“Shout” by the Isley Brothers

The granddaddy of all R&B party jams.

It's the end of the week, and I want to send everyone off into the weekend with the best vibes possible. That’s why the Daily Music Picks newsletter features a weekly segment called Fun Song Fridays! Regardless of era, genre, or style, the criterion is simple: it must deliver the joy and excitement we all need in our lives.

You can access the entire Fun Song Fridays archive here. A playlist featuring the songs covered with this segment is coming soon!

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Hello! 😊👋

Welcome to a new edition of the Best Music of All Time newsletter!

Today’s music pick is, simply put, the granddaddy of all R&B party jams.

Genre: R&B, Pop

Label: RCA Victor

Release Date: July 29, 1959

Vibe: 🕺🕺🕺

Think about this for a second: Minus the Elvis Presley oeuvre, how many hits released before 1960 could still get a party started today?

That’s not to say pop hits from the 1950s were terrible. Far from it. But a tiny percentage of them still sound contemporary enough to pull their weight on an oldies playlist. The Isley Brothers’ first of many hit singles, “Shout” is at the front of that proverbial line. From the opening “Weee-EEEEEEEEEEEE-eeellllllllll” to the funky breakdowns that break up the hard-charging backbeat into manageable, bite-sized pieces, every second of this track is iconic. As someone who was a club, bar, and wedding DJ for many years, “Shout” was one of those songs that maintained a 100% approval rating, regardless of the dancefloor demographics of that moment.

However, you could argue this track didn’t start out as iconic. It peaked at No. 47 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and as it gained steam as a jukebox favorite, church groups across America called radio stations in an attempt to reduce its airplay, claiming it was stepping on the toes of the Lord’s music. But, in 1978, a little film called Animal House revived interest in the song and put it back on the R&B and pop charts. Nearly 30 years after that, Wedding Crashers gave it another boost for the millennial generation. It really is the gift that keeps on giving.

With a career that now spans seven decades (!) and a list of legendary grooves a mile long (they’ve still got it, by the way), the Isley Brothers’ first moment in the sun may still be their most enduring hit, at least according to the Grammy Hall of Fame and popular “best of” lists.

Well, besides that song the Beatles eventually covered. But that’s a discussion for another day.

Right now, let’s agree that, as a subscriber, you’ve been so good to me, you make me wanna … SHOUT!

👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