Jeopardy (song)

This article is about the song by the Greg Kihn Band. For the theme song from the game show Jeopardy!, see Jeopardy! § Theme music.

"Jeopardy" is a song released by the Greg Kihn Band, from their 1983 album Kihnspiracy. It was the band's only Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, reaching number 2 in May 1983 (behind Michael Jackson's "Beat It").

"Jeopardy"
French picture sleeve
Single by The Greg Kihn Band
from the album Kihnspiracy
B-side	"Fascination"
Released	January 1983
Studio	Fantasy, Berkeley
Genre	Power pop[1] dance-rock[2]
Length	3:47
Label	Beserkley
Songwriter(s)	Greg Kihn, Steve Wright
Producer(s)	Matthew King Kaufman
The Greg Kihn Band singles chronology
"Happy Man" (1982) "Jeopardy" (1983) "Tear That City Down" (1983)

It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Club Dance Play chart in April 1983 and crossed over to the Top 50 of Billboard's Soul chart. The song also reached number 63 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's only charting song in the UK. The song was composed in D minor.

Parody

Main article: I Lost on Jeopardy

A parody of the song, titled "I Lost on Jeopardy", was released by "Weird Al" Yankovic on his 1984 album "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D. Kihn made a cameo appearance in the song's music video, driving the car into which Yankovic is thrown after being "ejected" from the Jeopardy! game show, parodying the end of his own video. The car's license plate reads "LOSER" instead of "LIPS". The bride still pops the cork of the champagne bottle and the video ends. Art Fleming and Don Pardo—host and announcer, respectively, of the original version of Jeopardy!—also make cameo appearances.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1983) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 11 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 22 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 4 France (IFOP)[6] 13 Germany (GfK)[7] 18 Ireland (IRMA)[8] 17 Italy (FIMI)[9] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 15 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 21 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 17 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[13] 6 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 8 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] 4 UK Singles (OCC)[16] 63 US Billboard Hot 100[17] 2 US Billboard Hot Black Singles[17] 48 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[17] 1 US Billboard Top Tracks[17] 5 US Cash Box[18] 5

Year-end charts Chart (1983) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[3][19] 83 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] 25 France (IFOP)[21] 52 Italy (FIMI)[9] 60 US Billboard Hot 100[22] 21 US Cash Box[23] 35

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 1983 (U.S.)

References

1. Walters, Neal; Mansfield, Brian (1998). MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 1-57859-037-X.
2. Graff, Gary (1998). "Greg Kihn". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 629.
3. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
4. "Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6239." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
6. "Le Détail par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Greg Kihn Band" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
7. "Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
8. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Jeopardy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
9. "I singoli più venduti del 1983" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
10. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Greg Kihn Band - Jeopardy" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
11. "Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
12. "Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
13. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (K)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
14. "Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
15. "Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
17. "Greg Kihn – Kihnspiracy". AllMusic. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
18. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending APRIL 23, 1983". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012.
19. "Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
20. "The Top Singles of 1983". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 17. 24 December 1983. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
21. "TOP – 1983" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
22. "Top 100 Hits for 1983". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
23. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1983". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012.