Song · UB40
“I Got You Babe” by UB40 with Chrissie Hynde and Chrissy Hynde
From the album Baggariddim (1985) With Chrissie Hynde and Chrissy Hynde
“I Got You Babe” by UB40 with Chrissie Hynde and Chrissy Hynde appears on 6 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 1985 and 1999. It was first released in 1985 on the album Baggariddim. Its best result is #29 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1985. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #23 alternative song of 1985, #3,547 alternative song of all time and #296 of the '80s.
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UB40 took Sonny Bono's "I Got You Babe", the Sonny & Cher chestnut from 1965, dropped it into a lazy reggae groove on Baggariddim in 1985, and brought in Chrissie Hynde to play Cher. It's a sly bit of casting: the band's mellow lead voice against Hynde's husky, knowing drawl, a pairing that sounds like two old friends trading barbs over last orders.
The band produced it with Ray "Pablo" Falconer, and they keep the rhythm unhurried and warm, all rolling bass and skanking offbeats, letting the old duet swagger instead of skip. It topped the UK Singles Chart and made it to 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 35 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1985 | 107 |
| 1985 | 29 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1985 | 91 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 344 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) | 496 |
| 1989 | 165 | 91X | 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) | 191 |
| 1989 | 298 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) | 495 |
| 1999 | 240 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) | 1002 |
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