U Ca n't Touch This - wikipedia U Ca n't Touch This `` Hammer Time '' and `` Ca n't Touch This '' redirect here. For the reality TV show, see Hammertime. For the game show, see Ca n't Touch This ( game show ). `` U Ca n't Touch This '' Single by MC Hammer from the album Please Hammer, Do n't Hurt ' Em B - side `` Dancin ' Machine '' Released January 13, 1990 Format 12 '' vinyl 7 '' vinyl CD single cassette Recorded Genre Hip hop pop - rap Length 4 : 16 Label Capitol ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Stanley Burrell Rick James Alonzo Miller Producer ( s ) MC Hammer MC Hammer singles chronology `` They Put Me in the Mix '' ( 1989 ) `` U Ca n't Touch This '' ( 1990 ) `` Have You Seen Her '' ( 1990 ) Music video `` U Ca n't Touch This '' on YouTube `` U Ca n't Touch This '' is a song co-written, produced and performed by MC Hammer from his 1990 album Please Hammer, Do n't Hurt ' Em. The track is considered to be Hammer 's signature song and is his most successful single. Along with Hammer, Rick James shares songwriting credits with Alonzo Miller because the song samples the prominent opening riff of `` Super Freak ''. The song has been used or referenced in multiple television shows, films, commercials and other forms of media. It has also received numerous awards and recognitions. The song is notable as the winner of the Best R&B Song and a Best Rap Solo Performance and the first rap song to be nominated for Record of the Year at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards in 1991 as well as the Best Rap Video and Best Dance Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards. It peaked at No. 1 in the Billboard Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Singles & Tracks and on the charts in several countries. Contents 1 Production 2 Impact on album sales 3 Music video 4 Reception and legacy 5 Charts and certifications 5.1 Weekly charts 5.2 Year - end charts 5.3 Certifications and sales 6 Parodies 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Production The song samples the prominent opening riff of the Rick James song `` Super Freak '', which is repeated throughout the recording. The lyrics describe Hammer as having `` toured around the world, from London to the Bay '' and as being `` magic on the mic '', which Hammer says coincides with James ' `` beat that you ca n't touch ''. Additionally, the song lyrics `` You ca n't touch this '' and `` Stop ! Hammer time ! '' became pop culture catchphrases. Hammertime was later used as the title of a reality show starring Hammer on the A&E Network in the summer of 2009. The sample of `` Super Freak '' that forms the basis of the song led Rick James and other performers on the original record to file a lawsuit for infringement of copyright. The suit was settled out of court when Hammer agreed to credit James as a songwriter, effectively granting James millions of dollars in royalties. The song was first performed publicly on a late 1989 episode of The Arsenio Hall Show. Impact on album sales Because the song was not initially released as a single, listeners had to purchase the album, which as a result, went on to sell more than 18 million copies, gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, as well as in other countries. Music Video Directed by Rupert Wainwright, a music video was produced to promote the single, showing Hammer doing some of his signature dances, such as `` The Running Man '' and the `` Hammer Dance ''. Reception and legacy See also : MC Hammer discography § Accolades Listen to this article ( info / dl ) This audio file was created from a revision of the article `` U Ca n't Touch This '' dated 2006 - 12 - 04, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ( Audio help ) More spoken articles In April 1990 `` U Ca n't Touch This '' hit the Top 40. The song also secured a Best R&B Song and a Best Rap Solo Performance in 1991, a new category at the time and the first rap song to be nominated for Record of the Year. The single was a major success, reaching # 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Singles & Tracks and no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track also performed successfully in other parts of the world, peaking at no. 1 in Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden, and no. