C C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (1991) May 2026

: The single hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1991 and topped the R&B/Urban and Dance Club Play charts. The Martha Wash Controversy: A Fight for Credit

Decades later, the song remains one of the most recognizable dance anthems in history. C C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (1991)

While the song's voice was everywhere, its face was hidden. The music video featured model-turned-singer Zelma Davis lip-syncing to Martha Wash's powerhouse vocals. : The single hit #1 on the Billboard

The release of by C+C Music Factory in late 1990—and its subsequent chart dominance in 1991—was a watershed moment for dance music . While the track is now a cultural staple, its history is a complex mix of groundbreaking production and a landmark legal battle that fundamentally changed how vocalists are credited in the music industry. The Sound: Fusing House, Hip-Hop, and Rock The Sound: Fusing House, Hip-Hop, and Rock :

: In December 1991, Martha Wash sued Clivillés, Cole, and Sony Music for fraud and deceptive packaging. She had originally recorded the vocals as a demonstration tape and discovered they were used without her consent or credit.

: The song relied on a "vocal yin/yang," pairing the powerful, gospel-inflected "soulful house diva" hooks of Martha Wash with the "rumbling rhymes" of baritone rapper Freedom Williams.

: This case, coinciding with the Milli Vanilli scandal, became a historic turning point for artist rights. The settlement in 1994 led to a disclaimer on the music video—crediting Wash for "vocals" and Davis for "visualization"—and resulted in federal legislation making vocal credits mandatory for all music videos and albums in the U.S.. Cultural Legacy