"Countdown" | ||||
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Single by Lindsey Buckingham | ||||
from the album Out of the Cradle | ||||
B-side | "This Nearly Was Mine" | |||
Released | 1992 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 3:21 | |||
Label | Reprise (North America), Mercury (Europe) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lindsey Buckingham | |||
Producer(s) | Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut | |||
Lindsey Buckingham USsingles chronology | ||||
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Lindsey Buckingham UKsingles chronology | ||||
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"Countdown" is a song by Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1992 from his third solo album Out of the Cradle . In the UK, "Countdown" was released in July as the album's first single, [1] although in North America, "Wrong" was released as the first single instead. [2] While the song did not chart on the UK Singles Chart or the US Billboard Hot 100, [3] it appeared on Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Adult Contemporary charts. Elsewhere, "Countdown" charted in Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Buckingham recorded his guitar parts on a Fender Telecaster with fuzz and a variable speed oscillator (VSO). He used the VSO to slow down the speed of the tape recorder, which in Buckingham's estimation provided a "crystalline" quality to the guitar. During the mixing process, producer Tom Lord-Alge attempted to thicken the sound of the guitar, although Buckingham convinced him to abandon the idea, insisting that the instrument should "sting like a bee." [4]
Mike DeGagne of AllMusic commented that "Countdown" possesses the "pop-catchy appeal of past hits like "Trouble" and "Go Insane" at one level, yet it maintains an enriched, dynamic feel, as if Buckingham has progressed and bettered himself as a solo artist. "Countdown" is an excellent delegate to the kind of music Buckingham is capable of, and it contains a lot of the same constituents that made him such an integral part of the second wave of Fleetwood Mac." [5] Jean Rosenbluth of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "hard not to be swayed by the singer’s practically palpable optimism" on "Countdown". [6]
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
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Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [7] | 29 |
Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [8] | 20 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [9] | 66 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [10] | 64 |
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [11] | 32 |
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [12] | 38 |
Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has released seven solo studio albums and three live albums. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Buckingham was ranked 100th in Rolling Stone's 2011 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Buckingham is known for his fingerpicking guitar style.
"Over My Head" is a soft rock song recorded by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac for their self-titled 1975 album. The song was written by keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie. "Over My Head" was the band's first single to reach the Billboard Hot 100 since "Oh Well", ending a six-year dry spell on the American charts.
"Trouble" is the debut solo single by Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1981 from his debut solo album Law and Order. The single was Buckingham's first hit as a solo artist, peaking at number nine in the US and number 31 in the UK, where it remained charted for seven weeks. In Australia, it topped the chart for three weeks and became the eighth biggest-selling single of 1982. It experienced similar levels of success in South Africa, reaching number one for two weeks and finishing 1982 as the country's 13th best-selling single.
"Go Your Own Way" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from their eleventh studio album, Rumours (1977). The song was released as the album's first single in December 1976 on both sides of the Atlantic. Written and sung by Lindsey Buckingham, it became the band's first top-ten hit in the United States. "Go Your Own Way" has been well received by music critics and was ranked number 120 by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of 500 greatest songs of all time in 2010, and re-ranked number 401 in 2021. They also ranked the song second on their list of the 50 greatest Fleetwood Mac songs.
"Landslide" is a song written by Stevie Nicks and performed by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. The song was first featured on the band's self-titled album Fleetwood Mac (1975). The original recording also appears on the compilation albums 25 Years – The Chain (1992), The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (2002) and 50 Years – Don't Stop (2018), while a live version was released as a single 23 years later from the live reunion album The Dance (1997). "Landslide" reached No. 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Landslide" was certified Gold in October 2009 for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States. According to Nielsen Soundscan, "Landslide" sold 2,093,186 copies in the United States as of 2017.
"Got a Hold on Me" is a song by Christine McVie, released as the lead single from her eponymous second solo album in 1984.
"The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album Rumours. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members.
