"Risin' to the Top" is a song by former Five Stairsteps member Keni Burke. Released in 1982 from the Changes album, it became his most successful hit as a solo artist, peaking at number 63 on the Billboard R&B charts[2] and is considered Burke's signature song.

"Risin' to the Top"
Single by Keni Burke
from the album Changes
ReleasedMay 1982
Recorded1981
StudioSigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenreR&B[1]
Length5:15
LabelRCA (JT-13272, US)
Songwriter(s)Norma Jean Wright, Kenneth M. Burke, Allan W. Felder
Producer(s)Kenneth M. Burke
Keni Burke singles chronology
"Shakin'"
(1982)
"Risin' to the Top"
(1982)
"Hang Tight"
(1982)

Since its 1982 release, the song has been sampled extensively in R&B and hip-hop songs, most notably the following year in the Mary Jane Girls song "All Night Long".[3] The song appears in the 2006 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories in the fictional radio station VCFL.[4]

Track listing

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  1. "Risin' to the Top" (Stereo) – 5:16
  2. "Risin' to the Top" (Acoustic Mix) – 5:56
  3. "Risin' to the Top" (Instrumental) – 5:02

Chart performance

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Chart (1982) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[2] 63
Chart (1987) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[5] 96
Chart (1992) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[6] 70

References

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  1. ^ "Keni Burke on AllMusic". Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Keni Burke Music VF, US charts". Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Keni Burke Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  4. ^ "A Love Letter to Grand Theft Auto's Best Side Stories". Wired. June 29, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "KENI BURKE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  6. ^ "Risin' to the top {1992} | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Retrieved March 20, 2020.
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