Infected (song)

This article is about the Bad Religion song. For other songs, see Infection (disambiguation).

"Infected"
Single by Bad Religion
from the album Stranger Than Fiction
Released	1994
Recorded	1994
Genre	Punk rock alternative rock [1] [2]
Length	4:08
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter	Brett Gurewitz
Producers	Andy Wallace Bad Religion
Bad Religion singles chronology
"21st Century (Digital Boy)" (1994) "Infected" (1994) "Incomplete" (1995)
Music video
"Infected" on YouTube

"Infected" is a song by American punk rock band Bad Religion, written by Brett Gurewitz. It was released as a single in 1994 and appears on their eighth studio album, Stranger Than Fiction . Along with "21st Century (Digital Boy)", "Infected" is considered to be their breakthrough song, as it received airplay from modern rock radio stations. It is also a live staple for the band.

During the 1990s, frontman Greg Graffin used to sing "don't be mad about it, Bobby", referring to then-drummer Bobby Schayer, instead of "don't be mad about it, baby".^{[ citation needed ]}

It was a mid-tempo song. Gurewitz said: "Nirvana had proven that as long as the tempo doesn't freak anybody out, you can get on the radio with loud guitars. 'Infected' was my attempt at writing a grunge song." ^{[3] [4]}

The song is about a dark, unhealthy romance where one partner is "afflicted" and the other is "addicted". ^[3]

Reception

AllMusic claimed the song along with "Television" are the "two least effective songs of their 15 years". ^[5] Billboard described the song as "not for the musak crowd, but it is an absolute must for programmers of modern rock radio". ^[6]

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Billboard Album Rock Tracks	33 [7]
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	27 [8]

References

1. "Bad Religion weds punk, science – Chicago Tribune". Chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
2. "The 100 Best Alternative Rock Songs Of 1994". SPIN. August 18, 2014. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
3. Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Relgion. Hachette Books. ISBN   9780306922244.
4. Diehl, Matt (2013). My So-Called Punk: Green Day, Fall Out Boy, The Distillers, Bad Religion---How Neo-Punk Stage-Dived Into the Mainstream. St. Martin's Publishing Group. ISBN   9781466853065.
5. Rabid, Jack. "Stranger Than Fiction – Bad Religion". AllMusic . Retrieved March 20, 2022.
6. Single reviews - Bad Religion: Infected. Prometheus Global Media. February 11, 1995. ISSN   0006-2510.
7. "Mainstream Songs: Bad Religion Chart History". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved March 20, 2022.
8. "Alternative Songs: Bad Religion Chart History". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved March 20, 2022.