I Should Be So Lucky

"I Should Be So Lucky"

Australian single
Single by Kylie Minogue
from the album Kylie
Released 29 December 1987
Format
Recorded 1987
Genre
Length 3:24
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Stock Aitken Waterman
Certification Platinum (Australia)
Gold (UK)
Kylie Minogue singles chronology
"Locomotion"
(1987)		 "I Should Be So Lucky"
(1987)		 "Got to Be Certain"
(1988)
Alternative cover
International cover of "I Should Be So Lucky"
Audio sample
file info · help

"I Should Be So Lucky" is a song performed by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album Kylie (1988). Released on 29 December 1987 by Mushroom Records and PWL Records, the song became a worldwide breakthrough hit; its now-iconic image of Minogue on the front cover was shot by David Levine.

The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue, and they went on to produce Minogue's first four studio albums. "I Should Be So Lucky" was an international hit, reaching number one in several countries including Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany, as well as making the US Billboard Hot 100 top 30.

Background and composition

After the success of her debut single "Locomotion" in Australia, Minogue traveled to London to work with Stock Aitken Waterman, a successful British writing and production team. They knew little of Minogue and had forgotten that she was arriving; as a result, they wrote "I Should Be So Lucky" in forty minutes while she waited outside the recording studio.[2] Mike Stock wrote the lyrics for the song in response to what he had learned about Minogue prior to her arrival. He believed that although she was a successful soap star in Australia and very talented, there must be something wrong with her and figured that she must be unlucky in love.[2] Minogue recorded the song in less than an hour, which Stock attributes to her good ear for music and her quick memorization skills. After Minogue finished the recording session she returned home to Australia to continue work on the soap opera, Neighbours.[2]

"I Should Be So Lucky" is a dance-pop oriented song, which features elements of bubblegum pop and new wave music. According to the music sheet on MusicNotes.com, which was published by Universal Music Publishing Group, the song is set in the key of C Major.[3] Minogue's vocals span from D4 to C5.The song is set in common time and moves at a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. Instrumentation of the song features synthesizers, keyboards and guitars. According to PopMatters, they said the song features "numerous orchestra hits to the uncomfortably thin sounding drum machine."[4] Waterman has said the tune was inspired by Pachelbel's Canon.[5] Stock told the Guardian: "Anyone who thinks I Should Be So Lucky is easy should try to play it. It's in four keys, all of them really awkward, and you can't even strum it unless you're a really good musician."[6]

"I Should Be So Lucky" received positive to mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, who thought that the song was an instant highlight and good song within the 80's, while some dismissed the lyrical content. Despite this, the song received commercial attention around the world, where the song peaked in the top ten in many countries including Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Dance charts in the U.S.

The song was also known to many in the late 1980s and early 1990s as one of Minogue's signature songs, which many critics entering the song on their best track or worst track list. And additionally, in 2011, "I Should Be So Lucky" was added to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia's Sounds of Australia registry.[7][8]

"I Should Be So Lucky" later appeared on six of Kylie's hit compilations including Greatest Hits (1992), Greatest Hits 1987–1999 (2003), Greatest Hits 87–97 (2003), Ultimate Kylie (2004), her compilation The Best of Kylie Minogue (2012) and The Abbey Road Sessions (2012).

Reception

Critical response

"I Should Be So Lucky" garnered positive reviews from some music critics. Nick Levine, from Digital Spy, called it "standout track".[9] Chris True from AllMusic had reviewed the album, and highlighted the song as an album standout.[10] But as a separate rating, they gave the single three stars out of five.[11] In the review of The Best of Kylie Minogue (2012), Tim Sendra highlighted it as an album standout.[12] Hunter Felt from PopMatters gave it a positive review, stating "something about Kylie’s innocent yet forceful vocals and the sheer catchiness of the song itself [...] So the song became a beloved secret, and I never bothered to try to tune my friends in on “I Could Be So Lucky”, or, crazier yet, proclaim that this “has-been” would be a critical and commercial darling in a few years time." However, he did say the song was cliché.[4] However, Mark Edwards from Stylus Magazine gave it a scathing remark by saying "Listening to the first tracks on Ultimate Kylie, you want to skip straight through, because early songs like “I Should Be So Lucky” and “Locomotion” are unlistenable—horribly naff, squeaky songs" and criticized Stock, Aitken and Waterman songs they produced in the 80's by stating "[the songs] transport the listener back to a time when every single in the UK charts was either written by Stock, Aitken and Waterman or sung by an Aussie soap star, or both."[13] OK! called the song a "classic".[14]

