Peak UK Chart Position: #1 in February 1991.

Taken from the album “The Simpsons Sing The Blues”, with backing vocals by Michael Jackson, “Do The Bartman” topped the charts on this day in 1991. It was produced and written by American recording artist Bryan Loren. Even though it received a lot of radio airplay in the United States, it was never officially released as a single there. It also topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway.

Jackson was a fan of The Simpsons, especially Bart, and had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a Number one single and do a guest spot on the show, which is how “Do The Bartman” came about. Jackson eventually guest-starred in the episode “Stark Raving Dad” (season three, 1991) under the pseudonym John Jay Smith. He also wrote a song for that episode called “Happy Birthday Lisa”, which was later included in the album “Songs in the Key of Springfield.” Bryan Loren has stated that Jackson had provided background vocals for “Do the Bartman”

The song spent three weeks at number one, hitting the top on its fourth week in the top forty, replacing KLF’s “3am Eternal” as the UK’s number one. It sold over 400,000 copies, making it the seventh best seller of 1991. Other chart news from this day 26 years ago, on a show hosted by Tommy Vance (sitting in for Mark Goodier): 808 State had the highest new entry with “In Yer Face” at 16, and the highest climber was “All Right Now” by Free, reissued and remixed – every so slightly – by Bob Clearmountain, up 22 places to number 17.

(Vimeo, unusually, for this one, as it clearly isn’t permitted on Youtube…)