlement, Sony made an unprecedented request of MTV to add a disclaimer that credited Wash for vocals and Davis for "visualization" to the "Gonna Make You Sweat" music video.Martha Wash: The Most Famous Unknown Singer of the '90s Speaks Out . Rolling Stone. Retrieved on May 17, 2017
Recording Having previously worked with David Cole doing some demos in the past, Martha Wash recorded her vocals for "Gonna Make You Sweat" as a demo song. She was told that it was for another artist. Only Robert Clivillés was present in the studio during recording. Wash had to phone Cole for instructions on how to sing, before recording her vocals. She stated in 2017:
Reception Music critics praised "Gonna Make You Sweat" for Freedom Williams' Ice-T-like rap delivery in conjunction with Martha Wash's powerful, exuberant, post-disco vocals and deemed the song as a bona fide classic. Bill Lamb from About.com said that the vocal performances "along with state-of-the-art house rhythms" made up "one of the most exhilarating songs of the year". AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis described it as "unstoppable" and noted that it "incorporated dance, house, and hip hop beats, wailing diva vocals, and rap to come up with one of the year's most exciting hits". Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "New act featuring hot producers Robert Clivillés and David Cole serves up a potential multiformat smash with this slammin', guitar-driven hip-hopper, fueled by a stellar appearance from former Weather Girl Martha Wash". He remarked its "wall-shattering command" everybody dance now by Wash, that fast filled dancefloors and air-waves around the world. The song was also described as "a virtually flawless stew of hip-hop bass and percussion, deft rhyming courtesy of newcomer Freedom Williams, and ripping vocals by supreme diva Martha Wash".
Penelope Layland from The Canberra Times stated that the song "is highly percussive, with an urgent beat contrasting well with the lazy vocal delivery". Marisa Fox from Entertainment Weekly said it "sounds like a composite of 1990's most memorable pop/dance tunes — a screeching bass line (reminiscent of Snap!'s 'The Power' jam), wailing lead vocals sung by former Weather Girl Martha Wash, and up-tempo beats that reek of Technotronic." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report noted that it's "difficult to package any more excitement into this release which exemplifies what fresh music is all about". A. Scott Galloway from The Network Forty named the song "an electrifying debut from Robert Clivillés & David Cole, the production team that brought you Seduction. With singer Freedom Williams up front demanding "Everybody Dance Now", the song is simply the best party starter to come along in months. It doesn't hurt that it's right in line sound-wise with past chart top hits like Black Box's 'Everybody Everybody' and Snap!'s 'The Power', either". A reviewer from People Magazine stated that the track "deserves its Top 10 status, along with hit-to-be 'Things That Make You Go Hmmm...' blending rap, rock and dance riffs".
Over the years, the song came to be used and/or referenced innumerable times by the entertainment industry, to the point that it became something of a musical, pop culture cliché. By 2007, the song was criticized by AllMusic as "the lazy Hollywood 'go-to' song for supposed laugh-filled, irony-fueled dance numbers".
Commercial performance The song held the top spot on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart for five weeks in December 1990 and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in February 1991. In Canada, it topped the Canadian RPM Dance and The Records Retail Singles chart. In Europe, it peaked at number one in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The single entered the top 10 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number two. In the UK, "Gonna Make You Sweat" peaked a number three in its sixth week at the UK Singles Chart, on January 13, 1991. Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Ireland, a top-30 hit in Italy, and a top-50 hit in France. In Oceania, the single peaked at numbers two and three in New Zealand and Australia, respectively. It earned a platinum record in the US, after one million singles were sold there.
Music video The music video for "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" was directed by German director Marcus Nispel and featured dancers performing in front of a white backdrop. Zelma Davis lip-syncs to the recorded vocals of Martha Wash, who doesn't appear in the video. A short clip of Double Dutch is shown near the end. The video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe in February 1991.
