Ginuwine's 1996 Hit 'Pony' Ranks Among the Greatest Summer Songs of All Time

"Pony" by Ginuwine, the sensual R&B hit from 1996, ranked No. 26 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest summer songs of all time.

"Pony" opens with an instantly recognizable funky synth that listeners can't help but get riled up by. And the horse-riding metaphor in the lyrics leaves little to the imagination.

"If you're horny let's do it, ride it, my pony / My saddle's waiting, come and jump on it."

The song was both a critical and commercial hit upon its release. Billboardcalled the "sex jam ... an even-metered gallop through lovely backing vocals and machine-generated music ... with endearing style and funk."

Entertainment Weeklyagreed, writing, "This single's irresistible funk grooves lope at an easy gait, seducing the listener with a velvety tenor and belching synthesizer hook." They added, "It's ... better than your average bump and grind."

"Pony" peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went all the way to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it reigned for two weeks.

It was also one of Timbaland's first big hits as a producer. In a video for MasterClass, the famed producer revealed that he had actually created the track's signature beat way back in the late '80s by experimenting with a vocoder.

"I try to do timeless things that just don't sound like what's going on today," he said.

"Pony" has proven to be timeless over the thirty years since its release. In 2012, Channing Tatum did a seductive dance to it in Magic Mike. In 2015, he popped and locked to it again in the sequel, Magic Mike XXL. The song appears again in 2023's Magic Mike's Last Dance, but Tatum doesn't get down and dirty to it this time. Instead, his team of male strippers-in-training dances to his signature song.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 3:09 PM.