The Bee Gees disco song “Stayin’ Alive” might help people stay alive when they get cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) — if their rescuer knows the 1977 tune.

The University of Illinois medical school studied the effect the song had on keeping time during CPR. Five weeks after practicing CPR with the song playing on an iPod, doctors at the medical school were able to hum along without the music and keep time just a little bit faster than 100 per minute, which is perfectly fine when we’re talking about chest compressions.

Stayin’ alive,
Stayin’ alive,
Ha…ah…ah…ah
(this part is exactly 100 beats per minute)
Stayin’ a-li-ive
This tip helps rescuers keep the proper rate while doing CPR. Going too slow doesn’t generate enough blood flow, and going too fast doesn’t allow the heart to fill properly between compressions. Humming along with the Bee Gees is one way to stay on track.

It turns out that “Stayin Alive” has a beat that’s in sync with the recommended pace for chest compressions given during CPR. So researchers put the pop tune to the test.

In a small study, 15 adults — mainly doctors, most of whom had performed CPR in recent months — got a refresher course in CPR. During that class, they listened to “Stayin’ Alive” and were asked to time their chest compressions to the beat.

At this time both the American Heart Assoication and the Red Cross have acknowledged that Stayin Alive does represent the proper beat for chest compressions.