Impact and legacy In 2000, VH1 ranked "Gonna Make You Sweat" number nine on its list of "100 Greatest Dance Songs", and at number 36 on its list of "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s" in 2007. In October 2023 and March 2025, Billboard magazine ranked it numbers 402 and 26 in their lists of "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" and "100 Best Dance Songs of All Time", writing, "The criminal replacement of her in the video aside, Martha Wash's command of everybody dance now! to kick off this Hot 100-topping early-'90s smash simply cannot be ignored. A flawless fusion of soulful house diva power and Freedom Williams' rumbling rhymes, "Gonna Make You Sweat", is writers/producers Robert Clivillés and David Cole (the C+C) at their best. Blending their forceful production with the perfect vocal yin/yang, the song became an international smash and an early indicator of house music's crossover potential. It continues to echo through pop culture today."
Accolades PublisherCountryAccoladeRank2000VH1United States"100 Greatest Dance Songs" 92005Bruce PollockUnited States"The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000" *2007VH1United States"100 Greatest Songs of the 90s" 362010Robert DimeryUnited States1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die*2011MTV DanceUnited Kingdom"The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems of All Time"MTV Dance. December 27, 2011. 352013VibeUnited States"Before EDM: 30 Dance Tracks from the '90s That Changed the Game" 262017BuzzFeedUnited States"The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" 122018ThoughtCoUnited States"The Best 100 Songs from the 1990s" 742019BillboardUnited States"Billboards Top Songs of the '90s" 302019MaxAustralia"1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" 7652019ThoughtCoUnited States"25 Best Dance Pop Songs of All Time" 142020Cleveland.comUnited States"Best Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song of the 1990s" 322022Time OutUnited Kingdom"The 50 Best Gay Songs to Celebrate Pride All Year Long" 262022Time OutUnited Kingdom"The 100 Best Party Songs Ever Made" 42023BillboardUnited States"Best Pop Songs of All Time" 4022024BillboardUnited States"The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time" 252024CosmopolitanUnited States"60 of the Best '90s Songs for the Ultimate Throwback Playlist" 532025BillboardUnited States"The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time" 26
Track listings 7-inch single "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (radio version) – 4:06 "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (In Your Face mix instrumental) – 4:54
12-inch maxi "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (The Slammin' vocal club mix) – 6:50 "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (Clivillés & Cole DJ's Choice mix) – 5:00 "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (The Master mix instrumental) – 4:54
CD single "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (radio version) – 4:06 "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (In Your Face mix instrumental) – 4:54
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1990–1991) PeakpositionBelgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders) 3Canada Retail Singles (The Record) 1Denmark (IFPI) 8Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 2Europe (European Hit Radio) 12Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) 8Greece (IFPI) 2Iceland (Íslenski listinn) 6Israel (Israeli Singles Chart) 5Italy (Musica e dischi) Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "C & C Music Factory". 22Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg) 2Spain (AFYVE) 2UK Airplay (Music Week) 18UK Dance (Music Week) 1UK Club Chart (Record Mirror) 1 US Billboard Hot 100 1US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard) 1US Dance Club Play (Billboard) 1US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard) 1US Cash Box Top 100 1
Chart (2023) Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (1990) PositionUK Club Chart (Record Mirror) 42
Chart (1991) PositionAustralia (ARIA) 26Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 30Belgium (Ultratop) 55Canada Top Singles (RPM) 59Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) 2Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 12Europe (European Hit Radio) 87Germany (Media Control) 11Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 17Netherlands (Single Top 100) 10New Zealand (RIANZ) 8Sweden (Topplistan) 26Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 13UK Singles (OCC) 72UK Club Chart (Record Mirror) 23US Billboard Hot 100 3US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard) 1US Dance Club Play (Billboard) 1US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard) 3US Cash Box Top 100 20
Decade-end charts Chart (1990–1999)PositionCanada (Nielsen SoundScan) 35
All-time charts Chart (2018)PositionUS Billboard Hot 100 187
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United StatesOctober 10, 1990CommercialColumbiaUnited KingdomDecember 3, 1990CBSAustraliaDecember 17, 1990United KingdomJanuary 21, 199112-inch remix vinylAustraliaJanuary 28, 1991Cassette Mislabeled as a 12-inch single on source.JapanOctober 25, 1991Mini-CD (with "Just a Touch of Love")Sony
Cover versions "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" was reworked by French DJ Bob Sinclar in his 2006 song "Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now)", which became a hit in many countries including the UK, Finland and France where it reached number 3 and in Belgium where it topped both the Ultratop 50 Flanders and Wallonia charts.