The song won the Highest Selling Single award at the 3rd annual ARIA Awards.[15]

Chart performance

"I Should Be So Lucky" was released on 29 December 1987. It was a commercial success, reaching atop the Australian Kent Music Report chart for six consecutives weeks, and became her second number-one single after Locomotion.[16] The song was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and ranked at number five on the Year-end chart for 1988.[16][17] In New Zealand, the song entered at No. 15 on New Zealand Top 40 and peaked at No. 3 on 27 March 1988, spending twelve weeks on the chart.[18] In United Kingdom, "I Should Be So Lucky" was released on 29 December 1987. The song entered at No. 90 on the UK Singles Chart, climbing to No. 54 the following week and three weeks later, it was No. 1 and remained at the top position for five weeks.[19] It spent seventeen weeks on the chart.[19] It was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for the shipment of 600,000 copies.[20] The song was one of the best-selling singles of 1988, with estimated sales of over 675,000.[21]

Elsewhere, "I Should Be So Lucky" peaked on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Dance Club Play. The song reached No. 10 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart on 4 June 1988 and no. 28 on the Hot 100 on 16 July 1988.[22][23] In Canada, the song reached at No. 61.[24] Across Europe, "I Should Be So Lucky" also topped the singles charts in Germany, Ireland and Switzerland.[25][26][27] It became a top-five hit in Austria, France and Norway,[27] as well as a top-thirty hit in Belgium, Netherlands and Sweden.[27][28] It peaked at No. 1 in Finland, Israel and Hong Kong.[29] The song was certified silver by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) and gold in Germany.[30][31]

Music video

Minogue in front of a colourful chalkboard background in the music video.

The music video for "I Should Be So Lucky" was directed by Chris Langman and filmed in November 1987 at Channel 7 Studios in Melbourne, Australia.[32] The video features Minogue walking through her home, with scenes of her dancing in front of a colourful chalkboard background intercut throughout. It presented a cute, wholesome, young "girl-next-door" image of Minogue to the public, with scenes of her giggling and making funny faces to the camera.

Another version of the video was made for live television promotion. This version of the video shows Kylie riding in a car with several friends through Sydney with passersby waving to her as she rides by them.

The video premiered in the UK in January 1988.[33] The complete version of "I Should Be So Lucky" featured in the music video has been released commercially through multiple VHS and DVD collections. Its most recent inclusion is on the companion DVD to her 2012 greatest hits album, The Best of Kylie Minogue. Outtakes from the music video were used in Kylie: The Videos.

As satire

The British satirical programme Spitting Image made a send-up of "I Should Be So Lucky" entitled "Kylie Minogue", in which Minogue is depicted as being brought to life in a way similar to Frankenstein's monster in an old 1930s movie. The action shifts between the laboratory to an apartment similar to that of the original video. The song also pokes fun at her performance in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, in which as Charlene Mitchell, later Robinson she was best known at the time, and implies that she was lucky to have been chosen over other soap stars, namely Paul Henry who was Benny Hawkins in the British drama Crossroads. Stock, Aitken and Waterman are combined together as a large tape player providing creature-Minogue's voice which at one point is distorted to sound like Rick Astley.[34]

"Kylie Minogue" is track 4 on the 1990 Spitting Image CD 20 Great Golden Gobs.

British comedians French and Saunders included a send-up of the song during the third season of their show (broadcast 26 April 1990). The sketch features the recording of the song with an orchestra and vocals by three opera divas, played by French, Saunders, and British mezzo-soprano Sarah Walker.[35][36]

in 1988,Hong Kong singer Sarah Wong covered this song in Cantonese,The popular sketch comedy television show French & Saunders made a parody of "I Should Be So Lucky". Right after the release of the original song, Brazilian pop artist Simony recorded a version in Brazilian Portuguese entitled "Acho Que Sou Louca" (literally I Think I'm Crazy). In 1992, the Egyptian pop singer Simon recorded a cover of the song with new lyrics in Arabic titled "Bahibak Aawy". French guitarist Noel Akchote's 2007 album So Lucky includes an instrumental cover. In September 2007, a cover version of "I Should Be So Lucky" appeared on the album Dolce Vita by Spanish singer Soraya Arnelas.[37] Also that year, Japanese duo mihimaru GT released a hip hop cover version of the song. It was released as a double A-side single, along with the song "Ai Kotoba", in Japan in November 2007.[38] More recent in 2008, Northern Kings recorded a rock version of this song included on their second album Rethroned.

