Who Let The Dogs Out (3:11)

“Who Let the Dogs Out?” is a song written and originally recorded by Anslem Douglas for Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival season of 1998. It was heard and taped on a float by hairdresser Keith from the London salon Smile, who played it to Jonathan King, who recorded it and released it under the name Fatt Jakk and his Pack of Pets. It then came to the attention of King’s friend Steve Greenberg, who produced it with a group he was promoting called The Baha Men. The Baha Men covered the song and placed it in the movie Rugrats in Paris: The Movie and then released it as a single in 2000, when it became the band’s first hit in the US and the UK. It reached #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and #2 on the UK Singles Chart. It was the 4th biggest-selling single of 2000 in the UK. It was also a big hit in Australia, where it reached #1. The track went to win the Grammy for Best Dance Recording on the 2001 Grammy Awards.

In a poll conducted by the Rolling Stone to identify the 20 most annoying songs, this song was ranked third.

The Anslem Douglas version was played mainly in parties and dance halls across the islands of Trinidad and Tobago in 1998. After the Baha Men re-released the song, it became a ubiquitous sports anthem at stadiums and arenas throughout the world based largely on the efforts of a sports marketing company hired by the song’s producer, Steve Greenberg. Pro Sports Music Marketing founder Frederic Traube created the concept of introducing and marketing the song to sports stadiums.