What Is Love

Trinidadian-German singer Haddaway burst onto the scene in January 1993 with "What Is Love," a track that would define Eurodance for a generation. Written and produced by the German duo Dee Dee Halligan and Tony Hendrik, the song was the lead single from Haddaway's debut album The Album (also released as Haddaway in some territories). Coconut Records put it out, and BMG Ariola handled distribution.

The song's formula was simple but devastatingly effective: a relentless four-on-the-floor kick drum, a chugging synth bassline, a two-note piano riff that burrows into your brain, and Haddaway's earnest, almost desperate vocal delivery. The chorus, with its shouted question "What is love? Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more," became an instant earworm. It topped charts in 13 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. In the US, it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.

The music video, directed by Volker Hannwacker, became a staple on MTV Europe. It features Haddaway performing in a dark, neon-lit club, intercut with shots of a model dancing. Over the years, the song's cultural footprint expanded far beyond the dance floor. Its most famous second life came in the 1998 Will Ferrell comedy A Night at the Roxbury, where Ferrell and Chris Kattan's characters bob their heads to the song in their car. That scene turned the track into an enduring meme, and it has since appeared in shows like Stranger Things, The Office, and The Simpsons. Haddaway himself has embraced the legacy, performing the song at countless festivals and events for over three decades.[edit]