"The Nitty Gritty" is a 1963 song written by Lincoln Chase and recorded by Shirley Ellis. Released by Congress Records, it reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1964.^[2] In Canada it was No. 19 for 2 weeks.^[3][4]

• Motown released a version of "The Nitty Gritty" by Gladys Knight & The Pips in mid-1969 on its Soul imprint. It reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the soul chart.^[5] In Canada it reached No. 27.^[6]
• A version by Diana Ross & The Supremes can be found on the 2001 edition of their album, Anthology.
• Southern Culture on the Skids covered it on the Dirt Track Date album.

• A televised performance of the dance associated with the song was recorded for a January 1964 episode of The Judy Garland Show, featuring choreography by Robert Banas. The performance became popular via YouTube some 60 years after its original airing, with over 18 million views as of 2013.^[7]
• The song can be heard on the final episode of Disney's streaming series Win or Lose called "Home" as Coach Dan uses the song to prepare the softball field for the game.