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. In September 1990, the video for `` U Ca n't Touch This '' won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video and Best Dance Video and was nominated for Best Male Video, Best Editing, and Best Choreography. In 1991, Kids Incorporated covered `` U Ca n't Touch This '' in the Season 7 episode `` Pipe Dreams ''. In 1999, MTV 's 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made included `` U Ca n't Touch This '' at No. 71. In October 2000, VH1 's `` 100 Greatest Dance Songs '' included `` U Ca n't Touch This '' at No. 88. In May 2001, VH1 's 100 Greatest Videos included `` U Ca n't Touch This '' at No. 59. In August 2005, `` U Ca n't Touch This '' was certified gold. In December 2007, VH1 's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s included the song at No. 16. During 2008, the song ranked as No. 26 on VH1 's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. The song is used comically in various films of the 2000s and 2010s such as Bubble Boy, Charlie 's Angels : Full Throttle, Kung Pow ! Enter the Fist, Shark Tale, White Chicks, Racing Stripes, Transformers : Age of Extinction and Transformers : The Last Knight, among others. Charts and certifications Weekly charts Chart ( 1990 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA ) Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 5 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Canada Dance / Urban ( RPM ) Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 8 Denmark ( IFPI ) Europe ( Eurochart Hot 100 ) Finland ( Suomen virallinen lista ) France ( SNEP ) 17 Germany ( Official German Charts ) Ireland ( IRMA ) Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) Norway ( VG - lista ) 6 Spain ( AFYVE ) Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 8 US Billboard Hot Black Singles US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 6 US Billboard Hot Dance Music / Maxi - Singles Sales US Billboard Hot Rap Singles US Cash Box Year - end charts Chart ( 1990 ) Position Australia ( ARIA ) Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 29 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 6 Canada Dance / Urban ( RPM ) Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 70 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 6 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 15 US Billboard Hot 100 55 US Cash Box 39 Certifications and sales Region Certification Certified units / Sales Australia ( ARIA ) 2 × Platinum 140,000 Canada ( Music Canada ) Gold 50,000 Germany ( BVMI ) Gold 250,000 Sweden ( GLF ) Gold 25,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Silver 200,000 United States ( RIAA ) Gold 500,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Parodies In 1991, a parody entitled `` I Ca n't Watch This '' was released by `` Weird Al '' Yankovic for his album Off the Deep End, with lyrics complaining about bad TV shows overlaid on the song 's music track and featuring samples of various commercials during the breakdowns. A groove metal cover of the song was performed by the Austrian NDH band Stahlhammer, infused with death growls and heavy guitar riffs. Before the 1990 NFL season started, the Miami Dolphins parodied the song as `` U Ca n't Touch Us ''. Peter Griffin parodies this song as `` Ca n't Touch Me '' in the Family Guy episode, `` E. Peterbus Unum '', giving examples of flaunting his diplomatic immunity, including telling MC Hammer that he can not sue for plagiarism and walking on the grass. Grup Vitamin, Turkish parody group, parodies this song as `` Dokundur '' in `` Bol Vitamin '' album in 1990 and as `` Sürtündürt '' in `` Grup Vitamin '' one in 1991. The TV sitcom Mrs. Brown 's Boys performed `` U Ca n't Touch This '' as a dance routine at the end of the 2015 Christmas episode. It is also played by Agnes Brown 's Christmas tree, that punches anyone who gets too close ; the tree says the opening `` U Ca n't Touch This ! '', then boxing gloves extend, punching the would - be thief. The Annoying Orange parodies the song as `` Ca n't Squash This ''. The theme song for the British children comedy talk TV show Hacker Time is a parody of the song, but the lyrics ended with `` Sorted Hacker Time ''. The YouTube channel `` How It Should Have Ended '' created a parody, titled `` Not Worthy '', featuring various clips of Thor within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. See also Jingle Bells / U Ca n't Touch This -- Crazy Frog cover List of number - one singles in Australia during the 1990s List of number - one