Album · ABC
How to Be a… Zillionaire! by ABC
How to Be a… Zillionaire! is an album by ABC, released in 1985. 3 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 20 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Be Near Me”, on 16 lists with a best position of #18.
How to Be a... Zillionaire!, ABC's third album, arrived in October 1985 and found the Sheffield new pop band remade as a cartoon. Founders Martin Fry and Mark White were joined by two new faces, Eden and David Yarritu, credited simply as performers and contributing little if anything to the music. The sleeve and the videos turned the foursome into animated characters, and for promotional appearances they wore outrageous costumes and mimed on fake instruments.
Underneath the gags sits a slick, synth-heavy dance-pop record, with Fry crooning sardonically over the beats. The two big singles did far better in America than at home: "Be Near Me" went to number nine on the Hot 100 and "(How to Be A) Millionaire" reached 20, while the album got to 30 on the Billboard 200. "Vanity Kills" and "Ocean Blue" were singles too, and a 2005 remaster added eight bonus tracks.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from How to Be a… Zillionaire! on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Be Near Me | 16 | #18 | – | 1985–2025 | |
| 2 | Vanity Kills | 2 | #55 | – | 1985–1989 | |
| 3 | How To Be A Millionaire | 2 | #72 | – | 1985–1999 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.