Ready or Not (After 7 song)
| "Ready or Not" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by After 7 | ||||
| from the album After 7 | ||||
| Released | February 20, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 4:34 (album version) 3:58 (radio edit)[1] | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriters | L.A. Reid, Babyface[1] | |||
| Producers | L.A. Reid, Babyface[1] | |||
| After 7 singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Ready or Not" is a song performed by American group After 7, issued as the third single from the group's eponymous debut album (1989). In 1990, the song became the first #1 US Billboard R&B single for the group.[2] It was also the group's first top ten pop single, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3][2] "Ready or Not" was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 14, 1990.[4]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1990)[2] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 7 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard) | 1 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[5] | 4 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 54 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard)[7] | 9 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[8] | 41 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Samples
- R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan's song "Let It Burn" heavily resembles the rhythm of this song since her single employs the sample
- San Francisco-based lo-fi and vaporwave producer RITCHRD sampled "Ready or Not" on their song "PARIS".[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "After 7 - Ready Or Not (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ a b c "After 7 - Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 25.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum: After 7 - RIAA Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
- ^ Cash Box Chart Entries 1990-1996
- ^ "Longbored Surfer - 1990". LongboredSurfer.com. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ "After 7 - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ "Awards: Top 50 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. LIV, no. 22. December 29, 1990. p. 9. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "American single certifications – After 7 – Ready or Not". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ "PARIS by RITCHRD on WhoSampled". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2022-11-03.