DJ Casper created this song for the American health club chain Bally's Fitness, who developed a workout routine around the song. The song caught on with gym members, which led to its release as a single. In 2001, the song gained traction in America at dance clubs, weddings and other celebrations.

The Cha Cha Slide is a pretty easy dance, especially since DJ Casper is calling out the instructions ("To the right now..."). The dance is based on the Cha Cha step, with the "slide" adding a group element similar to the "Electric Slide" (from "Electric Boogie") and its many variants.

DJ Casper recorded a new version in 2007 called "Cha Cha Slide (Part 2)," which cleared up some unresolved issues from the original.

McDonald's used this in a 2007 commercial where a child performs variations of the dance while eating McNuggets. >>

Casper recalled in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh: "I wrote Cha Cha Slide in 1996 as an aerobics workout program for a gym trainer friend of mine, David Wilson, and I recorded and released my own version in 1998."

In 2003 the song resurfaced in clubs across Europe and All Around The World Records picked it up for a UK release. On March 20th 2004 this rose from #2 to #1 on the UK singles chart. In an era where just about every British chart-topper entered at #1, this was the first single to jump from #2 to #1 since Cliff Richard's "Millennium Prayer" in December 1999.

A cover version featuring MC Jig reached #33 around the same time.

DJ Casper's follow-up single, a cover of The Gap Band's "Oops Upside Your Head" was his only other UK Top 20 hit, peaking at #16.