"And the Beat Goes On" is a 1979 single by the American music group The Whispers.[3] The song was their first of two number-one singles on the Soul chart, and their first Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 19.[4] "And the Beat Goes On" was the group's only number-one song on the dance chart.[5] It was also their first and biggest hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also peaked at number 27 on the Canadian RPM chart.
In 1996 after Phyllis Hyman died, the Whispers honored her with a musical: Thank God! The Beat Goes On. The fictionalized story intertwines the long-running career of the Whispers with the rise of Hyman, using songs by the Whispers including ones Hyman sang with them such as "The Beat Goes On". The Whispers played themselves while R&B singer Alyson Williams played the role of Hyman.[6]
In 1996, Lorenza released a dance club version of the song that reached number 87 in Germany.[23]
In 2024, the song was remixed with Celine Dion's 2002 single "I'm Alive" by Majestic and The Jammin Kid.[24][25] The single, titled "Set My Heart on Fire", debuted at number 6 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.[26]
^Ro, Ronin (1998). Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records. Quartet Books. p. 40. SOLAR (...), which grew out of an association between promoter Griffey and Soul Train host Don Cornelius, released a string of post-disco hits that included Shalamar's "The Second Time Around" and the Whispers' "And the Beat Goes On.
