What 's up ? ( song ) - wikipedia What 's up ? ( song ) `` What 's Up ? '' Single by 4 Non Blondes from the album Bigger, Better, Faster, More ! B - side `` Piano version '' Released June 23, 1993 Format 7 '' single CD single CD kys cassette Recorded Genre Pop rock alternative rock Length 4 : 55 ( Album version ) 4 : 15 ( Single edit ) Label Interscope Songwriter ( s ) Linda Perry Producer ( s ) David Tickle 4 Non Blondes singles chronology `` Dear Mr. President '' ( 1992 ) `` What 's Up ? '' ( 1993 ) `` Spaceman '' ( 1993 ) `` Dear Mr. President '' ( 1992 ) `` What 's Up ? '' ( 1993 ) `` Spaceman '' ( 1993 ) Audio sample 4 Non Blondes -- `` What 's Up ? '' file help Music video `` What 's Up ? '' on YouTube `` What 's Up ? '' is a song by American rock group 4 Non Blondes from their 1992 debut album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More !. It was released as the album 's second single in 1993. It was successful in the United States and in several European countries, peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. Contents 1 Background and writing 2 Critical reception and chart performances 3 Track listings 4 Personnel 5 Charts and sales 5.1 Weekly charts 5.2 Year - end charts 5.3 Certifications 5.4 Chart successions 6 Minnesota cover version 7 Live cover performances 8 In popular culture 9 References 10 External links Background and writing The title does not appear in the song 's lyrics. However, the phrase `` what 's going on ? '' is prominently included in the chorus. The title was chosen to avoid confusion with Marvin Gaye 's 1971 song `` What 's Going On ''. Linda Perry told Rolling Stone that she hated the song 's production. Perry revealed on Behind the Music that she hated David Tickle 's reworked version ( with different lyrics ) intended to be used for their album. She had told this to Jimmy Iovine, who agreed, preferring Perry 's demo version over Tickle 's. Tickle 's instrumental ( over the original vocals ) could be heard on Perry 's episode of Behind the Music ; Tickle 's version was never released. The final version was recorded in one day after Iovine allowed 4 Non Blondes to re-record Perry 's demo version. The music video was directed by Morgan Lawley. Critical reception and Chart performances `` What 's Up ? '' ranks number 94 on VH1 's 100 Greatest One - Hit Wonders, and ranks 86 on the MuchMore The Top 100 One Hit Wonders. The recording received considerable airplay success. It reached number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and went gold, but peaked higher in many other countries, reaching number one in Germany and Ireland, while reaching number two in the United Kingdom and Australia. However, Gawker journalist Brian Moylan included the track in an unranked list of the `` 10 Party Songs We Never Ever Want to Hear Again ''. Track listings 7 '' single / CD single `` What 's Up ? '' -- 4 : 16 `` What 's Up ? '' ( piano version ) -- 4 : 09 CD maxi `` What 's Up ? '' -- 4 : 16 `` What 's Up ? '' ( remix ) -- 4 : 51 `` Train '' -- 3 : 47 `` What 's Up ? '' ( piano version ) -- 4 : 09 Cassette `` What 's Up ? '' ( LP version ) `` Train '' ( LP version ) `` What 's Up ? '' ( LP version ) `` Train '' ( LP version ) Personnel Written by L. Perry Mastered by Stephen Marcussen Recorded, mixed and produced by David Tickle Engineer : Laurent Tardy Charts and sales Weekly charts Chart ( 1993 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA ) Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 33 Denmark ( IFPI ) Europe ( Eurochart Hot 100 ) Finland ( The Official Finnish Charts ) 15 France ( SNEP ) Germany ( Official German Charts ) Iceland ( Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 ) Ireland ( IRMA ) Italy ( FIMI ) Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) Netherlands ( GfK Dutch Chart ) New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) Norway ( VG - lista ) Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 14 US Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) 29 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) 16 US Mainstream Top 40 ( Billboard ) 15 Year - end charts Chart ( 1993 ) Position Australian Singles Chart 7 Austrian Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 10 Swiss Singles Chart 5 US Billboard Hot 100 50 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Australia ( ARIA ) Platinum 70,000 Austria ( IFPI Austria ) Platinum 50,000 Germany ( BVMI ) 2 × Platinum 1,000,000 Italy ( FIMI ) Gold 25,000 Netherlands ( NVPI ) Platinum 75,000 Sweden ( GLF ) Gold 25,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Silver 200,000 United States ( RIAA ) Gold 700,000 shipments figures based on certification alone sales + streaming figures based on certification alone Chart successions Preceded by `` What Is Love '' by Haddaway Irish IRMA number - one single July 18 -- August 15, 1993 ( 5 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Living on My Own '' by Freddie Mercury Preceded by `` Mr. Vain '' by Culture Beat Norwegian VG - lista number - one single 32 / 1993 -- 42 / 1993 ( 11 weeks ) Preceded by `` Mr. Vain '' by Culture Beat Dutch Top 40 number - one single August 7 -- October 9, 1993 ( 10 weeks ) Succeeded by `` It Keeps Rainin ' ( Tears from My Eyes ) '' by Bitty McLean Preceded by `` ( I Ca n't Help ) Falling in Love with You '' by UB40 Swedish number - one single August 11 -- September 15, 1993 ( 4 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Life '' by Haddaway Preceded by `` ( I Ca n't Help ) Falling in Love with You '' by UB40 `` Life '' by Haddaway Eurochart Hot 100 number - one single August 14 -- 21, 1993 ( 2 weeks ) October 16, 1993 ( 1 - week ) Succeeded by `` Mr. Vain '' by Culture Beat `` Living on My Own '' by Freddie Mercury Preceded by `` Mr. Vain '' by Culture Beat Swiss number - one single August 15 -- November 14, 1993 ( 14 weeks ) Succeeded by `` I 'd Do Anything for Love ( But I Wo n't Do That ) '' by Meat Loaf Preceded