"Outstanding" by The Gap Band: Release Date, Writer, Charts and Samples
Updated 2026-10-28
| Artist | The Gap Band |
|---|---|
| Album | Gap Band IV (1982) |
| Released as a single | November 1982 (Total Experience) |
| Songwriter | Raymond Calhoun |
| Length | 3:19 album version, 6:13 extended version |
| Peak charts | No. 1 US Billboard Hot Black Singles (February 1983), No. 51 Billboard Hot 100, No. 68 UK |
Source: Wikipedia.
Covers
British singer Kenny Thomas covered it in 1990; his version reached No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart (Wikipedia).
Songs that sample it
- Da Brat, "Da B Side" (1994)
- Ashanti feat. Ja Rule, "Happy" (2002)
- Tyler, The Creator, "911 / Mr. Lonely" (2017)
Source: WhoSampled.
Lyrics
We don't reproduce the lyrics here because they are copyrighted; licensed lyric sites and streaming apps carry them.
Why it's in the Tiny Desk AI trend
Charlie Wilson, The Gap Band's lead singer, closed his 2023 NPR Tiny Desk concert with it, and the meme recasts the last ~19 seconds of that performance. More in What is the song in the Tiny Desk AI video?