singles from the 1990s ( New Zealand ) List of Dutch Top 40 number - one singles of 1990 List of European number - one hits of 1990 List of number - one R&B singles of 1990 ( U.S. ) List of number - one singles and albums in Sweden List of RPM number - one dance singles of 1990 References ^ Jump up to : Pastorek, Whitney ( January 11, 2010 ). `` 20 Years Ago : MC Hammer drops ' U Ca n't Touch This ' ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Pemberton, Pat ( June 14, 2012 ). `` U Ca n't Touch This ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 26, 2017. Jump up ^ Magill, Frank N. ( 1998 ). Chronology of Twentieth - century History : Arts and Culture. Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 1822. ISBN 978 - 1 - 88496 - 466 - 4. Jump up ^ `` Hammertime -- A&E TV ''. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009... Hammertime. Jump up ^ `` MC Hammer ''. Answers.com. Retrieved October 22, 2010. Jump up ^ Rant, Screen ( March 4, 2006 ). `` MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ( Live @ Arsenio Hall ) ''. Metacafe. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ Huey, Steve. `` MC Hammer -- Please Hammer, Do n't Hurt ' Em ''. AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 30, 2014. Jump up ^ `` MC Hammer - U Ca n't Touch This ''. EMI Music. YouTube. Retrieved June 17, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Please Hammer, Do n't Hurt ' Em -- Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ Ali, Rahsheeda. `` The 100 Greatest Songs Of the ' 90s ''. VH1. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Australian-charts.com -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ''. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Dance / Urban : Issue 7958. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 1272. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 3 Singles in Europe '' ( PDF ). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 39. September 29, 1990. p. VII. Retrieved March 23, 2018. Jump up ^ `` MusicSeek.info -- UK, Eurochart, Billboard & Cashbox No. 1 Hits ''. MusicSeek.info. Archived from the original on June 14, 2006. Jump up ^ Pennanen, Timo ( 2006 ). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 ( in Finnish ) ( 1st ed. ). Helsinki : Tammi. ISBN 978 - 951 - 1 - 21053 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Offiziellecharts.de -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- U Cant Touch This ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- MC Hammer - U Can t Touch This '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Charts.nz -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ''. VG - lista. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ Salaverri, Fernando ( September 2005 ). Sólo éxitos : año a año, 1959 -- 2002 ( in Spanish ) ( 1st ed. ). Spain : Fundación Autor - SGAE. ISBN 84 - 8048 - 639 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ''. Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` CASH BOX Top 100 Pop Singles -- Week ending JUNE 23, 1990 ''. Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` ARIA Charts -- End Of Year Charts -- Top 50 Singles 1990 ''. ARIA Charts. ARIA. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jahreshitparade 1990 '' ( in German ). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jaaroverzichten 1990 '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1990 ''. RPM. Vol. 53 no. 6. Library and Archives Canada. December 22, 1990. Retrieved July 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990 ''. RPM. Vol. 53 no. 6. Library and Archives Canada. December 22, 1990. Retrieved July 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 - Jaaroverzicht van 1990 '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jaaroverzichten -- Single 1990 '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` End of Year Charts 1990 ''. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1990 '' ( in German ). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits for 1990 ''. The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved January 3, 2018. Jump up ^ `` The CASH BOX Year - End Charts : 1990 ''. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012... Cash Box magazine. Jump up ^ `` Australian Fun Countdowns -- Accreditation Awards ''. Australian Fun Countdowns. April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Canadian single certifications -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ''. Music Canada. Jump up ^ `` Gold - / Platin - Datenbank ( M.C. Hammer ; ' U Ca n't Touch This ' ) '' ( in German ). