Mark Mueller
Encyclopedia
Mark Mueller is an American
songwriter
whose career spans pop music
, television, film and stage. A two-time winner of the ASCAP Pop Award for writing one of the Most Performed Songs of the year, he’s had three Billboard
Top Ten singles and one #1 Adult Contemporary hit. Songs he has written have been featured on RIAA-certified gold and platinum records in four consecutive decades: the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. For his work in television, Mueller is the recipient of two Emmy nominations, both in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics. Born in the Bay Area, Mueller now lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
,” recorded by Jennifer Paige
, peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart (and was also covered by Lea Michele
in the first season of Fox TV's Glee
) while “Nothin' at All
,” by Heart (band)
climbed to #10. “That's What Love Is For
” by Amy Grant
reached #7 on the same chart and topped the magazine’s Adult Contemporary chart.
In the U.S., "Crush” also reached the #2 position on the R&R CHR airplay chart while “That’s What Love Is For” peaked at #4.
Internationally, “Crush” was a #1 single in Canada, Spain, New Zealand and Australia. In the UK, “Crush” reached #1 on the airplay chart and #4 on the BPI singles chart. Mueller’s Eternal (band)
single “I Am Blessed
” also made the UK Top Ten on the BPI singles chart, peaking at #7.
(on the Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Soundtrack), Jennifer Paige
, Heart (band)
, Amy Grant
, 'N Sync
, Earth, Wind & Fire
, SWV
, Al Jarreau
, George Benson
, Aaron Carter
, El DeBarge
, The Pointer Sisters (on the Billboard #1 “We Are the World (album)
).
Internationally, Mueller’s songs have been on the UK's BPI-certified platinum and gold records by artists including: Girls Aloud
, Eternal
, Steps and Australia's ARIA-certified gold records including: Lea Michele
(Glee: The Music, Volume 2
) and Jennifer Paige
.
and the NBC-TV series Quincy, M.E.
. He also wrote the title songs for Disney’s animated series DuckTales
and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
and the script for a CBS-TV pilot he executive produced titled Shangri-La Plaza
.
“Crush
,” was featured on the "Ballad
" episode of Fox-TV's Golden Globe-winning best comedy series Glee
in 2009, when it was covered by show star Lea Michele
. Her version of the song is also featured on the soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 2
, which peaked at #1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Chart, #3 on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Chart in December, 2009 and was certified as a gold record by the RIAA in January, 2010. "Crush" was also prominently used in a special TV-movie-length episode of ABC-TV's Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
set in Rome.
Coincidentally, two of Mueller's hit songs have been covered by Glee
cast members. Lea Michele performed “Crush
” on the show itself and Darren Criss
sang and played guitar on his version of the DuckTales
theme song, which can be seen on YouTube
. It was recorded in 2007, before he was cast on the show.
For the NBC-TV musical comedy series Rags to Riches
, Mueller wrote new comedic lyrics for existing hit songs from the '50s and '60s that were featured in most episodes of both seasons of the show.
Mueller’s songs have been featured in films including: One Hour Photo
, Pokémon: The First Movie
, Money Talks
, B*A*P*S, National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation
, The Last Starfighter
, Adventures in Babysitting
, Simply Irresistible
, The Legend of Billie Jean
and Honey, I Blew Up The Kid
.
-winner Jack Hofsiss
and performed at the Goodspeed Opera House.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
whose career spans pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, television, film and stage. A two-time winner of the ASCAP Pop Award for writing one of the Most Performed Songs of the year, he’s had three Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Ten singles and one #1 Adult Contemporary hit. Songs he has written have been featured on RIAA-certified gold and platinum records in four consecutive decades: the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. For his work in television, Mueller is the recipient of two Emmy nominations, both in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics. Born in the Bay Area, Mueller now lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
Chart History
“CrushCrush (Jennifer Paige song)
"Crush" is a pop song recorded by American singer Jennifer Paige. The song was written by Andy Goldmark, Mark Muller, Berny Cosgrove and Kevin Clark. It was released as the first single from her debut album, Jennifer Paige . "Crush" reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remains Paige's...
,” recorded by Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Paige is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success with the 1998 pop hit "Crush". She is considered to be one of the 1990s' biggest one-hit wonders.-Biography:...
, peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart (and was also covered by Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
in the first season of Fox TV's Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
) while “Nothin' at All
Nothin' at All
"Nothin' at All" is the name of a song recorded by rock band by Heart. It was released as the fourth single from the band's self-titled 1985 album Heart, and the fourth song from the album to hit the U.S. top-ten, peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100...
,” by Heart (band)
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
climbed to #10. “That's What Love Is For
That's What Love Is For
"That's What Love Is For" is a 1991 single by Christian music singer Amy Grant. It was released as the fourth single from the Heart In Motion album. The single was the only one from the album to be released both to secular and Christian radio; "That's What Love Is For" was the album's second...
” by Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
reached #7 on the same chart and topped the magazine’s Adult Contemporary chart.
In the U.S., "Crush” also reached the #2 position on the R&R CHR airplay chart while “That’s What Love Is For” peaked at #4.
Internationally, “Crush” was a #1 single in Canada, Spain, New Zealand and Australia. In the UK, “Crush” reached #1 on the airplay chart and #4 on the BPI singles chart. Mueller’s Eternal (band)
Eternal (band)
Eternal were an English R&B girl group formed in 1992. The group featured two sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, alongside Kelle Bryan and Louise Nurding...
single “I Am Blessed
I Am Blessed
"I Am Blessed" is a single by Eternal. It was the second single released from Power of a Woman. The single was released just after the girl group just had scored their third #1 hit in Japan with "Who Are You". The single did very well and peaked at #7, spent 12 weeks in the UK Singles Chart and was...
” also made the UK Top Ten on the BPI singles chart, peaking at #7.
Gold & Platinum Awards
Mueller’s work in the U.S. has been featured on RIAA-certified platinum and gold records by artists including: Lea MicheleLea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
(on the Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2 is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records...
Soundtrack), Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Paige is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success with the 1998 pop hit "Crush". She is considered to be one of the 1990s' biggest one-hit wonders.-Biography:...
, Heart (band)
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
, 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
, Al Jarreau
Al Jarreau
Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...
, George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, Aaron Carter
Aaron Carter
Aaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....
, El DeBarge
El DeBarge
Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
, The Pointer Sisters (on the Billboard #1 “We Are the World (album)
We Are the World (album)
We Are the World was a 1985 album that contained USA for Africa's "We Are the World" superstar charity recording for famine relief efforts in Ethiopia....
).
Internationally, Mueller’s songs have been on the UK's BPI-certified platinum and gold records by artists including: Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
, Eternal
Eternal (band)
Eternal were an English R&B girl group formed in 1992. The group featured two sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, alongside Kelle Bryan and Louise Nurding...
, Steps and Australia's ARIA-certified gold records including: Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
(Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2 is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records...
) and Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Paige is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success with the 1998 pop hit "Crush". She is considered to be one of the 1990s' biggest one-hit wonders.-Biography:...
.
Television & Film
Mueller received his two Emmy nominations for his work as a lyricist on the ABC-TV series Life Goes OnLife Goes On (TV series)
Life Goes On is a television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989 to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thacher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Elizabeth, and their children Paige, Rebecca, and Charles, who is known as Corky...
and the NBC-TV series Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC...
. He also wrote the title songs for Disney’s animated series DuckTales
DuckTales
DuckTales is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book series, it premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990 with a total of four seasons and 100 episodes...
and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Created by Tad Stones and Alan Zaslove, it featured the established Disney characters Chip 'n' Dale in a new setting. The series premiered on the Disney Channel on March 4, 1989,...
and the script for a CBS-TV pilot he executive produced titled Shangri-La Plaza
Shangri-La Plaza (TV pilot)
"Shangri-La Plaza" was musical-comedy pilot made for CBS-TV in 1990. It was the first TV show set in a mini-mall.The all-sung “Shangri-La Pizza” was directed by Nick Castle and written and created by Mark Mueller and Nick Castle...
.
“Crush
Crush (Jennifer Paige song)
"Crush" is a pop song recorded by American singer Jennifer Paige. The song was written by Andy Goldmark, Mark Muller, Berny Cosgrove and Kevin Clark. It was released as the first single from her debut album, Jennifer Paige . "Crush" reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remains Paige's...
