I Do n't Wanna Dance ( Eddy Grant song ) - wikipedia I Do n't Wanna Dance ( Eddy Grant song ) `` I Do n't Wanna Dance '' Single by Eddy Grant from the album Killer on the Rampage Released 1982 ( UK ) / July 1983 ( US ) Genre Reggae, pop rock Length 3 : 17 Label Ice Records ( UK ) Songwriter ( s ) Eddy Grant Producer ( s ) Eddy Grant `` I Do n't Wanna Dance '' is a 1982 single by Eddy Grant. It went to number one on the UK Singles Chart and held there for three weeks in November 1982. It was later released in the United States, but only reached No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1983. It was later reissued as the B - side of Grant 's `` Electric Avenue ''. The song expresses Eddy 's farewell to Britain being a land of class and colour divisions. Grant explained to the Daily Telegraph on June 27, 2008 : `` I Do n't Wanna Dance can mean that you do n't want to go out on the dancefloor or it could mean that you do n't want to go along with an idea. That 's how I try to write : you take it how you want, but I am basically a writer of protest. '' Written and produced by Grant, it was the most successful of his solo singles in the United Kingdom, and his first number one since `` Baby Come Back '' by The Equals in 1968. Contents 1 Charts 2 See also 3 References 4 External links Charts Charts ( 1982 - 1983 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 21 Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Canada ( CHUM ) 17 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 15 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 7 Ireland ( IRMA ) Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) South Africa ( Springbok Radio ) Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) 18 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 53 See also List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1980s List of number - one singles of the 1980s ( Switzerland ) List of number - one singles of 1982 ( Ireland ) References ^ Jump up to : `` Eddy Grant - I Do n't Wanna Dance ( Vinyl ) at Discogs ''. Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ `` Eddy Grant - Killer on the Rampage ( album review ) ''. Sputnikmusic. 2010 - 01 - 11. Retrieved 2015 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums ( 19th ed. ). London : Guinness World Records Limited. p. 415. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. Jump up ^ `` How Eddy Grant gave hope to South Africa ''. The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Eddy Grant ''. Official Charts. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Forum -- ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts -- CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989, part 2 ''. Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- Eddy Grant -- I Do n't Wanna Dance '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Eddy Grant -- I Do n't Wanna Dance '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` CHART NUMBER 1395 -- Saturday, October 8, 1983 ''. Archived from the original on 13 February 2006. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 14. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ). CHUM. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 4365. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Offiziellecharts.de -- Eddy Grant -- I Do n't Wanna Dance ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- I Do n't Wanna Dance ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- Eddy Grant '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Eddy Grant -- I Do n't Wanna Dance '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Eddy Grant -- I Do n't Wanna Dance ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 -- 1989 Acts ( G ) ''. Rock.co.za. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Eddy Grant -- I Do n't Wanna Dance ''. Singles Top 100. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Eddy Grant -- I Do n't Wanna Dance ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Eddy Grant Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics hide Eddy Grant Studio albums Eddy Grant Message Man Walking on Sunshine Love in Exile My Turn to Love You Ca n't Get Enough Killer on the Rampage Going for Broke Born Tuff File Under Rock Barefoot Soldier Paintings of the Soul Soca Baptism Hearts and Diamonds Reparation Singles `` Walking on Sunshine '' `` Do You Feel My Love '' `` I Do n't Wanna Dance '' `` Electric Avenue '' `` Romancing the Stone '' `` Gimme Hope Jo'anna '' Songs `` Baby, Come Back '' `` After the Lights Go Down Low '' Related articles Discography The Equals Baby, Come Back Ice Records Ringbang Book : Eddy Grant Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Don%27t_Wanna_Dance_(Eddy_Grant_song)&oldid=843189301 '' Categories : Eddy Grant songs 1982 singles UK Singles Chart number - one singles Number - one singles in Switzerland Irish Singles Chart number - one singles Songs about dancing 1982 songs Number - one singles in Belgium Number - one singles in New Zealand Number - one singles in South Africa Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Nederlands Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 27 May 2018, at 14 : 04. 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Question: who sang i don't wanna dance
Answer: Eddy Grant