by `` ( I Ca n't Help ) Falling in Love with You '' by UB40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 number - one single August 15, 1993 -- November 7, 1993 ( 13 weeks ) Preceded by `` Mr. Vain '' by Culture Beat German number - one single August 20 -- October 22, 1993 ( 10 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Go West '' by Pet Shop Boys Minnesota cover version German eurodance group Minnesota covered the song as a dance version in late 1993. It reached number one on the dance chart in Canada and charted in Belgium and Switzerland. Chart ( 1993 -- 1994 ) Peak position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 21 Canada Dance / Urban ( RPM ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 22 Live cover performances Pink covered the song on her Party Tour, on select European dates of her Try This Tour, and on her I 'm Not Dead Tour. She performed it on select dates of The Funhouse Summer Carnival as well. Lady Gaga covered the song on the November 2nd 2014 show of her artRAVE : The ARTPOP Ball tour, in Vienna, Austria. Professional footage of the performance was soon after uploaded to her official YouTube channel She also performed it during her acceptance speech at the Songwriter Hall of Fame. In popular culture This article appears to contain trivial, minor, or unrelated references to popular culture. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject 's impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances ; add references to reliable sources if possible. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2017 ) In 2005, a group of animators known as `` Slackcircus '' created a video called `` Fabulous Secret Powers '', featuring He - Man from Masters of the Universe singing their own cover of the song ( and interpolating lyrics from Melissa Manchester 's `` Do n't Cry Out Loud '' ). The video has since become an internet meme, with an edited version of the animation ( HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA ) garnering over 133 million views on YouTube as of March 2018. The song appeared in the 2011 film Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron. In 2011, Ariana Grande sampled the song in her debut single, Put Your Hearts Up. The song appeared in the fourth episode, `` What 's Going On ? '', of the Netflix Original series Sense8. The song also appears in the 5th episode of the second season, `` Fear Never Fixed Anything '' as a remix performed by Riley. Since its feature on the show, the song has become an anthem for the fandom and is often sung by the fans to welcome the cast and crew of the show. A master recording version of the song was used in Rock Band 4. A version of the song, sung in Spanish, appeared in the final episode of season one of the television series Zoo. In Brazil, the song was included in the international soundtrack of Olho no Olho telenovela ( Rede Globo ). Again it was part of a Rede Globo telenovela, titled A Lei do Amor ( 2016 ). In the Brooklyn Nine - Nine episode `` Hostage Situation '', Jake Peralta and Doug Judy ( portrayed by Andy Samberg and Craig Robinson respectively ) sing the song at a karaoke club. References Jump up ^ `` Linda Perry interview ''. Guitar Center. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2012. Jump up ^ `` '' What 's Up ? '' entry ``. Songfacts.com. 1989 - 10 - 17. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ Greene, Andy ( 2011 - 03 - 30 ). `` Linda Perry Forms New Band, Admits She Never Liked 4 Non Blondes ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Watch Music Videos, Artist Playlists MTV Asia ''. Mtvmusic.my. 1993 - 01 - 12. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ VH1 's `` 100 Greatest One - Hit Wonders '' Archived November 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` The Top 100 One Hit Wonders ''. MuchMore. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 22. Jump up ^ Moylan, Brian ( 14 July 2010 ). `` 10 Party Songs We Never Ever Want to Hear Again ''. Gawker. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Australian-charts.com -- What 's Up ? -- 4 Non Blondes ''. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- What 's Up ? -- 4 Non Blondes '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- What 's Up ? -- 4 Non Blondes '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` Canadian peak ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Top 10 Denmark '' ( PDF ). Music & Media. Retrieved 2018 - 02 - 26. Jump up ^ Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin : levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Otava Publishing Company Ltd, 2003. ISBN 951 - 1 - 21053 - X Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- What 's Up ? -- 4 Non Blondes '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Jump up ^ `` Musicline.de -- What 's Up ? Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Jump up ^ `` Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 ( 05.08. 1993 - 11.08. 1993 ) '' ( PDF ). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 2018 - 02 - 04. Jump up ^ Irish Singles Chart. Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved April 7, 2009. Chart ca n't be linked directly ; you must search for What 's Up ? or 4 Non Blondes. Jump up ^ `` Hit Parade Italia '' ( in Italian ). Retrieved April 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- What 's Up ? '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Jump up ^ `` What 's up ? in GfK Dutch Chart ''. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- What 's Up ? -- 4 Non Blondes ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- What 's Up ? -- 4 Non Blondes ''. VG - lista. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- What 's Up ? -- 4 Non Blondes ''. Singles Top 100. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- What 's Up ? -- 4 Non Blondes ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` 4 Non Blondes : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 4 Non Blondes Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 4 Non Blondes Chart History ( Alternative Songs ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 4 Non Blondes Chart History ( Mainstream Rock ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 4 Non Blondes Chart History ( Pop Songs ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 1993 Australian Singles Chart ''. aria. Retrieved April 15, 2010. Jump up ^ `` 1993 Austrian Singles Chart '' ( in German ). Austriancharts. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Single top 100 over 1993 '' ( PDF ) ( in Dutch ). Top40. Retrieved April 15, 2010. Jump up ^ `` End of Year Charts 1993 ''. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 1993 Swiss Singles Chart '' ( in German ). Swisscharts. Retrieved April 15, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Billboard Top 100 -- 1993 ''. Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved August 27, 2010. Jump up ^ `` The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart -- Week Ending 13 Feb 1994 ''. ARIA. Retrieved 27 February 2016. Jump up ^ Austrian certifications. ifpi.at Archived May 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine... Retrieved April 4, 2009. Chart ca n't be linked directly ; you must search for What 's Up or 4 Non Blondes. Jump up ^ `` Gold - / Platin - Datenbank ( ' What 's Up ' ) '' ( in German ). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 4, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Italian single certifications -- 4 Non Blondes -- What 's Up ? '' ( in Italian ). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 12 January 2015. Jump up ^ Dutch certifications. nvpi.nl. Retrieved April 4, 2009. Archived February 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Swedish certifications Archived May 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine... Ifpi.se. Retrieved April 4, 2009. Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- 4 Non Blondes -- What 's Up ? ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Enter What 's Up ? in the search field and then press Enter. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- 4 Non Blondes -- What 's Up ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ `` Best - Selling Records of 1993 ''. Billboard. BPI Communications. 106 ( 3 ) : 73. 15 January 1994. ISSN 0006 - 2510. Retrieved 4 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- What 's Up -- Dance Version -- Minnesota '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Dance / Urban : Issue 2452. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- What 's Up -- Dance Version -- Minnesota ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` Lady Gaga - `` What 's Up '' 4 Non Blondes Live Cover at # artRaveVienna ``. YouTube. 2014 - 11 - 02. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Prince Adams ' Fabulous Secret Journal ''. Archived from the original on 2013 - 05 - 20. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Prince Adam in `` Fabulous Secret Powers '' ``. Archived from the original on 2013 - 09 - 18. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 07. Jump up ^ `` HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA ''. Youtube.com. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Young Adult ( 2011 ) : Soundtracks ''. IMDb.com. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 18. Jump up ^ http://www.whosampled.com/Ariana-Grande/Put-Your-Hearts-Up/ Jump up ^ What to Stream Now. `` Sense8 Episodes 4 -- 6 Recap : Let 's Have an Orgy ! ''. Vulture. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Rock Band 4 Setlist ''. RockBandAide. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Zoo Music - S1E13 : `` That Great Big Hill... '' ``. TuneFind. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 12. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics 4 Non Blondes Linda Perry Christa Hillhouse Shaunna Hall Wanda Day Dawn Richardson Cara Crash Louis Metoyer Roger Rocha Studio albums Bigger, Better, Faster, More ! Singles `` What 's Up ? '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=What%27s_Up%3F_(song)&oldid=840548779 '' Categories : 1993 singles 4 Non Blondes songs Number - one singles in Austria Number - one dance singles in Canada Number - one singles in Denmark European Hot 100 Singles number - one singles Number - one singles in Germany Irish Singles Chart number - one singles Dutch Top 40 number - one singles Single Top 100 number - one singles Number - one singles in Norway Number - one singles in Sweden Number - one singles in Switzerland Songs written by Linda Perry Rock ballads Internet memes Interscope Records singles 1992 songs Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) Use mdy dates from October 2012 Articles with hAudio microformats Audio sample to be checked Singlechart usages for Australia Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Germany Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for Swiss Singlechart usages for UKsinglesbyname Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardalternativesongs Singlechart usages for Billboardmainstreamrock Singlechart usages for Billboardpopsongs Certification Table Entry usages for Australia Certification Table Entry usages for Austria Certification Table Entry usages for Germany Certification Table Entry usages for Italy Certification Table Entry usages for Netherlands Certification Table Entry usages for Sweden Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Singlechart usages for Canadadance Singlechart called without artist Articles with trivia sections from June 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Euskara فارسی Français Հայերեն Italiano Português Svenska Türkçe Tiếng Việt 3 more Edit links This page was last edited on 10 May 2018, at 16 : 22. 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Question: who wrote what's up 4 non blondes
Answer: Linda Perry