Murder on the Dancefloor

"Murder on the Dancefloor"
Single by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
from the album Read My Lips
B-side	"Never Let Me Down"
Released	3 December 2001 (UK)
Format	CD; 12"
Recorded	2001
Genre	Nu-disco, disco
Length	3:52 (album version) 3:38 (radio edit)
Label	Universal
Writer(s)	Gregg Alexander, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Producer	Gregg Alexander, Matt Rowe
Certification	Platinum (ARIA), Silver (BPI)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor singles chronology
"Take Me Home" (2001) "'Murder on the Dancefloor'" (2001) "Get Over You / Move This Mountain" (2002)

"Murder on the Dancefloor" is a song written by Gregg Alexander and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Alexander and Matt Rowe for Ellis-Bextor's first album Read My Lips. After the release of "Take Me Home" in August 2001, Ellis-Bextor released her best-selling single to date in December 2001. The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart,^[1] stayed on the charts for twenty-three weeks, and became the most played song of 2002 in all of Europe. The song was such a hit that the singer's label canceled what was planned to be the next single, "Lover", and replaced it with "Get Over You" and "Move This Mountain". It was also a hit in Australia peaking at number three,^[2] staying in the top fifty for twenty weeks,^[2] accrediting platinum by ARIA^[3] and ending to be the eleventh highest selling single for 2002.^[4]

Music video

The music video, which was directed by Sophie Muller, takes place at a dance contest whose winners are to gain a pair of golden shoes and a cash prize. Desperate to win, Ellis-Bextor manages to sneakily injure and disqualify many of the other dancers; injuring one with butter, tripping another, who she sees her do it and angrily points at her, poisoning a trio of possible competition using harmless looking, but poisoned punch, unstrapping one of the contestants clothes, framing another of cheating on his partner, using a G-String, knocking out one judge with what seems to be chloroform and seducing another, played by Colin Stinton, into declaring her the winner after she sees he has a weak spot for women like her, which displeases the other dancers. Her use of these tactics leads to her win, with everyone else grudgingly clapping, while she is smiling with a crown, a big cash prize and golden shoes.

Track listing

UK CD Single

1. "Murder on the Dancefloor" - 3:53
2. "Never Let Me Down" - 4:12
3. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Parky & Birchy Remix) - 4:56
4. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Video) - 3:50

Cassette Single

1. "Murder on the Dancefloor" - 3:37
2. "Murder on the Dancefloor" (Jewels & Stone Mix Edit) - 4:52

Charts

Chart (2001 & 2002)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[5]	3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)[6]	10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7]	18
Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia)[8]	7
Denmark (Tracklisten)[9]	3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10]	15
France (SNEP)[11]	5
Germany (Media Control AG)[12]	11
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[13]	2
Hungary (Single Top 10)[14]	16
Ireland (IRMA)[15]	2
Italy (FIMI)[16]	5
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)[17]	7
New Zealand (RIANZ)[18]	2
Norway (VG-lista)[19]	2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20]	8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21]	7
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[22]	2
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[23]	26

References

1. ^ "UK chart peak @ Charts Stats". Charts Stats. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b} "Australian chart peak". Australian-charts. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
3. ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditation - 2002 Singles". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
4. ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2002". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
5. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Hung Medien.
6. ^ "Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor – Austriancharts.at" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien.
7. ^ "Ultratop.be – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
8. ^ "Ultratop.be – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in French). Ultratop 40. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
9. ^ "Danishcharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Tracklisten. Hung Medien.
10. ^ "Finnishcharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Suomen virallinen lista. Hung Medien.
11. ^ "Lescharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in French). Les classement single. Hung Medien.
12. ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
13. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
14. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 10 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
15. ^ "Chart Track". Irish Singles Chart. Irish Recorded Music Association.
16. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Top Digital Download. Hung Medien.
17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor" (in Dutch). Mega Single Top 100. Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
18. ^ "Charts.org.nz – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien.
19. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". VG-lista. Hung Medien.
20. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor". Singles Top 60. Hung Medien.
21. ^ "Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor – swisscharts.com". Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien.
22. ^ "Chart Stats – Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Murder On The Dancefloor" UK Singles Chart. Chart Stats.
23. ^ "Cassie Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play for Cassie. Prometheus Global Media.