Out of the Cradle is the third solo album by American singer/songwriter Lindsey Buckingham. Released in 1992, it was Buckingham's first album after his departure from Fleetwood Mac, in 1987. He named the album after Walt Whitman's poem "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking." The album reached #128 on the US Billboard 200 album chart, #51 on the UK Albums Chart, and #70 on the Canada Albums Chart. In Canada, four singles charted within the top 60.
"Big Love" is a song written by Lindsey Buckingham and performed by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. The song first appeared on the band's 1987 album Tango in the Night. The song was the first single to be released from the album, reaching number 5 in the US and number nine in the UK. The single was also a hit on the American dance charts, where the song peaked at number 7.
"Everywhere" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from their 14th studio album, Tango in the Night (1987). The song was written by Christine McVie, who also performed lead vocals, and produced by Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut. In the United States, "Everywhere" was released in November 1987 as the album's fourth single, while in the United Kingdom, it was issued on 21 March 1988 as the album's fifth single.
"Hold Me" is a 1982 song by the British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. It was the first track to be released as a single from the band's thirteenth album Mirage. Written by Christine McVie and Robbie Patton, McVie and Lindsey Buckingham shared lead vocals on the song. The single reached #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band's first to break the top five since 1977.
"Say You Love Me" is a song written by English singer-songwriter Christine McVie for Fleetwood Mac's 1975 self-titled album. The song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, and remains one of the band's most recognizable songs. Its success helped the group's eponymous 1975 album sell over eight million copies worldwide.
"Oh Diane" is a song by British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. It was written by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut for the 1982 album Mirage, the fourth album by the band with Lindsey Buckingham. Buckingham wrote the song while the band was recording in Hérouville.
"Love in Store" is a song by British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. The song is the opening track on the 1982 album Mirage, the fourth album by the band with Lindsey Buckingham acting as main producer with Richard Dashut and Ken Caillat. "Love in Store" was written by Christine McVie and Jim Recor and it became the album's third single in the US. Released in November 1982, it went on to peak at No. 22 for three weeks as the follow-up to Top 20 hits "Hold Me" and "Gypsy". It also peaked at number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song features lead vocals by Christine McVie with prominent vocal harmonies by Stevie Nicks and background vocals by Lindsey Buckingham.
"Silver Springs" is a song written by Stevie Nicks and performed by British-American band Fleetwood Mac. It was originally intended for the band's 1977 album Rumours, but became a B-side to the song "Go Your Own Way". A live version was released as a single from the 1997 album The Dance; this version of the song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1998.
"Think About Me" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in March 1980. The song was composed by Fleetwood Mac keyboardist Christine McVie. "Think About Me" and "Not That Funny" were the first Tusk singles released in their remixed form.
"Paper Doll" is a song by the British-American band Fleetwood Mac. It was also released as a single exclusively in North America with "The Chain" as its B-side. The song's chord progression was written by Rick Vito and John Heron and the melody and lyrics were composed by Stevie Nicks. While "Paper Doll" achieved only minor success in the United States, it reached the top ten in Canada, peaking at number nine in February 1993.
"Skies the Limit" is a single released in 1990 by British-American band Fleetwood Mac, from their album Behind the Mask. While the single did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, it did reach number 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and number 40 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The moderate success of "Skies the Limit" and "Save Me" helped to push their parent album into the US and Canadian top 20, albeit only briefly.
"Wrong" is a song by Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1992 from his third solo album Out of the Cradle. In North America, "Wrong" was the album's first single, although in Europe, "Countdown" was released instead. In May 1992, "Wrong" was serviced to album-oriented rock radio stations; a music video was also created to coincide with the release of the single. In the song's music video, Buckingham engages in a series of guitar duels with doppelgängers emerging from a mirror.
"Soul Drifter" is a song by Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1992 from his third solo album Out of the Cradle. It was released as a single in both Europe and North America, reaching number 53 in Germany and number 31 in Canada. On the Out of the Cradle Tour, "Soul Drifter" was included as the final song of the set. It was later played on Buckingham's 2021 tour promoting his self-titled album.