The Only Way is up - wikipedia The Only Way is up This article is about the Yazz song. For the Drugs EP, see The Only Way Is Up ( EP ). For the Tiësto and Martinsoss Garrix song, see The Only Way Is Up ( Martin Garrix and Tiësto song ). `` The Only Way Is Up '' Single by Otis Clay from the album The Only Way Is Up B - side `` Special Kind of Love '' Released 1980 Format 7 '' single Genre Acid house Length 3 : 46 Label Echo Songwriter ( s ) George Jackson Johnny Henderson Producer ( s ) Otis Clay Troy Thompson `` The Only Way Is Up '' Single by Yazz and the Plastic Population from the album Wanted B - side `` Bad House Music '' Remix Released July 11, 1988 ( 1988 - 07 - 11 ) Format 7 '' single 12 '' maxi CD maxi cassette single Genre Dance - pop funk synth - pop Hi - NRG acid house Length 4 : 27 ( album version ) 4 : 02 ( 7 '' edit ) Label Big Life Songwriter ( s ) George Jackson Johnny Henderson Producer ( s ) Coldcut Yazz singles chronology `` Doctorin ' the House '' ( 1988 ) `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( 1988 ) `` Stand Up for Your Love Rights '' ( 1988 ) `` Doctorin ' the House '' ( 1988 ) `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( 1988 ) `` Stand Up for Your Love Rights '' ( 1988 ) Music video `` The Only Way Is Up '' on YouTube Audio sample file help `` The Only Way Is Up '' is a song written by George Jackson and Johnny Henderson and originally released in 1980 as a single by soul singer Otis Clay. In 1988, it became a chart - topping single for Yazz and the Plastic Population. The song is the official theme tune for award - winning ITV2 series The Only Way Is Essex. The song was a favourite of M People 's, who would frequently play it on their live tours. The band 's lead singer, Heather Small, has described it as her favourite song, and once explained that, should she ever be anywhere, this is the song that she would sing. Contents 1 Otis Clay version 2 Yazz version 2.1 Background and release 2.2 Formats and track listings 2.3 Charts and sales 2.3. 1 Weekly charts 2.3. 2 Year - end charts 2.3. 3 Certifications 3 See also 4 References Otis Clay version The song was first recorded by Otis Clay and released as a single on the Echo label in 1980. Though not a hit at the time, the song became the title track of Clay 's 1982 LP, The Only Way Is Up. Yazz version The Yazz version was produced by Jonathan More and Matt Black ( better known as dance duo Coldcut, who had worked with Yazz on their hit single `` Doctorin ' the House '' ). Released as a single in July 1988, `` The Only Way Is Up '' became an instant smash hit, spending five weeks at number one in the United Kingdom, and ultimately becoming the second biggest selling single of the year. In the United States, however, it fared less well, peaking at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it did reach number two on the Billboard dance chart. The cover version 's opening horn blast is a sample from Sharon Redd 's 1982 dance classic `` Beat the Street ''. A 2009 remix was released in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2009. Background and release After leaving school, Yazz got a job in a nightclub in Soho and got into her first band called The Biz. She then met the managers of English musical duo Wham ! who would be her managers. She took singing lessons and made demo songs that was introduced to electronic music duo Coldcut. Together, they wrote `` Doctorin ' the House '' which incorporates samples from various sources, mainly TV and film dialogue. It reached number six on the UK Singles Chart in March 1988 and was very popular in the clubs. Their second single, the pumping house version of `` The Only Way Is Up '' was released in July 1988 and become a huge hit in the clubs and on the charts. It spent five weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart and became the second biggest selling single of the year. `` The Only Way Is Up '' also reached number one on the charts in Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden. Formats and track listings 7 '' single / CD single / cassette `` The Only Way Is Up '' -- 4 : 02 `` Bad House Music '' -- 4 : 28 12 '' maxi `` The Only Way Is Up '' -- 6 : 44 `` Bad House Music '' -- 7 : 07 12 '' maxi `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( UK extended club mix ) -- 6 : 45 `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( the up up up mix ) -- 7 : 01 `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( acid dub ) -- 5 : 50 CD maxi `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( 7 '' edit ) -- 4 : 02 `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( 12 '' version ) -- 6 : 48 `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( speng ) -- 6 : 01 `` Bad House Music '' -- 3 : 00 12 '' maxi -- Remixes `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( the Bam Bam remix ) -- 7 : 24 `` The Only Way Is Up '' ( the up up up mix ) -- 7 : 24 `` Bad House Music '' -- 4 : 28 Charts and sales Weekly charts Chart ( 1988 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA Charts ) Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 5 Belgium ( Ultratop Flanders ) Finland ( Suomen virallinen lista ) 5 France ( SNEP ) Germany ( Official German Charts ) Iceland ( Íslenski Listinn Topp 10 ) 9 Ireland ( IRMA ) Italy ( Hit Parade Italia ) 15 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) New Zealand ( RIANZ ) Norway ( VG - lista ) 5 Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 96 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Year - end charts Chart ( 1988 ) Position Australia ( ARIA ) 31 Belgian ( Flanders ) Singles Chart 8 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 13 New Zealand 19 Switzerland 22 UK Chart ( 1989 ) Position Australia ( ARIA ) 60 Certifications Country Certification Date Sales certified Australia Gold 50,000 France Silver 200,000 UK Gold August 1, 1988 400,000 See also Acid house House music Second Summer of Love References ^ Jump up to : `` BPI Certified Awards > Search Results > Yazz ''. Imgur. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Otis Clay - The Only Way Is Up / Special Kind Of Love ( Vinyl ) at Discogs ''. Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 20. Jump up ^ Otis Clay, The Only Way Is Up, Discogs. Retrieved 10 January 2016 Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Hot Dance / Disco : 1974 - 2003. Record Research. p. 285. Jump up ^ `` Radio1 Rodos : : New Music : : U.K. Forthcoming Releases ''. Radio1.gr. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Yazz : The only way is up for the singer who is now a powerful woman of God ''. crossrhythms.co.uk. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 04. ^ Jump up to : `` The Only Way Is Up '', in various singles charts Lescharts.com ( Retrieved December 25, 2008 ) Jump up ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de ( Retrieved December 25, 2008 ) Jump up ^ `` Íslenski Listinn Topp 10 ( 30. september 1988 ) '' ( PDF ) ( in Icelandic ). Dagblaðið Vísir. Retrieved July 23, 2018. Jump up ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie ( Retrieved December 25, 2008 ) Jump up ^ `` Indice per Interprete : Y ''. Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved March 13, 2018. Jump up ^ `` De Nederlandse Top 40, week 39, 1988 ''. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 21. Jump up ^ `` The Only Way Is Up '', UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com ( Retrieved December 25, 2008 ) ^ Jump up to : Billboard Allmusic.com ( Retrieved December 25, 2008 ) Jump up ^ http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-50-singles-1988.htm Jump up ^ `` 1988 Belgian Flanders Singles Chart '' ( in Dutch ). ultratop.be. Retrieved 7 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Single top 100 over 1988 '' ( PDF ) ( in Dutch ). Top40. Retrieved 22 September 2010. Jump up ^ http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3877 Jump up ^ Swiss Year - End Charts, 1988 Jump up ^ `` Chart Archive - 1980s Singles ''. EveryHit.com. Retrieved 4 August 2012. Jump up ^ Ryan, Gavin ( 2011 ). Australia 's Music Charts 1988 - 2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia : Moonlight Publishing. Jump up ^ `` australian-charts.com > ARIA Full Accreditations List ''. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Les certifications depuis 1973, database '' ( in French ). Infodisc. Retrieved 21 September 2010. Coldcut Matt Black Jonathan More Albums What 's That Noise ? Philosophy Let Us Play ! Sound Mirrors Singles `` Say Kids What Time Is It ? '' `` Beats + Pieces '' `` Doctorin ' the House '' `` The Only Way Is Up '' `` People Hold On '' `` My Telephone '' `` Man in a Garage '' Related Journeys By DJ : Coldcut - 70 Minutes of Madness Lisa Stansfield Yazz Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Only_Way_Is_Up&oldid=851526643 '' Categories : 1980 songs 1988 singles Otis Clay songs Yazz songs European Hot 100 Singles number - one singles Irish Singles Chart number - one singles Dutch Top 40 number - one singles Number - one singles in Belgium Number - one singles in New Zealand Number - one singles in Sweden UK Singles Chart number - one singles Songs about poverty Songs written by George Jackson ( songwriter ) The Only Way Is Essex Acid house songs House music songs Hidden categories : CS1 Icelandic - language sources ( is ) CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 22 July 2018, at 22 : 37 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when was yazz the only way is up
Answer: in July 1988