"Strike It Up" is a song by the Italian music groupBlack Box. It was the fifth single from their debut studio album Dreamland, and was released on 6 February 1991 in many countries worldwide. The single was a success on many charts, including the BillboardHot 100 in the United States, where it peaked at number eight. It also topped the Dance Club Songs chart in June 1991 for one week. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. "Strike It Up" also was a top-10 hit in Denmark, Greece, Ireland and the Netherlands. And on the Eurochart Hot 100, the track reached number 38. In 2020, Slant Magazine ranked the song at number 35 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time".
Critical reception
from Billboard wrote, "Not even the litigation alleging Martha Wash is the actual singer of group's hits can cool interest in this Italo-house act. Busy rave bears marks similar to previous hits, with a cute rap adding a street vibe." In 2017, BuzzFeed listed the song at number 57 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". The Daily Vault's Michael R. Smith wrote in his review of Dreamland that "Strike It Up" and "Everybody Everybody" "are definitely the best ofthe album. These are gay disco anthems that still resonate today, even though the words aren't always easy to comprehend." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that "their first international hit, "Everybody Everybody", crept up and took everybody by surprise. Back in the batter's box with a dynamic Dance entry featuring the exceptional vocals of Martha Wash, they jump 24-15 at HOT 97 New York where APD/MD Kevin McCabe proclaims it, "one of our secret weapon records." Marc Andrews from Smash Hits described the song as "pure disco magic".
The song features an un-credited Martha Wash on lead vocals. However, Wash was not featured in the music video or singles cover art as it was customary for Katrin Quinol, a French model, to be used as the 'face' of the group, and it was her that was featured lip-synching the lyrics sung by Wash. In 1990, after suing over false advertising, Wash reached an out-of-court settlement with Black Box record label RCA, with financial compensation and a guarantee of proper credit in the future.
Impact and legacy
In 2020, Slant Magazine ranked the song at number 35 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time". They added that "it can be guiltlessly admitted that "Strike It Up" is a masterpiece, and it's hard to imagine anyone else's voice rising above the song's battalion of piano house, synth stabs, and, yes, one gigantic 4/4 beat."
