Friday on My Mind: Money

It’s time again for Friday on My Mind, our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News. Today we are kicking off the first day of our 2013 Spring Fundraising Drive here at KEXP so we are looking at songs about money. The support of KEXP listeners is important and critical in ensuring that the station will live on for years to come. KEXP has been broadcasting 40 years strong because our listeners have supported this non-profit public station here in Seattle. So whether you are a new donor, a renewing donor, or one of our monthly amplifiers, take a moment to reflect and celebrate this community based in music that KEXP helps to foster along with all of you. KEXP is the Past, Present and Future of music. Plus we have some pretty awesome shirts to send you. And now as we visualize reaching our goal for this drive, here are songs about money to help motivate us all… Pet Shop Boys - “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, aka The Pet Shop Boys, first formed in London back in 1981. Shortly after meeting, the duo started to work on music together. After they signed to a major label,“Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” was their first single off of their 1986 debut album, Please. Initially the song went relatively unnoticed, but after the release and success of “West End Girls”, “Opportunities”, was re-engineered and saw more success. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyeWRd7ZEBs Donna Summer - “She Works Hard for the Money” Born on December 31st, 1948 as LaDonna Adrian Gaines, Donna Summer was the undisputed “Queen of Disco”. During Donna Summer’s career, she won a total of five Grammy awards and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard charts. Summer also charted four number-one singles in the United States within a 13-month period. Lung cancer claimed Donna Summer’s life on May 17, 2012 at the age of 63, but along with Public Enemy, Albert King, Randy Newman, Heart, Rush, Lou Adler, and Quincy Jones, Summer will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony on April 18th in Los Angeles. Her 1983 song, “She Works Hard for the Money” was released after the disco era, but it became her biggest album since her 1979 album Bad Girls, which produced four number one hits for the singer. “She Works Hard for Her Money” reached # 1 on US Billboard R&B Chart. The song was a tribute to hard working women. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX7MbG6MiQs The Steve Miller Band - “Take the Money and Run” (Performed at the Revinia Festival in Chicago in 2007) Formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. “Take the Money and Run” is one of the Steve Miller Band’s biggest hits. Released on their Fly Like an Eagle album from 1976. The album sold over four million copies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MneA9pgLVw Honorable Mentions Dire Straits - “Money for Nothing” Sting adds vocals with the falsetto “I want my MTV.” “Money for Nothing” was the first song played on MTV Europe on August 1, 1987. It was then played every hour, every day for that entire god damn year on American MTV. I'm finally able to look at it again. Remind me to try "Sledgehammer" next go around. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAD6Obi7Cag Ted DiBiase - The Theme to the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is signed with WWE working in their Legends program. Achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career and as god as my witness I walked by a show poster in Wallingford yesterday with his image on it. It was meant to be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odg2Qfjn0GM