Somebody's Watching Me
1983 single by Rockwell
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"Somebody's Watching Me" is a song recorded and written by American singer Rockwell, released by Motown in December 1983. Serving as the lead single from Rockwell's debut studio album of the same name, it features uncredited guest vocals by Michael Jackson and additional backing vocals by Jermaine Jackson.
| "Somebody's Watching Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Side-A label of the US 12-inch vinyl single | ||||
| Single by Rockwell | ||||
| from the album Somebody's Watching Me | ||||
| B-side | "Somebody's Watching Me" (instrumental) | |||
| Released | December 27, 1983[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1983[2] | |||
| Studio | Mars Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)[3] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Songwriter | Kennedy "Rockwell" Gordy | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Rockwell singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Somebody's Watching Me" on YouTube | ||||
The song became a major commercial success internationally, topping the charts in Belgium, France, and Spain, and reaching the top 5 in Canada, West Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.[8][9] In the UK, it reached No. 6 and is Rockwell's only top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart.[10] Rolling Stone magazine called the song "an international and enduring smash hit that, more than 30 years later, remains the perennial paranoia-rock anthem and Halloween mix go-to song."[2]
Background and composition
Rockwell is the son of Motown CEO Berry Gordy. At the time of the recording, Rockwell was estranged from his father and living with Ray Singleton, his father's ex-wife and the mother of his older half-brother, Kerry Gordy. Singleton served as executive producer on the project and would occasionally play demo tracks to Berry Gordy, who was less than enthusiastic about Rockwell's music until he heard the single with Michael Jackson's familiar voice featuring prominently on background vocals.[11][12]
The song is in the key of C♯ minor, with 4
4 time, and vocals spanning from C♯4 to C♯5.[13]
Produced by Curtis Anthony Nolen, the song features backing vocals by Michael, Randy and Jermaine Jackson, with Alan Murray on percussion.[11][14][15]
Music video
The music video depicts Rockwell at his home taking a shower and having illusions of his every move being surreptitiously recorded by a video camera. Other scenes in the video include Rockwell in a cemetery, the tap water in the shower stall spraying blood, and him having his mail delivered by a mailman who appears to be alive, but is, in fact, undead. The video ends with the mailman handing Rockwell a package, but whether this is a moment of danger or just an unsettling interaction remains ambiguous.
The mailman has a cameo in Rockwell's next video Obscene Phone Caller.[16]
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[53] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[54] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[55] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[56] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[57] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[57] Digital |
Gold | 500,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Beatfreakz version
| "Somebody's Watching Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Beatfreakz | ||||
| Released | May 1, 2006 | |||
| Genre | House | |||
| Length | 2:58 | |||
| Label | Spinnin' | |||
| Songwriter | Kennedy "Rockwell" Gordy | |||
| Producer | Beatfreakz | |||
| Beatfreakz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Somebody's Watching Me" on YouTube | ||||
In 2006, Dutch dance music group Beatfreakz recorded a pseudo-cover of the song that samples the chorus but omitted the verses. This version was a top-10 hit in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
Track listing
Dutch CD single[58]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[59] | 38 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[60] | 6 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[61] | 4 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Dance Flanders)[62] | 17 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Dance Wallonia)[62] | 17 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[63] | 28 |
| CIS Airplay (TopHit)[64] | 3 |
| Czech Republic Airplay (ČNS IFPI)[65] | 14 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[66] | 11 |
| France (SNEP)[67] | 18 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[68] | 7 |
| Germany (GfK)[69] | 41 |
| Hungary (Dance Top 40)[70] | 10 |
| Hungary (Editors' Choice Top 40)[71] | 33 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[72] | 5 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[73] | 12 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[74] | 21 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[75] | 7 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100)[76] | 28 |
| Russia Airplay (TopHit)[77] | 3 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[78] | 3 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[79] | 65 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[80] | 3 |
| UK Dance (OCC)[81] | 1 |
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[82] | 66 |
Year-end charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[87] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||