"Longview" | ||||
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![]() Artwork for commercial overseas releases | ||||
Single by Green Day | ||||
from the album Dookie | ||||
Released | June 6, 1994 | |||
Studio | Fantasy (Berkeley, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:59 | |||
Label | ||||
Composer(s) | Green Day | |||
Lyricist(s) | Billie Joe Armstrong | |||
Producer(s) |
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Green Day singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Longview" on YouTube |
"Longview" is the debut single by American rock band Green Day. It is the fourth track on the band's third studio album, Dookie (1994),released to radio on February 1,1994. It was physically released on June 6,1994. The song was the band's first single to top the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the U.S. The music video for the song received heavy airplay on MTV and is largely credited for breaking Green Day into mainstream popularity. It was directed by Bay Area music video director Mark Kohr,who later collaborated with the band on future music videos.
In 1995,Green Day received four Grammy Award nominations,including Best Hard Rock Performance for "Longview". [7] The song was ranked at number three on the list of the "Best Singles of 1994" by Rolling Stone . [8]
The song describes intense boredom and frustration with an inability to self-actualize. Lyrically,the song is about a day spent sitting around the house,doing absolutely nothing of importance and masturbating until the days are no longer fun. Bassist Mike Dirnt has stated that the famous bass line intro to this song was written one night while he was high on LSD. [9]
The song is named after the city of Longview,Washington. [10]
As for Longview,The band had planned their tour using BYOFL and hooked up with either Cafe Forum and a local band called the Jimmies who both offered a practice pad as a place to sleep for touring bands were listed in this Maximum Rock N Roll Zine’s side project telephone directory and tour planning book which was published annually listing contacts and locations of possible places to crash and notes on how to DIY plan a tour for a punk band. This listed a local venue called the Cafe Forum which is where the band played. They were also on tour with Aaron Cometbus drummer for Crimpshrine and author of Cometbus fanzine,a long going punkrock zine from the Berkley scene,his handing out those zines acted to connect Berkley punk with the broader diy scene which paved the path for many many other bands to come.
PopMatters listed "Longview" as the seventh best Green Day song,citing "This song didn’t become an instant classic of its genre merely because Armstrong said the word "masturbation" on the radio—it's all in the delivery." [11] Entertainment Weekly placed it among their favorite Green Day songs. [12]
"Longview" has a music video,which is the first one created by Green Day. The music video was directed by Mark Kohr,the cinematography was by Adam Beckman,and the editing was by Bob Sarles. The music video received frequent airplay on MTV upon release.
The music video takes place in a dimly-lit basement of a broken-down house in Oakland,California,where the band used to live. The band members say that the look was intentionally grungy. In the video,Billie sits on a couch and watches television. At the end of the music video,he goes insane and tears up the couch,with feathers flying everywhere.
The music video was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards in 1994:Best Group Video,Best Alternative Video,and Best New Artist. The video is also included on the DVD International Supervideos!.
First pressing
1995 re-issue
Card sleeve
7-inch vinyl box set
Chart (1994–1995) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [13] | 33 |
Scotland (OCC) [14] | 32 |
UK Singles (OCC) [15] | 30 |
UK Rock &Metal (OCC) [16] | 3 |
US Radio Songs ( Billboard ) [17] | 36 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [18] | 1 |
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [19] | 13 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [20] | 87 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [21] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [22] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | February 1,1994 | Radio | Reprise | [23] |
United Kingdom | June 6,1994 |
| [24] | |
United Kingdom (re-release) | March 6,1995 | [25] |
Green Day is an American rock band formed in Rodeo,California,in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt,with drummer TréCool joining in 1990. In 1994,their major-label debut Dookie,released through Reprise Records,became a breakout success and eventually shipped over 20 million copies in the U.S. Alongside fellow California punk bands Bad Religion,the Offspring,Rancid,NOFX,Pennywise and Social Distortion,Green Day is credited with popularizing mainstream interest in punk rock in the U.S.
Dookie is the third studio album by the American rock band Green Day,released on February 1,1994,by Reprise Records. The band's major label debut and first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo,it was recorded in late summer 1993 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley,California. Written mostly by the singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong,the album is largely based on his personal experiences and includes themes such as boredom,anxiety,relationships,and sexuality. It was promoted with four singles:"Longview","Basket Case",a re-recorded version of "Welcome to Paradise",and "When I Come Around".
39/Smooth is the debut studio album by the American rock band Green Day,released on April 13,1990,by Lookout Records. After finalizing their line-up,the band played frequent shows at the 924 Gilman Street venue,where they started attracting a following and eventually caught the attention of Lookout Records' founder Larry Livermore. Following the release of their debut EP 1,000 Hours (1989) and stints in other bands,Green Day went to Art of Ears Studio,located in San Francisco,California,to record their debut studio album,which was co-produced with Andy Ernst. Sessions started at late December 1989 and ended in January 1990,costing $675. 39/Smooth has been tagged as punk rock,pop-punk and skate punk,with comparisons made to the work of older punk bands the Buzzcocks and the Ramones,as well to contemporaries Crimpshrine and the Lookouts. Written mostly by frontman and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong,unrequited love and longing for desire served as the main lyrical topics,while reminiscing on youth appeared in two of the songs.
"Basket Case" is a song by rock band Green Day,released on August 1,1994 by Reprise Records as the second single from the band's third studio album,Dookie (1994). The song spent five weeks at the top of the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and garnered a Grammy Award nomination in the category for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. Its music video was directed by Mark Kohr and filmed in an abandoned mental institution in California. In 2001,the song appeared on their greatest hits album International Superhits!. In 2021,"Basket Case" was ranked number 150 in Rolling Stone's updated list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
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"Welcome to Paradise" is a song by the American rock band Green Day. It first appeared as the third track on the band's second studio album,Kerplunk (1991). It was re-recorded and rereleased as the fifth track on the band's third studio album,Dookie (1994),and released as the album's third single. Its physical release was exclusive to the United Kingdom on October 17,1994,though the song still saw radio airplay in the United States. The song peaked at number 56 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. The Dookie version is more popular and was later included on the band's 2001 compilation album International Superhits!.
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The single and videoclip were serviced Feb. 1, simultaneous with the album's street date.