Rednex

Swedish Eurodance group Rednex struck gold with their first single, a 1994 novelty electro-bluegrass cover of the pre-Civil War standard “Cotton Eye Joe.” • The original lineup of vocalist Annika Ljungberg, vocalist/banjoist Arne Arstrand, and violinists Kent Olander and Billie Ray Jonas Nilsson were recruited by a trio of producers including Patrick Edenberg, who joined the group as well.

• Members of the group used costumes and stage names like Mary Joe and Bobby Sue to reflect their central gimmick: evoking the old American South.

• Rednex reimagined “Cotton Eye Joe,” which is believed to be a pre–Civil War plantation song, as a pop track with a thumping beat and accompanying line dance choreography.