"Working for the Weekend" is a song by Canadian rock band Loverboy from their second studio album, Get Lucky (1982). It was written by guitarist Paul Dean, vocalist Mike Reno, and drummer Matt Frenette and produced by Bruce Fairbairn and Dean. The song was released as the lead single from the album in 1981 and reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as number two on Billboard's Rock Top Tracks chart in February 1982. "Working for the Weekend" was ranked at number 100 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s".[1]
| "Working for the Weekend" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Loverboy | ||||
| from the album Get Lucky | ||||
| B-side | "Emotional" | |||
| Released | September 1981 | |||
| Studio | Mushroom (Vancouver, British Columbia) | |||
| Length | 3:41 | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Loverboy singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Working for the Weekend" on YouTube | ||||
Background
editThe song originated when guitarist Paul Dean was out walking one Wednesday afternoon, looking for inspiration in his songwriting. He noticed that much of the area was deserted, as most people were at work. "So I'm out on the beach and wondering, 'Where is everybody? Well, I guess they're all waiting for the weekend,'" he later said.[2] Mike Reno, the band's vocalist, suggested they change the title to "Working for the Weekend". According to Dean, he first began writing the song in a hotel room following a Montreal concert. At the time, the band were still playing bars to little response from patrons. After completing the song, they used it to open one set, and Dean recalled that "the dance floor was packed".[2]
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1981–1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] | 19 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] | 10 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5] | 19 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 29 |
| US Rock Top Tracks (Billboard)[7] | 2 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1982) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 93 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 96 |
Cover versions
edit- The song was covered by former American Idol contestant and country music singer Josh Gracin on the 2005 soundtrack to the final installment of the Herbie franchise, Herbie: Fully Loaded, starring Lindsay Lohan and Justin Long in the scene where the team works to fix Herbie overnight in time for the final race.
- American virtuoso[10] guitarist Paul Gilbert included an instrumental cover of this song as the first track on his 2014 album Stone Pushing Uphill Man.
- Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) performed a parody version of the song on Conan on November 20, 2013, suggesting he had been asked by Rob Ford to cover the song as Ford's campaign song for re-election as Mayor of Toronto, the lyrics parodying Ford's substance abuse scandal.[11]
References
edit- ^ "VH1'S 100 GREATEST SONGS OF THE 80S". thecelebritycafe.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ a b Dan MacIntosh (May 2, 2012). "Paul Dean of Loverboy: Interview". SongFacts.com. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 182. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0435." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "Loverboy – Working for the Weekend". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. February 13, 1982. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. February 6, 1982. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. January 3, 1983. Retrieved January 22, 2023 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Talent in Action – Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 51. December 25, 1982. p. TIA-20. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
- ^ Frost, Matt (October 27, 2014). "Paul Gilbert: the 10 records that changed my life". MusicRadar. Future plc. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ Ron Burgundy Sings Mayor Rob Ford's Campaign Song - CONAN on TBS on YouTube
