Do you ever get just a little nervous about an approaching Friday the 13^th? Whether or not you’re superstitious about such things, it’s always good to have a little extra luck coming your way. So, we thought we’d hook you up with seven “lucky” songs for Friday the 13^th.

The Origins Of Friday The 13^th Superstitions

Before we get to the “lucky” songs, we decided to do a little digging to learn more about Friday the 13^th superstitions. First of all, the superstition that the number 13 and Friday are unlucky is mostly part of Western culture. For example, in Greek and Hispanic cultures, the unlucky day of the month is Tuesday the 13^th

In fact, there are many reasons why the number 12 is one of completion in many faiths. There are 12 days of Christmas, 12 months in our calendar, and for Christians, 12 disciples of Jesus. Furthermore, for those of the Christian faith, it’s known that there were 13 people at the Last Supper. The following day would become known as Good Friday in the Christian tradition. But it was the day that Jesus was crucified. Therefore, it’s possible to see why the number 13 may have been considered unlucky down through the ages.

An Early 20^th Century Novel Cements The Superstition

Additionally, there are more explanations about Friday the 13^th superstitions on History.com. By and large, this specific date on the calendar may have unlucky connotations due to a novel published in 1907 according to research by History.com editors. The book Friday, The Thirteenth by Thomas William Lawson tells “the story of a New York City stockbroker who plays on superstitions about the date to create chaos on Wall Street and make a killing on the market.”

Of course, there’s the horror movie Friday The 13^th which hit movie theaters in 1980. It certainly has also contributed to the folklore surrounding this date on the calendar. With all this in mind, we could all use a little extra good fortune, so let’s check out these seven “lucky” songs.

• "Luck Be A Lady" - Frank Sinatra

  “The Chairman of the Board.” “Ol’ Blue Eyes.” Even those born after his heyday have heard the name Frank Sinatra. Whether you call Las Vegas home, or you just love visiting “Sin City,” you may have tried to play craps at one time or another. This great song, from the musical Guys and Dolls, was originally performed by Marlon Brando in the movie adaptation. Frank Sinatra co-starred in that movie, portraying the character Nathan Detroit. “Luck Be A Lady” has since become a signature song for Sinatra.

   

• "Lucky Man" - Emerson, Lake and Palmer

  This British progressive rock band was a staple on FM rock stations during the early and mid 1970’s. Keith Emerson on keyboards, Greg Lake on lead vocals, bass and guitar, and Carl Palmer on drums. “Lucky Man” was their debut single here in the U.S. It peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. I love the way Greg Lake plays guitar, sings, and chews gum at the same time while performing on stage in this music video. I can barely type this information and chew gum at the same time!

   

• "I Should Be So Lucky" - Kylie Minogue

  Kylie Minogue was a starring actress on the Australian television soap opera Neighbours when her second single was released here in the U.S. (Her 1987 debut single, “Locomotion,” failed to chart on the Hot 100. It would be re-released under the title “The Loco-motion” in 1988 and reached #3 on the American pop chart.) The song “I Should Be So Lucky” has that familiar sound of the Stock-Aitken-Waterman production team. They produced the 80s hits “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)” for Dead or Alive, “Venus” and “I Heard A Rumour” by Bananarama, and Rick Astley’s two #1 smashes, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” and “Together Forever.”

   

• "With A Little Luck" - Paul McCartney and Wings

  Here’s the lead single from the 1978 album London Town by Paul McCartney and Wings. It became the former Beatles’ fifth of six number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 after leaving the “Fab Four.” In England, this was the follow-up single to McCartney’s best-selling single of all time in that country, “Mull of Kintyre.”

   

• "You Got Lucky" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

  This top 20 hit for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is a bit unusual. Instead of being a guitar-driven song, “You Got Lucky” relies on synthesizers. It was the lead single from the band’s 1982 album Long After Dark, and it peaked at #20 on the Hot 100. However, it stayed at the top of the Billboard rock chart for three weeks. In interviews, Petty stated they wanted the music video to look a lot like the post-apocalyptic world portrayed in the 1981 film Mad Max 2.

   

• "Some Guys Have All The Luck" - Rod Stewart

  This song was a Billboard top 40 hit two times: first in 1973 when it was recorded and released by the R&B group The Persuaders. Their version peaked at #39 on the pop chart and reached #7 on the soul chart. Fast forward 11 years and superstar Rod Steward decided to cover the song for his 1984 album Camouflage. He took “Some Guys Have All The Luck” to #10 on the Hot 100 in October of that year.

   

• "Lucky Star" - Madonna

  She’s called “The Queen of Pop” for a reason. Billboard has named her the most successful female solo artist in Hot 100 chart history. Overall, she’s second only to The Beatles on the American pop charts. “Lucky Star,” from her self-titled debut album, became her first of 16 consecutive top 5 singles when it peaked at #4 in 1984. Incidentally, Madonna’s brother Christopher Ciccone is one of the featured dancers in the music video.

   

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