Moving On Up (M People song)

Keith Farley from AllMusic described the song as a "nu-disco slant".[4] Another editor, Jose F. Promis deemed it "electrifying".[5] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that frontwoman Heather Small and the band "deftly blends state-of-the-charts club trends with a reverence for classic Motown and R&B sounds. After one spin, you'll be humming the chorus for a week, which is the mark of a true smash."[6] Kendall Morgan from Dallas Morning News called it "ear candy".[7] Anderson Jones from Entertainment Weekly noted it as a number "that has set disco balls spinning across Europe".[8] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report said that "excitement about this uptempo winner is spreading fast and one listen should explain why."[9] John Hamilton from Idolator praised it as "a confident pop-soul kiss-off", adding that "its funky sax and Small’s pissed-off vocals combined to create nothing short of a club classic, one that provided ample opportunity for gay and straight clubbers alike to bust a move on dancefloors across the nation."[10] Robert Hilburn from Los Angeles Times deemed it a "glorious dancefloor record – as spirited a declaration of independence (from a bad relationship) as Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"."[11] Music writer James Masterton viewed it as "another piece of classic dance pop" in his weekly UK chart commentary.[12]

Howard Cohen for The Miami Herald wrote, "The song's got a sassy hook, paired with a glossy fat beat and infectious melody. The song – an I Will Survive for the '90s – is the highlight of M People's Elegant Slumming".[13] Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated that "the '90s will be type-cast as the age of retro, both in rock and in dance. These people restore Funky Town as the capital of good old disco. A floor filler annex airplay hit is born!"[14] Andy Beevers from Music Week rated it five out of five and complimented it as "another dead catchy radio-friendly tune".[15] James Hamilton from the magazine's RM Dance Update deemed it a "stunningly catchy "nothing can stop me" chanter".[16] A reviewer from The Network Forty called it a "perfect uptempo fun springtime" track.[17] Newcastle Journal said it "was one of the best releases of the year."[18] Reading Evening Post described it as "funky".[19] Steve Pick from St. Louis Post-Dispatch commented, "You can hear a straight line from the Stereo MC's "Connected" to this, a deep, in-the-pocket groove featuring a jazzy, funky break in the middle and, of course, subtle tenor saxophone honks. The big difference, aside from the fact that this one isn't quite as catchy, is the presence of a big-voiced disco diva whose alto tones conjure up dim memories of Donna Summer, especially on the soaring, nearly exuberant chorus."[20]

"Moving on Up" proved to be M People's biggest hit worldwide, peaking at number-one on both the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada and the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in the United States. In Europe, it made it to the Top 10 in Finland, France (number three), Ireland (number four) and the United Kingdom. In the latter, the single peaked at number two in its second week at the UK Singles Chart, on 26 September 1993.[21] It was held off reaching the top spot by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's "Boom! Shake the Room". But on the UK Dance Singles Chart, it soared to the number one position. Additionally, "Moving On Up" was a Top 20 hit in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it hit number 12. Outside Europe, it also peaked at number three in Israel, number four in both Australia and New Zealand, number 23 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada and number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The single earned a gold record in New Zealand and a platinum record in Australia.

A music video of the song was released in September 1993.[22] It features M People performing the song in a club. In the beginning, Small is seen arriving the club. At the same time a couple also arrives. Small begins to sing, standing in the crowd of dancing people. The couple then starts arguing and the man begins to dance with another woman from the bar. Small then goes up to her band on the scene and continues singing, while the man's girlfriend starts yelling on him and leaves. He continues dancing with the woman from the bar. A cat appear on the bar counter, being patted by the guests, and a lizard lies by the phone. Suddenly the girlfriend shows up, throwing the content of a glass on her boyfriend and smiling at him. The video ends with M People continuing playing on the scene, while the people are dancing. It was later published on M People's official YouTube channel in October 2009. The video has received more than 5,6 million views as of September 2021.[23]

On United Kingdom and European versions of the single, the cover appeared with two thirds of the cover featuring a side profile of lead singer Heather Small, looking serious to hint that she's moving away. The bottom third of the single has a purple banner all the way across with the title written on it. On other versions of the single, the colour of this banner was red, yellow or blue.

"Moving on Up" featured on many compilations including Now That's What I Call Music! 27, Telstar's Hits 93: Volume 4 in the United Kingdom, and many other across the globe. The single has also been featured in many films, including the British blockbuster The Full Monty, The Next Karate Kid, the American comedies The First Wives Club and Are We Done Yet? and Danny Boyle's psychological thriller Trance.

In February 1998, the song was featured in an episode of Top Gear, during the reviews of the Citroën Xantia, Vauxhall Vectra, Peugeot 406, Subaru Legacy and the Volkswagen Passat, with a voice over by presenter Jeremy Clarkson.[24][25][26]

Australian music channel Max included "Moving on Up" in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2011.[27]

BuzzFeed ranked it number 63 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90" in 2017.[28]

"Moving on Up" was also a dance hit for Belgian singer Roselle in 1995.

The chorus is interpolated in the song "Gloves" by Australian comedy group Thanks Pet, Next, a hidden track on their EP Frogstamp, which satirises invasive body searching. In that context, the phrase "moving on up" becomes a double entendre.

• Music video by M People performing Moving On Up.YouTube, 1993, Sony BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.