| "Give the People What They Want" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The O'Jays | ||||
| from the album Survival | ||||
| B-side | "What Am I Waiting For" | |||
| Released | 1975 | |||
| Genre | R&B, Philly Soul | |||
| Length | 4:11 | |||
| Label | Philadelphia International | |||
| Writer(s) | Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff | |||
| Producer | Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff | |||
| The O'Jays singles chronology | ||||
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"Give the People What They Want" is a popular song by R&B vocal group The O'Jays. Released from their album, Survival, it spent one week at number one on the R&B singles chart in the summer of 1975. It was also peaked at number forty-five on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]
It was used as part of the regular playlist at campaign events for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential candidacy.[2]
The O'Jays song is currently being used by NBC's WCAU-TV-10 to promote the station's news and other programing.[3] The song's chorus plays with no other voice-over, along with clips of action in the streets, and station on-air staff with slogans promoting programming. The campaign debuted 12 February 2010, including one clip of "Jay Leno at 11:35", after The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien was of the air.
This song is heavily sampled in the rap group EPMD song "Give The People" from their 1990 album Business As Usual.
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 45 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 1 |
| Preceded by "Rockin' Chair" by Gwen McCrae |
Billboard's Hot Soul Singles number-one single June 21, 1975 |
Succeeded by "Look at Me (I'm in Love)" by The Moments |