What Exactly is a Neutron Dance?


If you owned a radio in 1984, there were certain musical acts that you couldn't go 5 minutes without hearing. You know what we're talking about: Those long-lasting, uber-popular groups that released track after track of radio friendly goodness that seemed to remain in heavy rotation for half the decade. Think Duran Duran, Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. One act that fell squarely into this esteemed group of 80's icons was the Pointer Sisters--and one song that kept them there was the oddly-titled "Neutron Dance."

You remember it: the thumping 80's synth lead-in, the infectious early-80's dance beat and the title that didn't make a lick of sense. In 1983, the talented sisters Pointer released a massive hit album by the name of "Break Out." In the years leading up to its release, they were already heavy hitters, scoring six convincing top ten hits on both the pop and R&B charts--a feat many acts would have been happy to settle with. However, "Break Out" lived up to its name and propelled the sisters into the stratosphere of Pop, R&B, Dance and--surprisingly--New Wave stardom. "Break Out" showed just how savvy the Pointer Sisters were: it embraced the synthesizer craze of the times, while still maintaining a legitimate soulful groove in each song. This made the album major crossover material, and that foresight paid off.


The album stayed on the Billboard charts for over a year, and it spawned 4 top ten singles, including "I'm so Excited," "Automatic," "Jump (For My Love)." and last, but not least, "Neutron Dance." Well, almost. Truth be told, "Neutron Dance" didn't reach said heights based on its appearance on "Break Out." Instead, the song was rocketed into radio history when it was included on the multi-platinum soundtrack for the classic 80s film, "Beverly Hills Cop" at the end of 1984. Coupled with such pop magnates as Shalamar and Patti Labelle, the Pointer Sisters' "Neutron Dance" helped make "Beverly Hills Cop" one of the few soundtrack albums at the time to reach number one on the pop charts. On it's own, "Dance" reached number 6 on the pop charts.

Of course, no one really knew what the hell "Neutron Dance" meant. A nuetron is an electrically neutral sub-atomic particle which, when coupled with protons, makes up the entire mass of an atomic nuclei. So, what are we talking here? Are we to assume the song is about a happenin' dance devoted to neutrality? An homage to the forgotten sub atomic particle? A companion peice to a song about Protons? Our guess is none of the above--and honestly, no one really cared.

Between 1984 and 1985, not one soul jumping to the rockin' beat of "Neutron Dance" wondered what the significance of the title was, and they never wanted to find out. To be honest, that's actually part of the charm of the song: it's odd scientific reference lent itself to images of neon glows, kitchsy technology, and loose aural associations to "nuclear": all things that were indicative of the 1980s. Maybe the Pointer Sisters were smarter than we thought?

Nowadays, this classic pop gem is relegated to flashback TV programs, food commercials and club remixes. Sure, it may be a little bit of a punchline today, but way back in 1985, it was anything but. Whether you want to admit it or not, when this song came on, you were more than likely dancing and/or singing along with it. Of course, this was before the days when you were obligated to listen to "important" music that "meant something." What neanderthals we were in the 80s, right? Whatever.

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