The Kylie Minogue recording features in the 1989 film Cookie.

Irish rock band U2 included snippets of the "I Should Be So Lucky" lyrics into their live version of "Angel of Harlem" on their Australian tour dates upon dedicating their song to Minogue.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "I Should Be So Lucky".

  1. "I Should Be So Lucky" – 3:24
  2. "I Should Be So Lucky" (Instrumental) – 3:24
  1. "I Should Be So Lucky" (Extended Version) – 6:08
  2. "I Should Be So Lucky" (Instrumental) – 3:24
  • 12" (The Bicentennial Mix) Single[42]
  1. "I Should Be So Lucky" (Bicentennial Mix) – 6:12
  2. "I Should Be So Lucky" (Instrumental) – 3:24
  • North American 12" Single[43]
  1. "I Should Be So Lucky" (Original Mix) – 6:00
  2. "I Should Be So Lucky" (Dance Remix) – 6:10
  3. "I Should Be So Lucky" (Instrumental) – 3:24

(Not available at time of original release. Released for the first time as part of iTunes PWL archive release in 2009.)

  1. "I Should Be So Lucky" (extended version)
  2. "I Should Be So Lucky" (the bicentennial remix)
  3. "I Should Be So Lucky" (7" instrumental)
  4. "I Should Be So Lucky" (7" backing track)
  5. "I Should Be So Lucky" (12" remix)
  6. "I Should Be So Lucky" (12" remix instrumental)
  7. "I Should Be So Lucky" (12" remix backing track)
  • Other official versions
  1. "I Should Be So Lucky/Dreams" (Fever2002 Tour Studio Version)

Live performances

Minogue performed the song on the following concert tours:

The song was also performed on:

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the Kylie liner notes.[44]

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (1987/88) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[16] 1
Austrian Singles Chart[27] 4
Belgian VRT Top 30[28] 8
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[24] 25
Dutch Top 40[27] 12
European Hot 100 Singles 1
Finnish Singles Chart[45] 1
French Singles Chart[27] 4
German Singles Chart[25] 1
Hong Kong Singles Chart[29] 1
Irish Singles Chart[26] 1
Italian Singles Chart[27] 30
Japanese Singles Chart[29] 1
New Zealand Singles Chart[18] 3
Norwegian Singles Chart[27] 5
Swedish Singles Chart[27] 13
Swiss Singles Chart[27] 1
UK Singles Chart[19] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 28
US Billboard Hot Dance Club/Play[23] 10

Year-end charts

Chart (1988) Position
Australian Singles Chart[17] 5
Austrian Singles Chart[46] 30
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[47] 80
German Singles Chart[48] 16
New Zealand Singles Chart[49] 27
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 87
UK Singles Chart[50] 3

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[51] Platinum 70,000^
France (SNEP)[52] Silver 250,000*
Germany (BVMI)[53] Gold 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[54] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Chart successions

Order of precedence
Preceded by
"I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany		 UK number one single
14 February – 19 March 1988 		Succeeded by
"Don't Turn Around" by Aswad
Preceded by
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" by Billy Ocean		 Irish number-one single
27 February 1988 – 5 March 1988 		Succeeded by
"Together Forever" by Rick Astley
Preceded by
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes		 Australian number-one single
14 March 1988 – 18 April 1988 		Succeeded by
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" by Billy Ocean
Preceded by
"Tell It to My Heart" by Taylor Dayne		 German number-one single
8 April 1988 – 15 April 1988 		Succeeded by
"Heart" by Pet Shop Boys
Preceded by
"Tell It to My Heart" by Taylor Dayne		 Swiss number-one single
17 April 1988
1 May 1988 		Succeeded by
"Tell It to My Heart" by Taylor Dayne
"Heart" by Pet Shop Boys