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Jump up ^ `` Guld - och Platinacertifikat − År 1987 − 1998 '' ( PDF ) ( in Swedish ). IFPI Sweden. Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- MC Hammer -- U Ca n't Touch This ''. British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Enter U Ca n't Touch This in the search field and then press Enter. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- M.C. Hammer -- Can_t Touch This ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Seifert, Andy ; Wolinsky, David ( February 5, 2010 ). `` '' Let 's Ram It ! '' and 25 years of other immortal NFL songs ``. Archived from the original on February 7, 2010... The A.V. Club. External links `` U Ca n't Touch This '' music video on YouTube U Ca n't Touch This at AllMusic Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics MC Hammer Studio albums Feel My Power ( 1987 ) Let 's Get It Started ( 1988 ) Please Hammer, Do n't Hurt ' Em ( 1990 ) Too Legit to Quit ( 1991 ) The Funky Headhunter ( 1994 ) Inside Out ( 1995 ) Active Duty ( 2001 ) Full Blast ( 2004 ) Look Look Look ( 2006 ) Compilations Greatest Hits ( 1996 ) Back 2 Back Hits ( 1997 ) The Hits ( 2000 ) Singles `` Let 's Get It Started '' ( 1987 ) `` Pump It Up '' ( 1988 ) `` Turn This Mutha Out '' ( 1988 ) `` They Put Me in the Mix '' ( 1988 ) `` U Ca n't Touch This '' ( 1990 ) `` Have You Seen Her '' ( 1990 ) `` Pray '' ( 1990 ) `` Here Comes the Hammer '' ( 1990 ) `` Yo ! ! Sweetness '' ( 1991 ) `` 2 Legit 2 Quit '' ( 1991 ) `` Addams Groove '' ( 1991 ) `` Do Not Pass Me By '' ( 1991 ) `` This Is the Way We Roll '' ( 1991 ) `` Pumps and a Bump '' ( 1993 ) `` It 's All Good '' ( 1993 ) `` Do n't Stop '' ( 1994 ) `` Straight to My Feet '' ( 1994 ) Related articles Discography Hammerman Hammertime The Surreal Life ( season 1 ) Capitol Death Row Records Giant Records EMI Rick James Studio albums Come Get It ! ( with Stone City Band ) Bustin ' Out of L Seven Fire It Up Garden of Love Street Songs Throwin ' Down Cold Blooded Glow The Flag Wonderful Kickin ' Urban Rapsody Deeper Still Compilations Reflections Greatest Hits Bustin ' Out : The Very Best of Rick James Ultimate Collection The Millennium Collection : The Best of Rick James Anthology Greatest Hits Gold The Millennium Collection : The Best of Rick James, Vol. 2 The Definitive Collection Songs `` You and I '' `` Mary Jane '' `` Give It to Me Baby '' `` Super Freak '' `` Dance Wit ' Me '' `` Ebony Eyes '' `` Cold Blooded '' `` Glow '' `` Loosey 's Rap '' Related I 'm Rick James ( 2007 documentary ) The Stone City Band The Mynah Birds Mary Jane Girls `` Party All the Time '' `` In the Ghetto '' `` U Ca n't Touch This '' `` Charlie Murphy 's True Hollywood Stories : Rick James '' Book : Rick James Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U_Can%27t_Touch_This&oldid=853667084 '' Categories : 1990 singles 1990 songs Billboard Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs number - one singles Capitol Records singles Dutch Top 40 number - one singles Single Top 100 number - one singles European Hot 100 Singles number - one singles Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance MC Hammer songs Number - one dance singles in Canada Number - one singles in Australia Number - one singles in New Zealand Number - one singles in Sweden Songs written by Rick James Songs written by MC Hammer Hidden categories : CS1 Finnish - language sources ( fi ) CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 Swedish - language sources ( sv ) Articles with hAudio microformats Spoken articles Singlechart usages for Australia Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Canadadance Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart making named ref Certification Table Entry usages for Australia Certification Table Entry usages for Canada Certification Table Entry usages for Germany Certification Table Entry usages for Sweden Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Italiano Nederlands Polski Português Русский Simple English Slovenčina Suomi Svenska ไทย 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 6 August 2018, at 06 : 49 ( UTC ). 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Question: when did the song can't touch this come out
Answer: January 13, 1990