Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride (1983)

“Break My Stride” is a song performed by American recording artist Matthew Wilder. It was released in ...

“Break My Stride” is a song performed by American recording artist Matthew Wilder. It was released in 1983 as the lead single from his debut album, I Don’t Speak the Language, and became a major hit single for him in 1983 and 1984.

The song has been covered by many artists throughout the years, including Unique II in 1996 and Blue Lagoon in 2004 (whose versions both charted highly in various places) and, in interpolations, Puff Daddy with his 1997 hit “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”. In 2009 it was interpolated by Matisyahu in the song “Jerusalem”.

Chart performance
Included on his 1983 album, I Don’t Speak the Language, the single went to number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four in the UK in January/February 1984. On the US Cash Box chart, Wilder’s single reached the number two position, where it remained for two weeks in early February.

A remix version reached the top 20 on the dance chart, and the song additionally hit the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, staying there for four weeks. Though “Break My Stride” was Matthew Wilder’s only UK hit, he also reached the US pop chart with his next two singles, “The Kid’s American” (#33) and “Bouncing Off the Walls” (#52), before turning to behind-the-scenes work on other artists’ recordings.