The Cup of Life

"The Cup of Life"
File:The Cup of Life cover.png European single cover
Single by Ricky Martin
from the album Vuelve
Released	March 9, 1998 (1998-03-09)
Format	CD single
Recorded	1997
Genre	Latin pop
Length	4:28
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Luis Gómez Escolar Desmond Child Draco Rosa
Producer(s)	Desmond Child Draco Rosa
Ricky Martin singles chronology
"Vuelve" (1998) "The Cup of Life" (1998) "La Bomba" (1998)
Music video "La Copa de la Vida" on YouTube

"The Cup of Life" (Spanish: La Copa de la Vida) is a song recorded by Ricky Martin. It was released on March 9, 1998, as the second single from Vuelve (1998). "The Cup of Life" became the official song of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France and topped the charts in many countries around the world.

The 41st Annual Grammy Awards are widely remembered for Martin's performance of "La Copa de la Vida", which was later included on his DVD, The Ricky Martin Video Collection. The popular version of the song is a remix by Pablo Flores.

Music videos

The music video to "The Cup of Life" was shot by Wayne Isham in 1998 in a concert in Puerto Rico and later aired in April 1998. In the video, Martin performs the song energetically before a sold out concert audience. The music video to the Spanish version of the song, known as "La Copa de la Vida", basically consists of the performance in "The Cup of Life" video, but starts with Martin kicking a soccer ball to the screen while being filmed, presumably for the song's video. This video is also interspersed by added scenes of the audience singing and dancing to the song, plus shots of different soccer players playing during the FIFA World Cup, which in turn are being projected onto a wall while Martin sometimes poses before it.

Chart performance

"The Cup of Life" became one of Ricky Martin's most successful songs. It topped the charts for six weeks in Australia, France and Sweden, for four weeks in Germany, for two weeks in Spain, and for one week in Switzerland and Belgium Wallonia. "The Cup of Life" reached also top ten in Norway, Austria and the Netherlands. In the United States, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, peaking at number sixty. However, after the success of "Livin' la Vida Loca", it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999, and reached number forty-five. In the United Kingdom, "The Cup of Life" peaked at number twenty-nine.

The single was certified platinum and gold around the world. It has sold 563,000 copies in France, and although released long before the digital era, it has sold 141,000 digital copies in the US.

Formats and track listings

Australian CD maxi-single #1

1. "The Cup of Life" – 4:28
2. "The Cup of Life" (Remix – Radio Edit) – 4:37
3. "La Copa de la Vida/The Cup of Life" (Remix – Spanglish Radio Edit) – 4:37
4. "La Copa de la Vida" – 4:28
5. "María" (Jason Nevins Remix) – 3:45

Australian CD maxi-single #2

1. "María" (Radio Edit) – 4:31
2. "La Copa de la Vida/The Cup of Life" (Remix – Spanglish Radio Edit) – 4:37
3. "María" (Album Version) – 4:23
4. "María" (Perc A Pella Mix) – 5:07
5. "La Copa de la Vida" (Spanish) – 4:37

European CD single #1

1. "The Cup of Life" (Album Version) – 4:28
2. "The Cup of Life" (Remix – Radio Edit) – 4:37

European CD single #2

1. "La Copa de la Vida" (Album Version) – 4:28
2. "La Copa de la Vida" (Spanish Remix – Radio Edit) – 4:37

European CD maxi-single #1

1. "The Cup of Life" – 4:28
2. "The Cup of Life" (Remix – Long Version) – 8:39
3. "La Copa de la Vida (Spanglish Remix – Radio Edit) – 4:37
4. "La Copa de la Vida (Album Version) – 4:28

European CD maxi-single #2

1. "La Copa de la Vida" (Album Version) – 4:28
2. "La Copa de la Vida" (Spanish Remix – Long Version) – 8:39
3. "La Copa de la Vida" (Spanglish Version – Radio Edit) – 4:37
4. "The Cup of Life" – 4:28

European 12" single

1. "La Copa de la Vida" (Spanish Remix – Long Version) – 8:39
2. "La Copa de la Vida" (Album Version) – 4:28
3. "The Cup of Life" (Remix – Long Version) – 8:39
4. "La Copa de la Vida" (Spanglish Remix – Long Version) – 8:39

