"Lucky Number" is a song by recording artistLene Lovich. Originally released as a B-side for Lovich's cover of "I Think We're Alone Now", the song was re-released on January 26, 1979, by Stiff Records as an A-side and became the lead single of her debut studio albumStateless. The song was written by Lovich and Les Chappell, who produced the song. "Lucky Number" received very positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success, peaking at number two in Australia, number three in the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and number five in Belgium. The single also charted well in Ireland and Austria. It became a defining song of the new wave genre. "Lucky Number" was covered by German punk artist Nina Hagen. The German version "Wir leben immer... noch" was released on the albumUnbehagen.
Background and recording
After the break-up of the band the Diversions in December 1976, Lovich started searching for another band. She contacted a radio presenterCharlie Gillett and advertised herself as a sax player looking for a band. Gillett gave out her number but nobody called. Later, Lovich wrote him a letter providing more information about herself. This encouraged him to get her to record a demo of Tommy James and the Shondells' song "I Think We're Alone Now". He took the tape to Dave Robinson of Stiff Records, who liked it and decided to sign Lovich. He immediately proposed the song to be released as a single and wanted Lovich and Les Chappell to write and record a B-side. In July 1978, Stiff released the first limited quantities of "I Think We're Alone Now" with an early version of "Lucky Number". Lovich and Chappell went on to record her first album Stateless, which was released in October of the same year. "Lucky Number" gained recognition and was later re-released as a lead single from the album.
Composition
The song is composed in D major at 120 beats per minute. The chorus, perhaps unpredictably, consists of four dissonant notes sung in rapid succession. According to Lovich, she "didn't know anything about writing a song, so just threw together a vocal line that sounded like a synthesizer." The chorus, coupled with the memorable guitar ostinato and rapid vocal shouts from backup singers gave the song and Lovich her distinctive sound that would define her next several records and, according to Rovi, "the hundreds of bands that followed."
