Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up
Description
“Move On Up” is a song by Curtis Mayfield from his 1970 debut album, Curtis. Nearly nine minutes long on the album version, it was released as a single in the United States, but failed to chart. An edited version of the song spent 10 weeks in the top 50 of the UK Singles Chart in 1971, peaking at number 12, and it has become a soul classic over the years. In 2021, it was listed at No. 474 on Rolling Stone‘s “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other cover versions and sampling
In 1979, disco trio Destination recorded a medley, incorporating “Keep On Pushing“, a 1964 hit by the Impressions, also written by Mayfield. Along with the tracks “Up Up Up” and “Destination’s Theme”, “Move On Up” hit number one on the disco chart for four weeks. It peaked at number sixty-eight on the soul singles chart.
The Jam, an English rock band active in the late 1970s to the early 1980s led by Paul Weller, released a version of the song on an extended play record in 1982, as did Weller’s The Style Council in 1985.
Kentucky-based jam-band My Morning Jacket frequently covers the song in their live shows.
Just Blaze heavily sampled the song for Kanye West‘s 2006 single “Touch the Sky“, using a slowed-down version of the horns.
The song was also used in the credits for the movie ‘Lift’ starring Kevin Hart in 2024.
In popular culture
English football club Arsenal adopted the song as a popular post-game anthem at their Emirates Stadium.
The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2002 British film Bend It Like Beckham.
It is also featured in on the fourth season of the HBO series The Wire, specifically in the sixth episode “Margin Of Error”, when Dennis “Cutty” Wise is seen on a morning jog where residents are handing out election flyers.
The song was used by Joe Biden following the end of his speeches during his 2020 presidential campaign.
