# Genius of Love

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"**Genius of Love**" is a song by American [new wave](/source/New_wave_music) band [Tom Tom Club](/source/Tom_Tom_Club), released in September 1981 by [Sire](/source/Sire_Records) and [Warner Bros.](/source/Warner_Records) as the second single from their [eponymous debut studio album](/source/Tom_Tom_Club_(album)) (1981). The song is written by [Adrian Belew](/source/Adrian_Belew), [Chris Frantz](/source/Chris_Frantz), [Steven Stanley](/source/Steven_Stanley) and [Tina Weymouth](/source/Tina_Weymouth), and produced by the three latter. It reached number one on the US *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Disco Top 80](/source/Dance_Club_Songs) chart, and was performed by [Talking Heads](/source/Talking_Heads) (the group from which Tom Tom Club originated) in the 1984 concert film *[Stop Making Sense](/source/Stop_Making_Sense)*. "Genius of Love" was accompanied by a hand-drawn crayon and colored pencil animated music video. In 2022, *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)* ranked the song number 26 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".[9]

## Background

"Genius of Love" is credited to songwriters [Tina Weymouth](/source/Tina_Weymouth), [Chris Frantz](/source/Chris_Frantz), guitarist [Adrian Belew](/source/Adrian_Belew), and producer [Steven Stanley](/source/Steven_Stanley). According to Talking Heads biographer David Bowman, the song originated after Frantz "copped a beat from [Zapp](/source/Zapp_(band))'s 1980 hit '[More Bounce to the Ounce](/source/More_Bounce_to_the_Ounce)'." Belew created a rhythm guitar part, Stanley created the keyboard melody, and Weymouth later wrote the words.[10]

The lyrics also pay tribute to many notable black musicians and singers, including [George Clinton](/source/George_Clinton_(funk_musician)), [Bootsy Collins](/source/Bootsy_Collins), [Smokey Robinson](/source/Smokey_Robinson), [Bob Marley](/source/Bob_Marley), [Sly and Robbie](/source/Sly_and_Robbie), [Kurtis Blow](/source/Kurtis_Blow), [Hamilton Bohannon](/source/Hamilton_Bohannon), and [James Brown](/source/James_Brown).[11]

"Genius of Love" was designated as Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not been released in [North America](/source/North_America), over 100,000 copies of the single sold as imports from [Island Records](/source/Island_Records) UK, at which point [Sire Records](/source/Sire_Records) made a deal to release the single and the album in [North America](/source/North_America) in late 1981.

Frantz and Weymouth performed the song as Tom Tom Club in the 1984 [Talking Heads](/source/Talking_Heads) concert movie *[Stop Making Sense](/source/Stop_Making_Sense)*, as an interlude to allow Talking Heads frontman [David Byrne](/source/David_Byrne) to change into the "big suit" costume for the film's performance of "[Girlfriend Is Better](/source/Girlfriend_Is_Better)".[12] The recording of the song was also included on [the soundtrack to the film](/source/Stop_Making_Sense_(album)).

## Recording

Weymouth sings the primary lead on "Genius of Love", and Frantz plays drums and sings the song's later male vocals. Weymouth's sisters, Lani and Laura, feature on backing vocals. Adrian Belew is credited with guitar, [Tyrone Downie](/source/Tyrone_Downie) with synthesizers and [Uziah "Sticky" Thompson](/source/Uziah_Thompson) with percussion.

### Identity of bassist on studio version

Although Tina Weymouth was responsible for writing the bassline, and had intended to play it herself on the record, she was forced to pass this onto another musician. She later recounted, in a 1997 interview with *Bassplayer.com*:

"We were given extremely limited studio time – just three days – and when it was time to do that track my whole right arm seized up in a terrible cramp, and I couldn't play. I had never played in the studio around the clock like we were doing, so I didn't even know that could happen. I ended up waking the assistant engineer – he was asleep under the console – and I showed him the part, and he played it. Chris was mad, but I really couldn't play; my hand wouldn't even close. So we did what we had to do. These things happen."[13]

## Chart performance and music video

"Genius of Love" became a commercial success. Frantz credited the success of the single for convincing [David Byrne](/source/David_Byrne) to "soldier on with Talking Heads."[14] The official hand-drawn crayon and colored pencil animated music video for "Genius of Love" was produced by the band along with Cucumber Studios Ltd.[15]

On its release in November 1981, "Genius of Love" became a huge hit in clubs and on R&B and dance charts worldwide, soon earning the *Tom Tom Club* studio album a [Gold Sales Award](/source/Music_recording_certification) in 1982. In the US, the song reached No. 1 on the *Billboard* [Disco Top 80](/source/Dance_Club_Songs) chart along with "[Wordy Rappinghood](/source/Wordy_Rappinghood)", and also reached No. 2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It later went on to peak at No. 31 on the [*Billboard* Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) in April 1982,[16] becoming Tom Tom Club's only entry on the Hot 100.