,” was featured on the "Ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
" episode of Fox-TV's Golden Globe-winning best comedy series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
in 2009, when it was covered by show star Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
. Her version of the song is also featured on the soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2 is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records...
, which peaked at #1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Chart, #3 on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Chart in December, 2009 and was certified as a gold record by the RIAA in January, 2010. "Crush" was also prominently used in a special TV-movie-length episode of ABC-TV's Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a teenage fictional character named Sabrina Spellman. The character was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo. The comic's characters have also appeared in various other media...
set in Rome.
Coincidentally, two of Mueller's hit songs have been covered by Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
cast members. Lea Michele performed “Crush
Crush (Jennifer Paige song)
"Crush" is a pop song recorded by American singer Jennifer Paige. The song was written by Andy Goldmark, Mark Muller, Berny Cosgrove and Kevin Clark. It was released as the first single from her debut album, Jennifer Paige . "Crush" reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remains Paige's...
” on the show itself and Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
sang and played guitar on his version of the DuckTales
DuckTales
DuckTales is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book series, it premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990 with a total of four seasons and 100 episodes...
theme song, which can be seen on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. It was recorded in 2007, before he was cast on the show.
For the NBC-TV musical comedy series Rags to Riches
Rags To Riches
Rags to Riches is an American musical comedy drama series that was broadcast on NBC for two seasons from 1987 to 1988. Set in the 1960s, the series tells the story of Nick Foley, a self-made millionaire who adopts five orphan girls...
, Mueller wrote new comedic lyrics for existing hit songs from the '50s and '60s that were featured in most episodes of both seasons of the show.
Mueller’s songs have been featured in films including: One Hour Photo
One Hour Photo
One Hour Photo is a 2002 American psychological thriller written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams. Fox Searchlight Pictures distributed the film in the United States. One Hour Photo also starred Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, and Eriq La Salle. Williams won a...
, Pokémon: The First Movie
Pokémon: The First Movie
Pokémon: The First Movie, originally released as , is a 1998 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the chief director of the Pokémon television series. It is the first theatrical release in the Pokémon franchise...
, Money Talks
Money Talks
Money Talks is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, starring Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen.- Plot :Franklin Hatchett is a car wash hustler, who gets dimed out to the police by an investigating news reporter named James Russell When placed on a prison transport unit, he is...
, B*A*P*S, National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation
Vegas Vacation
Vegas Vacation is a 1997 comedy film. It is the fourth film in the original Vacation film series centering around the fictitious Griswold family, following Vacation, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase reprises his starring role as Clark W. Griswold, the patriarch of the family...
, The Last Starfighter
The Last Starfighter
The Last Starfighter is a 1984 science fiction adventure film directed by Nick Castle. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan , an average teenage boy recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also featured Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston, Norman...
, Adventures in Babysitting
Adventures in Babysitting
Adventures in Babysitting is a 1987 American comedy film written by David Simkins, directed by Chris Columbus, and starring Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Penelope Ann Miller, Bradley Whitford, and a brief cameo by blues singer/guitarist Albert Collins...
, Simply Irresistible
Simply Irresistible
Simply Irresistible is a 1999 American romantic comedy film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery. It was directed by Mark Tarlov and was written by Judith Roberts. Simply Irresistible is notable as the last movie reviewed by film critic Gene Siskel...
, The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean is a 1985 American drama film, directed by Matthew Robbins.-Plot:Billie Jean Davy , a Corpus Christi, Texas high school girl, rides with her younger brother, Binx , on a Honda Elite to a local lake to enjoy a day of swimming and relaxation...
and Honey, I Blew Up The Kid
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid is the 1992 sequel to the 1989 film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Directed by Randal Kleiser and released by Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars Rick Moranis, Marcia Strassman, Robert Oliveri and Amy O'Neill, who reprise their roles as Wayne, Diane, Nick, and Amy Szalinski...
.
Stage
Mueller wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book of an original musical titled “Butterfly,” which was directed by Tony AwardTony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winner Jack Hofsiss
Jack Hofsiss
Jack Hofsiss is an American theatre, film and television director. He received a Tony Award for his direction of The Elephant Man on Broadway, the youngest director to have ever received it at the time...
and performed at the Goodspeed Opera House.