Sanctify Yourself

"Sanctify Yourself" is a song released by Scottish rock band Simple Minds as the second single from their seventh studio album Once Upon a Time in January 1986. The song reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart and number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

"Sanctify Yourself"
Single by Simple Minds
from the album Once Upon a Time
A-side	"Sanctify Yourself"
B-side	"Sanctify Yourself" (Instrumental)
Released	20 January 1986 (UK)[1]
Recorded	1985
Genre	New wave, synth-rock, dance-rock
Length	5:00 (album version) 3:55 (single edit) 7:10 (Extended Mix) 6:10 (Dub version)
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil
Producer(s)	Jimmy Iovine, Bob Clearmountain
Simple Minds singles chronology
"Alive and Kicking" (1985) "Sanctify Yourself" (1986) "All the Things She Said" (1986)

Background

Singer Jim Kerr said about the song, "It came from Jimmy Iovine, who produced us. We had the riff for that. We all like gospel music and we're big fans of Sly & the Family Stone, as well. They were quite an influence on that song."^[2]

Reception

Cash Box said that it "finds the friendly, warm sound of Simple Minds in full bloom."^[3]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1986–1987)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4]	46
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5]	17
Canada Top Singles (The Record)[6]	26
Germany[7]	38
Ireland (IRMA)[8]	4
Netherlands	3
New Zealand	22
Sweden	16
UK Singles Chart	10
US Billboard Hot 100[9]	14
US Cash Box Top 100[10]	10

Year-end charts

Chart (1986)	Rank
U.S. Cash Box [11]	94

Salesamount

Sales (1986)	Units/sales
UK[12]	92,395

References

1. Hung, Steffen. "Simple Minds - Sanctify Yourself". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
2. Prato, Greg (January 9, 2015). "Jim Kerr of Simple Minds : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
3. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. January 25, 1986. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, Sydney: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
5. "Top Singles - Volume 43, No. 25". RPM. 15 March 1986. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
6. Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
8. "The Irish Charts - IRMA". IRMA. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
9. "Simple Minds – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
10. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending March 22, 1986". Cash Box Magazine. 22 March 1986. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
11. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1986". Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
12. "UK's Biggest Selling Singles of 1986 - Top 200 with sales". 17 July 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2024.