Upside Down (Diana Ross song)

"Upside Down" is a song written and produced by Chic members Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. It was recorded by American singer Diana Ross and issued on June 18, 1980, from Motown as the lead single from her eleventh studio album, Diana (1980). The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 6, 1980, and stayed there for four weeks. It also hit number one on the Billboard Disco and Soul charts. The single was released a full four weeks after the album was released.

"Upside Down"
Side A of US single
Single by Diana Ross
from the album Diana
B-side	"Friend to Friend"
Released	June 18, 1980 (1980-06-18)[1]
Studio	Power Station (New York City)
Genre	Disco R&B funk
Length	4:05 (album) 3:37 (single)
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Nile Rodgers Bernard Edwards
Producer(s)	Nile Rodgers Bernard Edwards
Diana Ross singles chronology
"It's My House" (1979) "Upside Down" (1980) "I'm Coming Out" (1980)

"Upside Down" was also a big hit internationally, topping the singles charts in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland, while peaking at No. 5 in Canada. It also rose to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the highest peak performance from Ross as a solo artist since "I'm Still Waiting" in 1971. It also earned her a British Phonographic Industry silver disc award for sales in excess of 250,000 copies. The single earned Ross her ninth career Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, losing to "Never Knew Love Like This Before" by Stephanie Mills at the 1981 Grammy Awards.

"Upside Down" is listed at No. 80 on Billboard's "Hot 100 60th Anniversary" (1958–2018).^[2]

Background and recording

The song was written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers (of the band Chic). In the lyrics, the singer admits her boyfriend is not faithful. But her relationship with him sends her "upside down... inside out and round and round."

In a 2011 interview, Nile Rodgers said "Diana Ross was the first big star we ever worked with and we took it very seriously." Rodgers and Edwards interviewed her for several days. "This was the first time in her life somebody cared about who she was; what she was — everyone previously had treated her the way we had treated Sister Sledge — they got her in and said 'Sing this'. We (took a more personal approach)."^[3]

King Charles III of the U.K., in a March 2025 program for Apple Music, called "Upside Down" by Diana Ross one of his favorites. "When I was much younger, it was absolutely impossible not to get up and dance when it was played!"^[4]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1980) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 3 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 5 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[9] 1 Denmark (IFPI)[10] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 1 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 3 France (IFOP)[13] 2 Ireland (IRMA)[14] 3 Italy (Germano Ruscitto)[15] 1 Italy (Musica e dischi)[16] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[20] 1 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[21] 1 Spain (AFYVE)[22] 15 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 1 UK Singles (OCC)[25] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[26] 1 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[27] 18 US Hot Disco Singles (Billboard)[26] 1 US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)[26] 1 US Cash Box Top 100[28] 1 US Record World Singles[29] 1 West Germany (GfK)[30] 3 Chart (1994) Peak position UK Club Chart (Music Week)[31] 55

Year-end charts Chart (1980) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[32][33] 15 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[34] 12 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[35] 52 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[36] 7 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[37] 17 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[38] 18 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[39] 11 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 4 US Billboard Hot 100[41] 18 US Cash Box Top 100[42] 4 West Germany (Official German Charts)[43] 44 All-time charts Chart (1958–2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100[2] 80

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[44]	Platinum	150,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[45]	Gold	45,000‡
France	—	300,000[46]
Italy (FIMI)[47] sales since 2009	Gold	50,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI)[48]	Gold	100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[49]	Gold	15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[50] Physical	Silver	250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[51] Digital	Platinum	600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[1]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Live performances

Ross performed the song live in 1981 during her television special Diana, with her labelmate Michael Jackson joining her onstage towards the end. In 1997, Ross performed the song live with English acid jazz and funk band Jamiroquai at the Brit Awards.^{[citation needed]}

In film, television and commercials

In 2013, the song was used in a Mercedes-Benz commercial featuring chickens being moved around while their heads remain stationary as an example of the car brand's "magic body control."^[52] It was also used by Jaguar Cars in a parody of the Mercedes-Benz commercial.^[53]

Influence and legacy

Female rap duo Salt-N-Pepa covered the song for the Space Jam soundtrack, which was released on November 12, 1996.^[54] Hip-hop rapper MC Lyte sampled "Upside Down" on her November 12, 1996, hit "Cold Rock a Party (Remix)", featuring Missy Elliott and Puff Daddy.^[55] Contemporary jazz/fusion group Pieces of a Dream covered the song on their 2001 album Acquainted with the Night.^[56] In 2003, Swedish band Alcazar interpolated the melody for their song "This Is the World We Live In", released in 2004.^[57]

Risquée version

"Upside Down"
Single by Risquée
B-side	"Enjoy Your Life"
Released	1999
Length	3:30
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Nile Rodgers Bernard Edwards
Producer(s)	Michael Vitoria Funky Be

In 1999, the music group Risquée covered the song. Their version peaked at No. 25 in France and at No. 76 in Germany.

Track listings

CD maxi^[58]

1. Upside Down (Single Cut) – 3:30
2. Upside Down (Club Version) – 4:32
3. Enjoy Your Life – 3:12
4. Enjoy Your Life (Long Version) – 4:56

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
France (SNEP)[58]	25
Germany (GfK)[59]	76

See also

• List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1980
• List of Billboard number-one dance singles of 1980
• List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1980
• List of European number-one hits of 1980
• List of number-one hits of 1980 (Italy)
• List of number-one singles from the 1980s (New Zealand)
• List of number-one singles and albums in Sweden
• List of number-one singles of the 1980s
• List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1980
• VG-lista 1964 to 1994