Best Songs About Money and Ambition
In short: For wanting it, play Money (That's What I Want) or Empire State of Mind. For the grind, 9 to 5 or C.R.E.A.M. For mocking it, Pink Floyd's Money, Royals or Thrift Shop. For saying it doesn't matter, Can't Buy Me Love. Together they cover about every attitude to money pop has had since 1959.
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"Money (That's What I Want)," Barrett Strong (1959). The first hit for Berry Gordy's young Motown label, and blunt about it: love is nice, money is better. The Beatles and many others covered it.
"Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z and Alicia Keys (2009). Jay-Z traces his rise from Brooklyn's Marcy Projects, with Keys's chorus turning New York into a symbol of possibility. It spent five weeks at number one in the US.
The grind
"9 to 5," Dolly Parton (1980). Written for the comedy film she starred in with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, about women fighting a sexist boss. A US number one and a two-time Grammy winner.
"C.R.E.A.M.," Wu-Tang Clan (1993). From Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Raekwon and Inspectah Deck describe poverty and hustling in Staten Island over a sad soul sample. The title became a slogan.
Mocking it
"Money," Pink Floyd (1973). Roger Waters's sarcastic look at greed, built on a loop of cash registers and coins, in the unusual time signature of 7/4. One of the band's signature songs.
"Thrift Shop," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (2012). A cheerfully ridiculous song about the joy of secondhand clothes. Independently released, it topped the US charts.
"Royals," Lorde (2013). A New Zealand teenager points out that she and her friends will never live like the stars in the songs they hear, and don't care. It won the Grammy for Song of the Year.
Not caring about it
"Can't Buy Me Love," The Beatles (1964). Paul McCartney's breezy claim that money can't buy the important things. A number one in the UK and US.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good song about working hard? Dolly Parton's "9 to 5," about an office worker underpaid and overlooked. She famously wrote the rhythm on her acrylic nails.
What song criticises wealth in pop music? Lorde's "Royals" (2013), written when she was 16, pushes back on the gold teeth and Cristal of chart-topping songs.
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