Bananarama topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with its 1986 cover of “Venus.”
The song was originally recorded by the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue, whose version became an international hit in 1970. Bananarama reshaped it into a high-energy dance-pop track for their third studio album, True Confessions.
The production team Stock Aitken Waterman gave the recording its polished electronic sound. Bananarama’s version reached number one in the United States in September 1986 and also topped charts in several other countries.
The group’s recording is sometimes confused with the earlier Shocking Blue hit because both versions share the same title and melody. Bananarama’s version is distinguished by its 1986 production, dance-oriented arrangement and music video featuring different mythological and historical images of Venus. The song became one of the group’s signature international hits and remains their only US number-one single.