Is there anything greater than an all-star single? Not the charity ones that often feel contrived and stunty, but rather a truly killer song that brings together four or so superstars all at the top of their respective games. Last year, the remix of "Forever" satisfied that hunger with Drake, Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West all turning in stunning performances for the sake of a movie soundtrack. Back in 2001, the universe received "Lady Marmalade," a collaboration between Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil Kim and Mya that topped the Billboard Hot 100 on this date nine years ago.
Crafted for the soundtrack to director Baz Luhrmann's burlesque-reviving technicolor nightmare "Moulin Rouge!" and featuring a video that saw each of the four ladies decked out in their finest glam outfits, "Lady Marmalade" was a force to be reckoned with at the beginning of the summer of 2001 (had it peaked later, it would have been in contention for the official jam of that season). It caught each woman at an interesting time, as Aguilera was only just coming back into the spotlight (her second album Stripped was still a year away), Pink was just beginning to make her transition from pop singer to the hybrid star that she is today and Lil Kim was still a big deal. Interestingly, Mya was probably the biggest star of the quartet at the time, as her smash hit "Case of the Ex" was still fresh in the minds of the pop crowd.
The song, originally recorded by Labelle, first topped the chart in 1974. The remake made it the only song to top the charts after being recorded by two different acts, and won Grammy Awards for all four participants.