"Genius of Love" reached No. 65 on the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart), while both of the other two singles released from the *Tom Tom Club* album achieved top 30 placings in the UK. The single also became a club success all around Europe, and peaked at number 28 in New Zealand, the first of three top 40 hits for the band there.

## Legacy

### Use as a sample

"Genius of Love" was one of the most [interpolated](/source/Interpolation_(popular_music)) [hooks](/source/Hook_(music)) of the 1980s,[17] and has continued to be one of the most popular beats within the [hip hop](/source/Hip_hop_music), [rap](/source/Rapping) and [R&B](/source/Contemporary_R%26B) genres, in particular.[18] Notable early versions include [Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde](/source/Dr._Jeckyll_%26_Mr._Hyde_(group))'s "Genius Rap" (1981) and [Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five](/source/Grandmaster_Flash_and_the_Furious_Five)'s "[It's Nasty](/source/The_Message_(Grandmaster_Flash_and_the_Furious_Five_album))" (1982).[18]

Perhaps the most well-known use of "Genius of Love" is heard on American singer [Mariah Carey](/source/Mariah_Carey)'s "[Fantasy](/source/Fantasy_(Mariah_Carey_song))", the lead single off her [multiplatinum](/source/Music_recording_certification) fifth studio album, *[Daydream](/source/Daydream_(Mariah_Carey_album))* ([Columbia](/source/Columbia_Records) 1995). The single was a major success, peaking at No. 1 on the *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) for eight consecutive weeks and remaining on the chart for 25 weeks. "Fantasy" has also been credited with exposing the Tom Tom Club and "Genius of Love" to newer and possibly younger listeners,[19] a point further solidified when the song was sampled over 25 years later by rapper [Latto](/source/Latto) on her single "[Big Energy](/source/Big_Energy)" (2021). Carey herself made a surprise appearance to perform the song with Latto, live, at the [2022 BET Awards](/source/BET_Awards_2022).[20]

### Accolades

In June 2020, *[Slant Magazine](/source/Slant_Magazine)* ranked "Genius of Love" number 70 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time".[21] In July 2022, *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)* ranked the song number 26 in their "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time" list.[9]

## Personnel

- [Tina Weymouth](/source/Tina_Weymouth) – vocals
- [Chris Frantz](/source/Chris_Frantz) – vocals, drum machine
- [Adrian Belew](/source/Adrian_Belew) – guitar
- [Tyrone Downie](/source/Tyrone_Downie) – synthesizers
- [Uziah "Sticky" Thompson](/source/Uziah_Thompson) – percussion
- Uncredited assistant engineer (either Kendal Stubbs or Benji Armbrister) – bass
- Laura Weymouth – backing vocals
- Lani Weymouth – backing vocals, spoken words

## Singles

- "Genius of Love" / "Lorelei" (Instrumental) UK, 1981 (7"/12")[22]
- "Genius of Love" / "Lorelei" (Instrumental) Netherlands, 1981 (7"/12")[22]
- "Genius of Love" / "Lorelei" (Instrumental) Germany, 1981 (7")[22]
- "Genius of Love" / "Lorelei" (Instrumental) United States, 1981 (7"/12")[22]

## Charts

Chart performance for "Genius of Love" Chart (1982) Peak position scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[23] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23] 2

## References

1. ["Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love"](http://www.45cat.com/record/wip6735) (in Latin). *45cat*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201114094318/http://www.45cat.com/record/wip6735) 2020-11-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-11-13.

1. Flick, Larry (August 26, 1995). ["Mariah And Janet Tear Up The Dancefloor"](https://books.google.com/books?id=wAsEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22post+disco%22&pg=PA26). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Vol. 107, no. 34. [Nielsen Business Media](/source/Nielsen_N.V.). p. 26. [ISSN 0006-2510](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0006-2510). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240413004004/https://books.google.com/books?id=wAsEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22post+disco%22&pg=PA26#v=snippet&q=%22post%20disco%22&f=false) April 13, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2020. The surprising twist is the use of instantly recognizable keyboard samples from the Tom Tom Club's post-disco classic "Genius Of Love."

1. ["#TBTXPN New Wave Day: Watch the Tom Tom Club live in concert"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190713015627/https://thekey.xpn.org/2016/07/07/tbtxpn-new-wave-day-watch-tom-tom-club-concert/). *The Key*. July 7, 2016. Archived from [the original](https://thekey.xpn.org/2016/07/07/tbtxpn-new-wave-day-watch-tom-tom-club-concert/) on July 13, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.

1. Breihan, Tom (April 4, 2022). ["The Number Ones: Mariah Carey's "Fantasy""](https://www.stereogum.com/2181534/the-number-ones-mariah-careys-fantasy/columns/the-number-ones/). *[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230224061130/https://www.stereogum.com/2181534/the-number-ones-mariah-careys-fantasy/columns/the-number-ones/) February 24, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 4, 2022.

1. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Talking Heads". *The New Rolling Stone Album Guide*. 4th ed. [Simon & Schuster](/source/Simon_%26_Schuster). pp. [802–03](https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/802). ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

1. Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). ["The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List"](https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/tom-tom-club-genius-of-love/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240413004500/https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/tom-tom-club-genius-of-love/) April 13, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2024. ...with an infectious groove that elevated the rollicking hit to a funky, feel-good masterpiece of the ’80s...The funky hit pays homage to a constellation of influential Black musicians...

1. ["Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love"](https://www.45cat.com/record/sre49882). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201120045003/http://www.45cat.com/record/sre49882) 2020-11-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-03-13.

1. ["Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love"](https://www.45cat.com/record/wip6735). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201114094318/http://www.45cat.com/record/wip6735) 2020-11-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-03-13.

1. Dolan, Jon; Lopez, Julyssa; Matos, Michaelangelo; Shaffer, Claire (July 22, 2022). ["200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time"](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/200-greatest-dance-songs-of-all-time-1372888). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. Retrieved April 6, 2025.

1. Bowman, David (2001). *This Must Be the Place: Adventures of the Talking Heads in the Twentieth Century*. e-book ed. [HarperCollins](/source/HarperCollins). ISBN 978-0-06-195597-6.

1. Bowman, David (2001). [*This Must Be the Place: The Adventures of Talking Heads in the 20th Century*](https://archive.org/details/thismustbeplace00davi). New York: HarperCollins. pp. [215–216](https://archive.org/details/thismustbeplace00davi/page/215). ISBN 978-0-380-97846-5.

1. Grow, Kory (August 1, 2014). ["Talking Heads on 'Stop Making Sense': 'We Didn't Want Any Bulls–t'"](https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/talking-heads-on-stop-making-sense-we-didnt-want-any-bulls-t-231875/). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220328184529/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/talking-heads-on-stop-making-sense-we-didnt-want-any-bulls-t-231875/) March 28, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 8, 2019.

1. ['Tina Talks Heads, Tom Toms, and How to Succeed at Bass Without Really Trying'](https://web.archive.org/web/20081206031839/http://www.bassplayer.com/article/tina-weymouth/mar-97/5958) - article by Gregory Isola in *Bassplayer.com*, March 1997 (hosted on webarchive.com)

1. *[The Pitchfork 500](/source/The_Pitchfork_500)*. New York City: [Simon & Schuster](/source/Simon_%26_Schuster). November 2008. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-4165-6202-3.

1. Hayward, Philip (ed.) (1990). ["Industrial Light and Magic: Style, Technology and Special Effects in the Music Video and Music Television"](https://books.google.com/books?id=yLq3rM2at3cC&dq=%22Genius%20of%20Love%22%20%22music%20video%22%20-wikipedia&pg=PA132). *Culture, Technology & Creativity in the Late Twentieth Century*. London: John Libbey & Company Ltd. p. 132. ISBN 0-86196-266-4. Retrieved April 25, 2020.

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). *The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits*. 8th ed. Los Angeles, California: Billboard Books. p. 110. ISBN 978-0823085545.

1. Vincent, Rickey (2004). ["Hip-Hop and Black Noise: Raising Hell"](https://books.google.com/books?id=K4yDAOL07ugC&pg=PA559). *That's the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader*. London, England: [Routledge](/source/Routledge). p. 559. ISBN 0-203-64219-8.

1. ["Songs that Sampled Genius of Love by Tom Tom Club"](https://www.whosampled.com/Tom-Tom-Club/Genius-of-Love/sampled/). *WhoSampled.com*. Retrieved 23 April 2024.

1. ["Mariah Carey | Biography, Music & News | Billboard"](https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hsi/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved 23 April 2024.

1. Edel, Victoria (26 June 2022). ["Mariah Carey Makes a Surprise Appearance During Latto's BET Awards Performance"](https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/mariah-carey-latto-bet-awards-2022-performance-video-48867959). *[PopSugar](/source/PopSugar)*

1. Slant Staff (15 June 2020). ["The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time"](https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/100-greatest-dance-songs/). *[Slant Magazine](/source/Slant_Magazine)*. Retrieved 10 April 2025.

1. *[Discografia - Sítio Oficial](http://www.tomtomclub.net/discography/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070307115050/http://www.tomtomclub.net/discography/) 2007-03-07 at the Wayback Machine*

1. ["Tom Tom Club Awards"](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tom-tom-club-mn0000611929/awards). *[Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)*. [Rovi Corporation](/source/Rovi_Corporation). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120904101044/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tom-tom-club-mn0000611929/awards) September 4, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 21, 2013.

## External links

- [Official Discography](https://web.archive.org/web/20070307115050/http://www.tomtomclub.net/discography/) by [Tom Tom Club](/source/Tom_Tom_Club)
- [ "Genius of Love"] at [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)
- ["Genius of Love"](https://www.whosampled.com/Tom-Tom-Club/Genius-of-Love/) at [WhoSampled](/source/WhoSampled)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Genius of Love](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius_of_Love) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius_of_Love?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.