(How to Be A) Millionaire
| "(How to Be A) Millionaire" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by ABC | ||||
| from the album How to Be a ... Zillionaire! | ||||
| B-side | "(How to Be A) Billionaire" | |||
| Released | 2 November 1984[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop[2] | |||
| Length | 3:34 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| ABC singles chronology | ||||
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"(How to Be A) Millionaire" is a song by English pop band ABC. It was the first single taken from their third studio album, How to Be a ... Zillionaire! (1985).
The single peaked at a modest No. 49 on the UK Singles Chart, though it fared better in the US where it reached No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100[3] and No. 4 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.[4]
Critical reception
[edit]Upon its release, the song received a poor reception by Smash Hits reviewer Neil Tennant who found ABC imitating American dance records "There's no originality or feeling - ABC are just desperately apeing an already over-imitated sound."[5]
Music video
[edit]The animated music video shows a cartoon Martin Fry and Mark White being overwhelmed by their luxury goods, which are continually growing in size. The other two band members make a brief appearance also in animated form.[6]
Track listing
[edit]7": Neutron NT107
[edit]- "(How to Be A) Millionaire" – 3:30
- "(How to Be A) Billionaire" – 3:37
12": Neutron NTXR 107
[edit]- "(How to Be A) Zillionaire" (Bond Street Mix) – 6:05
- "(How to Be A) Millionaire" (Single Remix) – 3:31
- "(How to Be A) Millionaire" (A Capella Version) – 3:30
12": Neutron NTX 107
[edit]- "(How to Be A) Zillionaire" (Wall Street Mix) – 7:33
- "(How to Be A) Millionaire" – 3:31
- "(How to Be A) Millionaire" (Accapella) – 3:30
- "(How to Be A) Millionaire" (Nickel & Dime Mix) – 5:22 (included on US version only)
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 49 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 20 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 4 |
In popular culture
[edit]- The CBS Orchestra played the song for Regis Philbin when he was a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman.[7] Philbin was the former host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for the ABC television network.
- The song appears in Party Monster (2003).
- The song appears on the in-game radio station Wave 103 in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, released in 2006.
References
[edit]- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 28.
- ^ Phares, Heather. ABC - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best of ABC (2000) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "ABC Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 16.
- ^ Tennant, Neil. "Singles". Smash Hits 21 November 1984. p. 20.
- ^ (How to Be A) Millionaire. MTV. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015.
- ^ Letterman – Regis Is Shrek – YouTube
External links
[edit]- "(How to Be A) Millionaire" at Discogs (list of releases)
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