References

  1. ↑ Lim, Dennis (26 February 2002). "Your Disco Needs Her". The Village Voice. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "I Should Be So Lucky". Love is in the Air. 2003-11-02. ABC Television.
  3. ↑ "Digital Sheet Music: I Should Be So Lucky". Universal Music Publishing Group. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  4. 1 2 Felt, Hunter. "Kylie Minogue: The Ultimate Kylie". PopMatters. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  5. ↑ "Pop mogul 'inspired by classics'". BBC News. 7 Oct 2002. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  6. ↑ Simpson, Dave. "When pop goes bad: novelty records". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  7. ↑ National Film and Sound Archive: 'I Should Be So Lucky' on the Sounds of Australia registry
  8. ↑ National Film and Sound Archive: 'I Should Be So Lucky' on australianscreen online
  9. ↑ Levine, Nick (1 May 2010). "Music - The Sound - Kylie: Revisited #1: 'Kylie'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  10. ↑ Chris True. "Kylie - Kylie Minogue | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  11. ↑ "I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  12. ↑ Tim Sendra (2012-06-19). "The Best of Kylie Minogue - Kylie Minogue | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  13. ↑ "Kylie Minogue - Ultimate Kylie - Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  14. ↑ "Kylie: The Best Of Kylie Minogue | OK! Magazine". Ok.co.uk. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  15. ↑ "1989: 3rd Annual ARIA Awards". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  16. 1 2 3 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. 1 2 "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Singles 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  18. 1 2 "Kylie Minogue - I Should Be So Lucky (song)". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  19. 1 2 3 "Charts Stats - Kylie Minogue - I Should Be So Lucky". Official Charts Company. ChartStats.com. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  20. ↑ "Certified Awards - Searchable Database". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  21. ↑ "I Should Be So Lucky". Kylie Official Website. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  22. 1 2 3 "Kylie Minogue Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Kylie Minogue Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  24. 1 2 "Top Singles - Volume 48, No. 18, August 20 1988". RPM. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  25. 1 2 "Chartverfolgung > Kylie Minogue > I Should Be So Lucky". Media Control Charts (in German). Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  26. 1 2 "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Kylie Minogue - I Should Be So Lucky (song)". Ultratop 50. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  28. 1 2 "Radio 2 - Top 30 - I Should Be So Lucky - Songs details". VRT Top 30 (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  29. 1 2 3 Smith 2002, p. 219
  30. ↑ "Les Certifications (Singles) du SNEP (Bilan par Artiste)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (in French). Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  31. ↑ "Gold/Platin Datenbank". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  32. ↑ "I Should Be So Lucky" Music Video. kylie.com.br. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
  33. ↑ "I Should Be So Lucky" Music Video Information. mvdbase.com. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
  34. ↑ The video was available on YouTube before being removed.
  35. ↑ "French & Saunders : Ab Fab : French & Saunders Series Three". Eddypiehands.tripod.com\accessdate=2014-03-30.
  36. ↑ Video on YouTube
  37. ↑ "Soraya Arnelas confirma el track list de "Dolce Vita"". Official Soraya Arnelas Spanish Blog. 1 September 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  38. ↑ "Discography". mihimaru-GT.com. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  39. ↑ I Should Be So Lucky (Australian 7-inch Single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. Festival Records. 1987. K 485.
  40. ↑ I Should Be So Lucky (UK 7-inch Single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. PWL Records. 1987. PWL 8.
  41. ↑ I Should Be So Lucky (Australian 12-inch Single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. Mushroom Records. 1987. X 13306.
  42. ↑ I Should Be So Lucky (UK 12-inch (The Bicentennial Mix) Single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. PWL Records. 1987. PWLT 8R.
  43. ↑ I Should Be So Lucky (US 2-inch Single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. Geffen Records. 1987. 0-20914.
  44. ↑ Minogue, Kylie (1988). Kylie (Liner Notes) (Compact Disc). Kylie Minogue. London, England: Mushroom Records.
  45. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  46. ↑ "1988 Austrian Singles Chart" (in German). austriancharts. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  47. ↑ ULTRATOP - JAAROVERZICHTEN 1988
  48. ↑ German Top 20 - The Chart Of 1988
  49. ↑ THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHARTS - END OF YEAR CHARTS 1988
  50. ↑ "End Of Year Chart - Top 50 Singles of 1988". Mostynhouseschool.com. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  51. ↑ "1988 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
  52. ↑ "French single certifications – Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  53. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Kylie Minogue; 'I Should Be So Lucky')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  54. ↑ "British single certifications – Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 January 2015. Enter I Should Be So Lucky in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  • Smith, Sean (2002). Kylie Confidential. Michael O'Mara Books Limited. ISBN 1-85479-415-9. 
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