ABC_(Jackson_5_song)
ABC (The Jackson 5 song)
1970 single by The Jackson 5
"ABC" is a song by the Jackson 5. It was released as a single in 1970. The song knocked the Beatles' "Let It Be" off the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970, and was No. 1 on the soul singles chart for four weeks. It is the title track to the group's second album and sold 2 million copies within the first week of its release in the US.[4][5]
Cash Box said "Having whetted the world’s appetite with "I Want You Back” the Jackson 5 makes it back with another dynamite side cast in the image of its million seller. Searing vocals and the familiar drive of the Motown supporting cast assure another giant here."[6] Billboard said "This pulsating swinger has all the sales and chart potential of the initial entry ['I Want You Back']."[7] Record World said the song proved that "the Jackson 5 are Motown's newest supergroup."[8]
"ABC" was performed on television on American Bandstand (February 21, 1970), The Ed Sullivan Show (May 10, 1970), and The Flip Wilson Show (November 4, 1971), among many other broadcasts.[9] The upbeat lyrics compare learning to love to learning the alphabet.
It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1971. 50 Cent told NME that the song was the first he remembered hearing: "I've always loved MJ, so I guess it was probably a good place to start music: right here, with the ABCs."[10] On November 7, 2016, the Grammy Hall of Fame announced its induction, along with that of another 24 songs.[11]