Working for the Weekend
| "Working for the Weekend" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Loverboy | ||||
| from the album Get Lucky | ||||
| B-side | "Emotional" | |||
| Released | September 1981 | |||
| Studio | Mushroom (Vancouver, British Columbia) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:41 | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
| |||
| Loverboy singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Working for the Weekend" on YouTube | ||||
"Working for the Weekend" is a song by Canadian rock band Loverboy from their second studio album, Get Lucky (1981). 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".[3]
Background
[edit | edit source]The 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.[4] 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".[4]
Personnel
[edit | edit source]- Mike Reno – lead vocals
- Paul Dean – guitar, backing vocals
- Doug Johnson – keyboards
- Scott Smith – bass
- Matt Frenette – drums
Charts
[edit | edit source]Weekly charts
[edit | edit source]| Chart (1981–1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 19 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[6] | 10 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] | 19 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 29 |
| US Rock Top Tracks (Billboard)[9] | 2 |
Year-end charts
[edit | edit source]| Chart (1982) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] | 93 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 96 |
Certifications
[edit | edit source]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[12] | 2× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Cover versions
[edit | edit source]- The song was covered by former American Idol contestant and country music singer Josh Gracin on the soundtrack to the 2005 film 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[13] 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.[14]
In popular culture
[edit | edit source]- The song was used in the Saturday Night Live sketch "Chippendales Audition" featuring Chris Farley and guest host Patrick Swayze. The sketch aired on October 27, 1990.
- The song made in appearance in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the in-game hard rock and heavy metal radio station V-Rock.
- The song was featured in the Cartoon Network show Regular Show Season 1, Episode 3, Caffeinated Concert Tickets. It was featured during a montage scene.
- The song was used in the launch trailer for Chapter 6: Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale, titled "Shock 'N Awesome".
References
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- ^ "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.
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- ^ Ron Burgundy Sings Mayor Rob Ford's Campaign Song - CONAN on TBS on YouTube
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- 1981 songs
- 1981 singles
- 1982 singles
- Columbia Records singles
- Epic Records singles
- CBS Records singles
- Loverboy songs
- Power pop songs
- Song recordings produced by Bruce Fairbairn
- Songs about social issues
- Songs about labor
- Songs written by Matt Frenette
- Songs written by Mike Reno
- Songs written by Paul Dean (guitarist)