Ain't Nothin' Goin' On but the Rent explained

Ain't Nothin' Goin' On but the Rent
Cover:Ain't Nothin' Gwen Guthrie.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Gwen Guthrie
Album:Good to Go Lover
Released:1986
Genre:Dance-R&B[1]
Label:Polydor
Producer:Gwen Guthrie
Prev Title:Just for You
Prev Year:1985
Next Title:Seventh Heaven
Next Year:1986

"Ain't Nothin' Goin' On but the Rent" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gwen Guthrie. It was released in 1986 as the lead single from her fourth album, Good to Go Lover (1986), on Polydor Records. It was both written and produced by Guthrie, becoming the biggest hit of her career, and the song's title became a semi-popular catchphrase among many women throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.[2] The single peaked at number five in the UK, but hit number one in New Zealand, Zimbabwe and on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. In 1993, it was remixed and again charted in the UK, peaking at number 42. In 2005, Blender listed "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On but the Rent" at number 339 on its list of "Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".[3]

Critical reception

Alan Jones from Music Week gave the 1993 remix three out of five. He wrote, "A disappointing seven-inch remix by Nigel Wright is stale and one-dimensional, but the original, still sounding fresh, and a radical E-Lustrious remix are more than enough to score a hit."[4] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update noted, "1986 garage anthem's radical blippily thundering E-Lusirious, breezily soulful Nigel Wright Remixes, ponderously lurching Original".[5]

Chart performance

The song was a major hit on both sides of the Atlantic,[6] mostly in dance clubs and on the radio, charting moderately on the US pop chart (reaching number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100), but faring better on the Billboard R&B chart where it spent one week at number-one and on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart where it spent two weeks at the top.[7] The song peaked at number one in New Zealand and Zimbabwe, and was also successful in parts of Europe, reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart.[8] The 1993 remix reached number eight on the UK Dance Singles Chart.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1986–1987)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 75
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[10] 40
Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[11] 1
Chart (1993)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)42
UK Airplay (ERA)[12] 50
UK Dance (Music Week)[13] 8
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[14] 4

Year-end charts

References to other songs

The song contains apparent references to at least three other songs:

The line "Ain't nothing goin' on now, but the rent-uh" appears in the 1972 James Brown hit "Get on the Good Foot — Pt. 1".

The line "You got to have a J-O-B if you want to be-with-me" is set to a melody line that recurs throughout "Doctor Love", a 1977 disco hit by First Choice.

The line "Nothing from nothing leaves nothing" is taken from Billy Preston's 1974 hit song of the same name.

Covers and pop culture references

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Whaley . Natelegé . Review: City Girls' Girl Code . Pitchfork . Conde Nast . January 6, 2023. It's no wonder City Girls want men to pay up for their time. The mindset isn't new. Gwen Guthrie sang, "No romance without finance," on her 1986 dance-R&B hit "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent.".
  2. News: Hard 'Rain' Falls On Women . . September 28, 1986 . March 22, 2012.
  3. Web site: Blender Magazine: Greatest Songs Since You Were Born . dead . April 1, 2009 . December 19, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100107141145/http://www.blender.com/lists/68125/500-greatest-songs-since-you-were-born-451-500.html?p=4 . January 7, 2010.
  4. Jones . Alan . Market Preview: Mainstream – Singles – Pick of the Week . . August 14, 1993 . 14 . April 3, 2021.
  5. Hamilton . James . James Hamilton (DJ and journalist) . Dj directory . Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) . August 21, 1993 . 7 . March 30, 2021.
  6. Web site: Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent was a major hit on both sides . . October 8, 2016.
  7. [Joel Whitburn|Whitburn, Joel]
  8. https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/Dickie%20Davis%20Eyes Official Charts Company info from Official Charts Company
  9. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 131.
  10. European Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 3. 34. August 30, 1986. 12. November 13, 2020.
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  12. Airplay 100. Hit Music. September 11, 1993. 19. May 6, 2024.
  13. Dance Singles . . September 4, 1993 . 26 . April 9, 2021.
  14. The RM Club Chart. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). August 14, 1993. 4. May 10, 2023.
  15. Top 100 Singles. Music Week. 24. January 24, 1987.
  16. Web site: End of Year Charts 1987. Recorded Music NZ. November 13, 2020.
  17. https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/2019/05/16/eddie-murphy-raw-transcript/ Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987) – Full Transcript
  18. Web site: RuPaul's Drag Race: "Scent Of A Drag Queen". The A.V. Club. Sava. Oliver. 2013-03-19. 2021-06-29.

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