Rumors (Timex Social Club song)

"Rumors" is the debut single by San Francisco Bay Area-based music group Timex Social Club, from their debut album Vicious Rumors. It was a top-10 hit in the United States and in Ireland, a top 5 hit in the Netherlands and in New Zealand, and a number-one hit in Canada. It also topped the US R&B and dance charts.

"Rumors"
Single by Timex Social Club
from the album Vicious Rumors
Released	1986
Recorded	1985
Genre	Post-disco[1] funk[2]
Length	5:47 (full-length album version) 4:53 (original single version)
Label	Jay
Songwriter(s)	Timex Social Club
Producer(s)	Denzil Foster Jay King
Timex Social Club singles chronology
"Rumors" (1986) "Mixed Up World" (1986)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1986–1987)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3]	94
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4]	24
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5]	15
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[6]	1
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[7]	20
Ireland (IRMA)[8]	10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9]	3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10]	3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11]	2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12]	23
UK Singles (OCC)[13]	13
US Billboard Hot 100[14]	8
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[14]	1
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[14]	1
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[14]	1
US Cash Box[15]	8
West Germany (GfK)[16]	11

Year-end charts

Chart (1986)	Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17]	97
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18]	11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19]	57
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20]	42
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21]	38
US Billboard Hot 100[22]	77
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23]	7

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24]	Platinum	100,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other notable versions

In 1986, a European version was released by Van & His Crew as "Rumors (The Rap Version)".^[25]

In 1997, the British band Awesome released their version of "Rumors" which hit number 8 in New Zealand^[26] and also charted in some European countries.^[27][28][29]

Parodies

The song was parodied as "Roaches" by Bobby Jimmy and the Critters, also released in 1986.^[30]

See also

• 1980s portal

• List of number-one singles of 1986 (Canada)
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1986 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance singles of 1986 (U.S.)