Love to Hate You

"Love to Hate You" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in September 1991 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Chorus (1991). Written by band members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, it is an electronic dance track inspired by disco music. The synthesizer melody in the chorus is an interpolation of the string break from American singer Gloria Gaynor's disco-era classic "I Will Survive". The duo also recorded a Spanish version of the song, called "Amor y Odio" (Love and Hatred), and one in Italian called "Amo Odiarti". The single was released by Mute Records in the UK and Sire Records in the US. It peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and became a top-10 hit in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, and Sweden. Chart performance "Love to Hate You" is one of Erasure's most successful singles on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four. It became a top-ten hit also in Greece, where it reached number nine; Finland, where it reached number seven; Austria, where it reached number six; Denmark and Ireland, where it reached number five; and Sweden, where it reached number four. In the US it reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, number 10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart, and number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Critical reception Larry Flick from Billboard named "Love to Hate You" a "techno-conscious twirler", that nicks an idea or two from Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". He complimented Andy Bell's "sassy and soulful" performance as an interesting contrast to the track's "overall electro tone". Andy Kastanas from The Charlotte Observer declared it as "a much more pop-oriented song, lacking the trademark Erasure synth riff". Bill Wyman from Entertainment Weekly felt that it "has a thumpy bottom and a passable hook". Dave Jennings of Melody Maker considered the song to be "likeable, upbeat, a little bloodless but nevertheless a guaranteed top five entry". He also noted the "mildly interesting lyric". Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated that it's a "top rate pop/dance song, which draws influences from '70s Giorgio Moroder productions.