MUSIC AND MONEY ON THE DANCEFLOOR
A Chronological Top 20
[Originally published in DJ Times, 2000]
1. “Funky Dollar Bill,” Funkadelic (1970) – A feedback-drenched screamer (“Funky dollar bill!/U.S. dollar bill!”), though you’d have to be as deranged as George Clinton himself (or on really, really good drugs) to dance to it.
2. “The Payback, Part 1” James Brown (1974) – The Godfather of Soul as psychic orator: “I can dig rapping/I’m ready/I can dig scrapping!” A decade-and-a-half later, Brown’s attorneys were scrapping in the courts over sampling royalties for “Funky Drummer.”
3. “For the Love of Money,” O’Jays (1974) – A dollar bill downer. The “money money money money” chant is positively ghost-like.
4. “Money (That’s What I Want),” Flying Lizards (1979) – A cold, robotic, new wave version of an old Motown (and, more famously, Beatles) classic, and very funny. The drums are as crisp as pie plates; guess they were too poor to afford a real kit.
5. “She Works Hard For the Money,” Donna Summer (1983) – An equal-pay-for-equal-work post-disco ditty, and boy does she look cute in a waitress outfit.
6. “We Need Some Money,” Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers – A chunky dollar bill from Washington, D.C.’s short-lived Go-Go scene. “We need some moo-lah, y’all!”
7. ”The Glamorous Life,” Sheila E (1984) – She don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy her love.
8. “What People Do For Money,” Divine Sounds – A one-shot Run-DMC rip-off, they were never heard from again; presumably, they took the money and ran.
9. “Material Girl,” Madonna (1985) – Her music has always stroked the pleasure centers and the wallets of the bourgeoisie and the rebels.
10. “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money),” Pet Shop Boys (1986) – Obviously, they did (make lots of money, that is), which didn’t prevent them from exploring the issue even further on tracks like “Rent” and “Shopping.” The most money-obsessed dance act of all-time.
11. “Money$ Too Tight to Mention,” Simply Red (1986) – Nice house track, cute insertion of the dollar sign in the title.
12. “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But the Rent.” Gwen Guthrie (1987) – Talk about laying it on the line: “No romance without finance.”
13. “Paid in Full,” Eric B & Rakim (1987) – The seven-minute Coldcut version is one of the all-time classic remixes, and a litigation nightmare as it explicitly sampled a half dozen sources. It’s highly doubtful anyone got paid in full, or even in part, for this.
14. “Just Got Paid,” Johnny Kemp (1988) – He’s got a dollar in his pocket, and baby, he’s ready to roar.
15. “I Wanna Be Rich,” Calloway (1990) – This went to #2 on the Billboard Pop Charts. And the moral is...ask and you shall receive?
16. “Dirty Cash (Money Talks),” The Adventures of Stevie V (1990) – From the genre known as “Euro,” also a well known currency.
17. “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night,” Prince (1991) – It sure mattered when he realized his record company was taking him to the cleaners!
18. “Mo Money Mo Problems,” Notorious B.I.G. (1997) – ...Mo sales.
19. “Bling Bling,” Juvenille (1999) – Signature track from the Ca$h Money stable, a (ahem) rich source for fiscal hip-hop. (Strange how down in the “dirty south” registers go “bling-bling”; everywhere else in the world they go “ka-ching.”)
20. “Bills, Bills, Bills,” Destiny’s Child (1999) – “Pay my automo-bills” is a pun worthy of Bob Dylan.
[Originally published in DJ Times, 2000]
1. “Funky Dollar Bill,” Funkadelic (1970) – A feedback-drenched screamer (“Funky dollar bill!/U.S. dollar bill!”), though you’d have to be as deranged as George Clinton himself (or on really, really good drugs) to dance to it.
2. “The Payback, Part 1” James Brown (1974) – The Godfather of Soul as psychic orator: “I can dig rapping/I’m ready/I can dig scrapping!” A decade-and-a-half later, Brown’s attorneys were scrapping in the courts over sampling royalties for “Funky Drummer.”
3. “For the Love of Money,” O’Jays (1974) – A dollar bill downer. The “money money money money” chant is positively ghost-like.
4. “Money (That’s What I Want),” Flying Lizards (1979) – A cold, robotic, new wave version of an old Motown (and, more famously, Beatles) classic, and very funny. The drums are as crisp as pie plates; guess they were too poor to afford a real kit.
5. “She Works Hard For the Money,” Donna Summer (1983) – An equal-pay-for-equal-work post-disco ditty, and boy does she look cute in a waitress outfit.
6. “We Need Some Money,” Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers – A chunky dollar bill from Washington, D.C.’s short-lived Go-Go scene. “We need some moo-lah, y’all!”
7. ”The Glamorous Life,” Sheila E (1984) – She don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy her love.
8. “What People Do For Money,” Divine Sounds – A one-shot Run-DMC rip-off, they were never heard from again; presumably, they took the money and ran.
9. “Material Girl,” Madonna (1985) – Her music has always stroked the pleasure centers and the wallets of the bourgeoisie and the rebels.
10. “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money),” Pet Shop Boys (1986) – Obviously, they did (make lots of money, that is), which didn’t prevent them from exploring the issue even further on tracks like “Rent” and “Shopping.” The most money-obsessed dance act of all-time.
11. “Money$ Too Tight to Mention,” Simply Red (1986) – Nice house track, cute insertion of the dollar sign in the title.
12. “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But the Rent.” Gwen Guthrie (1987) – Talk about laying it on the line: “No romance without finance.”
13. “Paid in Full,” Eric B & Rakim (1987) – The seven-minute Coldcut version is one of the all-time classic remixes, and a litigation nightmare as it explicitly sampled a half dozen sources. It’s highly doubtful anyone got paid in full, or even in part, for this.
14. “Just Got Paid,” Johnny Kemp (1988) – He’s got a dollar in his pocket, and baby, he’s ready to roar.
15. “I Wanna Be Rich,” Calloway (1990) – This went to #2 on the Billboard Pop Charts. And the moral is...ask and you shall receive?
16. “Dirty Cash (Money Talks),” The Adventures of Stevie V (1990) – From the genre known as “Euro,” also a well known currency.
17. “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night,” Prince (1991) – It sure mattered when he realized his record company was taking him to the cleaners!
18. “Mo Money Mo Problems,” Notorious B.I.G. (1997) – ...Mo sales.
19. “Bling Bling,” Juvenille (1999) – Signature track from the Ca$h Money stable, a (ahem) rich source for fiscal hip-hop. (Strange how down in the “dirty south” registers go “bling-bling”; everywhere else in the world they go “ka-ching.”)
20. “Bills, Bills, Bills,” Destiny’s Child (1999) – “Pay my automo-bills” is a pun worthy of Bob Dylan.
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