Japanese CD maxi-single

1. "The Cup of Life" (English Radio Edit) – 4:37
2. "The Cup of Life" (Spanglish Remix) – 8:39
3. "The Cup of Life" (Spanish Remix) – 8:39
4. "The Cup of Life" (The Dub of Life Mix) – 7:44

UK CD maxi-single #1

1. "The Cup of Life" (English Radio Edit) – 4:37
2. "The Cup of Life" (Spanglish Radio Edit) – 4:37
3. "The Cup of Life" (Original English Version) – 4:31
4. "The Cup of Life" (Extended English Version) – 8:39
5. "The Cup of Life" (Extended Spanglish Version) – 8:39

UK CD maxi-single #2

1. "The Cup of Life" (English Radio Edit) – 4:37
2. "The Cup of Life" (The Dub of Life Mix) – 7:44
3. "María" (Jason Nevins Remix) – 3:45
4. "María" (Spanglish Radio Edit) – 4:31

US CD single

1. "The Cup of Life" (English Radio Edit) – 4:37
2. "María" (Jason Nevins' Remix) – 3:45

US CD maxi-single

1. "The Cup of Life" (English Radio Edit) – 4:37
2. "The Cup of Life" (Spanish Radio Edit) – 4:37
3. "The Cup of Life" (Spanglish Radio Edit) – 4:37
4. "The Cup of Life" (The Dub of Life Mix) – 7:44
5. "Maria" (Spanglish Radio Edit) – 4:31
6. "María" (Jason Nevins' Remix) – 3:45

US 12" single

1. "The Cup of Life" (English Long Version) – 8:39
2. "The Cup of Life" (Spanglish Long Version) – 8:38
3. "María" (Jason Nevins' Remix) – 3:45
4. "The Cup of Life" (The Dub of Life Mix) – 7:44

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1998–99)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	27
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)	1
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)	1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	11
Finland (Finnish Top 50 Hits)	4
Finland (Finnish Airplay Chart)	9
France (SNEP)	1
Germany (Official German Charts)	1
Italy (Musica e dischi/FIMI)	1
Italy (Hit Parade Italia)	1
Japan (Oricon Singles Chart)	68
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	7
Norway (VG-lista)	2
Scotland (Official Charts Company)	33
Spain (PROMUSICAE)	1
Spain (Top 40 Radio)	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	29
US Billboard Hot 100	45
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)	40
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)	2
US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard)	2
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)	18
US Rhythmic (Billboard)	27
US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)	15
US Tropical Airplay (Billboard)	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)	Position
Australia (ARIA)	1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	35
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	100
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)	7
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)	11
France (SNEP)	8
Germany (Official German Charts)	16
Italy (Hit Parade)	3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	73
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	67
Norway Spring Period (VG-lista)	2
Spain (PROMUSICAE)	5
Spain (Top 40 Radio)	12
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	9
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)	19

All-time charts (Top 200)

Chart	Position
Australia (ARIA)	111

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)	Platinum	70,000
Belgium (BEA)	Platinum	50,000
France (SNEP)	Platinum	563,000
Germany (BVMI)	Gold	250,000
Netherlands (NVPI)	Gold	50,000
Norway (IFPI Norway)	Gold	5,000
Sweden (GLF)	Platinum	30,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)	Gold	25,000
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

See also

• List of European number-one hits of 1998
• List of number-one hits of 1998 (Germany)
• List of number-one hits of 1998 (Italy)
• List of number-one singles and albums in Sweden
• List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1990s
• List of number-one singles of 1998 (France)
• List of number-one singles of 1998 (Spain)
• List of number-one singles of the 1990s (Switzerland)
• Ultratop 40 number-one hits of 1998

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "Gloryland" by Daryl Hall and Sounds of Blackness and "We Are the Champions" by Queen

FIFA World Cup theme song 1998 with "Together Now" by Jean Michel Jarre and Tetsuya Komuro

Succeeded by "Boom" by Anastacia and "Anthem" by Vangelis