January 2005: Amerie Releases "1 Thing"

In the spring of 2005, this one song had fans trippin': "1 Thing," by R&B singer Amerie. The high energy track, which became a hit around the world, was the result of a few hours of hard work and a lot of patience. Here's five things to know about this classic jam!

1. That beat is from a song by The Meters. "1 Thing" samples the breakdown from the New Orleans funk legends' 1969 version of "Oh, Calcutta!" from the musical of the same name. Co-writer/producer Rich Harrison, who'd worked on Amerie's 2002 debut album and was collaborating on follow-up Touch, added some additional percussion to the mix and created the addictive beat we know today.

2. It took no time to record...but a long time to release. Harrison told Blender the song took no more than three hours to create, but Columbia Records kept asking for more changes. "People just weren't getting it," Amerie later said.

3. The song almost went to another singer. One Columbia artist who thought the song was perfect as is? Jennifer Lopez, who reportedly tried to cut her own version. (Harrison ended up producing J. Lo's "Get Right," built off a track recorded but not used for Usher's Confessions.)

4. Amerie took matters into her own hands. Upset with the back-and-forth over the song, "1 Thing" eventually got leaked to radio stations - and listeners couldn't get enough. Reaction was so strong that Columbia stopped asking for changes and started looking for places to show off the song - notably, the soundtrack to the movie Hitch.

5. "1 Thing" became a big thing around the world. The song reached the Top 10 in seven countries throughout North America and Europe. It also topped the R&B charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, earning gold and platinum awards in each country. Even Lauryn Hill started incorporating parts of the track into live performances of "Doo-Wop (That Thing)."