"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 |
"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". [1]
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. [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]
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 |
Chart (1982) | Rank |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [8] | 93 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [9] | 96 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [10] | 2× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
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