6th Avenue Heartache

Last updated

"6th Avenue Heartache"
6th Avenue Heartache.jpg
Single by the Wallflowers
from the album Bringing Down the Horse
B-side
  • "Used to Be Lucky"
  • "Angel on My Bike"
ReleasedApril 23, 1996 (1996-04-23) [1]
Genre
Length5:37
Label Interscope
Songwriter(s) Jakob Dylan
Producer(s) T-Bone Burnett
The Wallflowers singles chronology
"6th Avenue Heartache"
(1996)
"One Headlight"
(1997)
Music video
"6th Avenue Heartache" on YouTube

"6th Avenue Heartache" is a song by the American rock band the Wallflowers. The background vocals in this song were performed by Adam Duritz from Counting Crows. It was released in April 1996 as the lead single from their second album, Bringing Down the Horse . The song became their first hit, peaking at No. 8 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, and No. 2 on the Billboard Triple-A chart—it was the most-played song on triple-A radio in 1996. "6th Avenue Heartache" was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards. [3]

Contents

Background and writing

Jakob Dylan, the band's lead singer, wrote the song when he was 18 years old and considers it the first real song he had written. It was meant to go on their self-titled first album, but the record company would not allow it. The lyrics are based on Dylan's own experiences while living in New York City, in particular the story of a homeless man who would sit outside Dylan's window and play the same songs every day. One day, the man was gone, but his things were still there, until gradually people started taking them. Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers played the slide guitar on the song, though he recorded the track in his own studio and never even met the band members.

Music video

The video, shot in New York, was directed by movie director David Fincher, known for such films as Se7en and Fight Club . There is a slight error in the video: Rama's Cafe, portrayed as a meeting place for the band, was actually on 281 5th Avenue, not 6th Avenue. The building was eventually demolished, and a new apartment building is in the process of being constructed on the site. [4]

Track listing

  1. "6th Avenue Heartache" (edit) – 4:22
  2. "Used to Be Lucky" – 6:35
  3. "Angel on My Bike" – 4:22
  4. "6th Avenue Heartache" – 5:37

Charts

It was featured during the Friends season 4 episode "The One with the Fake Party". [15]

It was featured in the Cold Case season 2 episode "Revenge". [16]

The Wallflowers performed "6th Avenue Heartache" on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1996. [17]

In 2012, the Wallflowers reunited to perform the song as part of Letterman's online concert series Live on Letterman . [18]

References

  1. Reece, Douglas (August 31, 1996). "Wallflowers Are Getting Attention on Interscope". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 35. p. 20.
  2. "The 96 Best Alternative Rock Songs Of 1996". SPIN. August 31, 2016. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  3. "39th Annual GRAMMY Awards | GRAMMY.com". Grammy Awards . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  4. Fedak, Nikolai (June 1, 2015). "Revealed: 281 Fifth Avenue, 52-Story NoMad Condo Tower Designed By Viñoly". New York YIMBY.
  5. "The Wallflowers ARIA Chart history 1988 to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 28, 2024 via Imgur. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9529." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  7. "The Wallflowers Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  8. "The Wallflowers Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  9. "The Wallflowers Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  10. "The Wallflowers Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  11. "The Wallflowers Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  12. "The Wallflowers Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  13. "The Year in Music: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-76. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  14. 1 2 "Airplay Monitor Best of '96". Airplay Monitor . Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 24.
  15. ""Friends" The One with the Fake Party (TV Episode 1998) soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  16. ""Cold Case" Revenge (TV Episode 2005) soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  17. Vintagetubelug (August 1, 2011). "The Wallflowers live 1996 "6th Avenue Heartache"". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  18. TheWallflowersVEVO (November 14, 2012). "The Wallflowers - 6th Avenue Heartache (Live on Letterman)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2019.