"Macho Man" is the second single recorded by the American disco group Village People. It is the title song of the eponymous album (1978).
The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 24, 1978 (when the album had already been charting since March) before picking up more airplay that August. It became the Village People's first charting hit in the United States, peaking on the Hot 100 at number 25 on the week of September 2. and even "something of a phenomenon".
A medley with "I Am What I Am" and "Key West" reached number 4 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart. On the survey of Chicago radio superstation WLS-AM, "Macho Man" spent two weeks at number 3.
Background and writing
Village People cowboy Randy Jones recalled, "The Monday after Thanksgiving (1977), we signed contracts and the Tuesday after, we were in studio recording "Macho Man," with Victor Willis' handwritten lyrics that were written in the morning with egg stains and coffee rings on it. Everything was happening that quickly."
The song is played comically in many films, like Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, In & Out, Addams Family ValuesThe song also serves as the theme song to the Nutty Professor remake and its sequel.In the episode "Homer Loves Flanders" of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, Homer Simpson sang this song as "Nacho Man",The song was featured in an Old El Paso commercial in 1995, with lyrics changed to "Nacho, nacho, man".In one installment of the weekly comic strip FoxTrot, Jason Fox and his friend Marcus sing the chorus over and over to annoy Jason's sister Paige, who grumbles, "I wish I hadn't told you I hate that song." Jason responds, "You're lucky we don't know more verses," while Marcus asks, "Is it 'macho' or 'nacho'?"In the Scrubs episode "My New Suit" J.D. fantasizes about playing Macho Man to babies to test their "gayness"In the 2nd season episode of Friends entitled "The One Where Ross Finds Out", it is used when Monica and Chandler are working out.The song was "covered" by Donald Duck on the Disney audio release Mickey Mouse Disco.The song is performed by Link Hogthrob and Gonzo the Great on The Muppet Show episode 405.In the third episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer the title character jogs into and around her kitchen singing the song.Saturday Night Live did a parody of the song, called "Matzo Man".In an episode of King of the Hill, the song plays while Bill is working out.Mucho Macho Man, a race horse who won the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic and was third in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, was named after the song. The Village People appeared in costume via remote telecast during the NBC broadcast of both races in support of the horse's effort.In Spy School, Huckapoo did a cover of this song.In 2016, Amanda Lear recorded a cover version of this song for her album, Let Me Entertain You.