"
The Only Way Is Up" is a song written by
George Jackson and Johnny Henderson and originally released in 1980 as a single by soul singer
Otis Clay. In 1988, it became a chart-topping single for
Yazz and the Plastic Population. The song is the official theme tune for award-winning
ITV2 series
The Only Way Is Essex. The song was a favourite of
M People's, who would frequently play it on their live tours. The band's lead singer, Heather Small, has described it as her favourite song, and once explained that, should she ever be anywhere, this is the song that she would sing.