Prince and the Revolution (July 31, 1985) – "Pop Life" b/w "Hello" Format: US 12"

Pop Life was the third single (second in North America) to be released from Prince’s eighth album Around The World In A Day, the second to be credited to Prince and the Revolution.

It was released three months after the album’s release. The single included a non-album track b-side, Hello as well as extended versions ("Fresh Dance Mix") of both Pop Life and Hello.

Raspberry Beret was released concurrently in the UK (with Hello as the b-side), so when Pop Life was

released there, Girl was used as the b-side

 instead.

Unusually, different versions of Pop Life were used on the 12" in different countries. The U.S. and Europe received Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix) (remixed by Sheila E.), while the UK, Australia and New Zealand received Pop Life (Extended Version), which was Prince’s own original version.

This was the first Prince single to include more than one remix of the same track, although not all remixes were issued in the same territory.

Tracklist (12"): 

A — Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix) (6:16)

B — Hello (Fresh Dance Mix) (6:38)

Tracklist (12" Promo): 

A — Pop Life (3:42)

B — Pop Life (3:42)

The cover art, as with that of the singles Raspberry Beret and America, is an enlarged detail from the artwork of the album Around The World In A Day, painted by Doug Henders.

The single reached number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart, and number 8 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles Chart.

COUNTRY VARIANTS

Artist: Prince and the Revolution Title: Pop Life

Label: Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Country: US Catalogue: 0-20357 / PRO-A-2331

Date: July 31, 1985

Format: 12"

RECORDING

"Pop Life" was recorded before Purple Rain was completed.

STYLE & THEMES

The song starts with a faded-in synth line and quickly starts the main tune. The easy groove is achieved with a smooth bass guitar and piano embellishments.

A drum machine provides handclaps to make the song danceable. Lyrically, the song describes the tiresome and stressful side of the celebrity life, including the pressure that can lead to drug use ("What you putting in your nose?/Is that where all your money goes?").

TRACK‑BY‑TRACK NOTES

• Pop Life — The song includes a portion that features the sound of bell ringing for a boxing match, followed by the sound of a restless crowd with someone yelling "throw the bum out!".

The US received a "Fresh Dance Mix", which is a remix (by Sheila E.) that included some portions of the longer UK version. It clocks in at 6:16.

• Hello — Written quickly as a response to those who criticized Prince's lack of participation in the "We Are the World" event.

The angry lyrics lambaste the prying media and false friendships, and is driven by a pulsing beat. The extended version of the song ends with a spoken word by Prince, which contain some self-humor about his high-heeled shoes.

RELEASE HISTORY

Released July 31, 1985 in the US. The first-ever official music video for the song was released to Prince's official YouTube November 8, 2025. It was directed by Kii Arens with animation done by Eben Zboch.

CHARTS & CERTIFICATIONS

USA: Billboard Hot 100 – Entry 27 Jul. 1985 – Peak 7 – 14 weeks

USA: Billboard Hot Black Singles – Entry 3 Aug. 1985 – Peak 8 – 13 weeks

USA: Billboard Hot Dance/Disco - Club Play (Listed with Hello) – Entry 24 Aug. 1985 – Peak 5 – 9 weeks

Australia (Kent Music Report): Peak 67

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders): Peak 34 Germany (GfK): Peak 65

New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ): Peak 44

UK Singles (Official Charts): Peak 60

US Cashbox: Peak 7

France (SNEP, 2016): Peak 116

PERSONNEL

Prince – lead vocals, piano, Oberheim OB-8, bass guitar

Sheila E. – drums, Linn LM-1 (and uncredited additional vocals on the Fresh Dance Mix)

Lisa Coleman – background vocals Wendy Melvoin – background vocals Orchestral players (Segue to The Ladder)

Violins – Sid Page and Marcy Dicterow-Vaj Violas – Denyse Buffum and Laury Woods Stand-up

bass – Tim Barr and Annette Atkinson

PRODUCTION

Produced by Prince

Label: Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Catalogue numbers:

• US: 0-20357

• US: PRO-A-2331

Notes: The cover art is an enlarged detail from the artwork of the album Around The World In A Day, painted by Doug Henders.

SOURCES Discogs, 45 World, Wikipedia. BBC Official Charts Prince Vault, Sleeveographia2 All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

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