Machinehead (song)

"Machinehead"
Single by Bush
from the album Sixteen Stone
Released	April 1996 (US) [1] May 1996 (UK) [2]
Recorded	1994
Studio	Westside Studios, London [3]
Genre	Post-grunge [4] grunge [5] alternative rock [6]
Length	4:16
Label	Trauma Interscope
Songwriter(s)	Gavin Rossdale
Producer(s)	Clive Langer Alan Winstanley Bush
Bush singles chronology
"Glycerine" (1996) "Machinehead" (1996) "Swallowed" (1996)

"Machinehead" is a song by English rock band Bush, released in 1996 as the fifth and final single from their 1994 debut album, Sixteen Stone .

Music video

The music video was directed by Shawn Mortensen in London and Portsmouth. Sections of Shepherd's Bush, where the band members used to live, can be seen in the video. Gavin Rossdale's dog Winston is also in the video. ^[7]

Commercial performance

"Machinehead" reached No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 4 May 1996. It reached No. 4 on both the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. The song was nominated for Best Video from a Film at the 1996 MTV Music Video Awards but lost; however, it did win the MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards.

Track listing

• US CD SingleIND95505
  1. "Machinehead" - 4:20
  2. "Comedown [Acoustic]" - 4:24
  3. "X-Girlfriend" - 0:44
• UK CD Limited Edition Single (Numbered Metal Insert - 7500 Made)INDX95505
  1. "Machinehead"
  2. "Bud"
  3. "Solomon's Bones"
• UK 10" Vinyl (Numbered)INV95505
  1. "Machinehead"
  2. "Comedown [Acoustic]"
  3. "Solomon's Bones"

Chart positions

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [8]	40
Canada Rock/Alternative ( RPM ) [9]	1
Quebec Airplay (ADISQ) [10]	50
Scotland (OCC) [11]	49
UK Singles (OCC) [12]	48
UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [13]	3
US Billboard Hot 100 [14]	43
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [15]	4
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [16]	4

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ) [17]	Gold	15,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Great Rock Discography, 2004 edition". p. 216.
2. "New Releases: Albums". Music Week . 25 May 1996. p. 46.
3. Flans, Robyn (26 January 2024). "Classic Tracks: Bush's "Glycerine"" . Retrieved 26 March 2024.
4. Wild, David. "Gavin Rossdale Biography". ARTISTdirect Music.
5. Michael Danaher (4 August 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste .
6. Rolling Stone Staff (8 February 2024). "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time: Staff List". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 29 December 2024. A screaming alt-rock riffer from the U.K.'s most successful grunge acolytes.
7. "Music Video History at OneSecondBush.com - A Comprehensive Fan Site for the Band Bush". Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3004." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
9. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 2967." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
10. "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (PDF) (in French). BAnQ. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
11. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
13. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
14. "Bush Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
15. "Bush Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
16. "Bush Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
17. "New Zealand single certifications – Bush – Machinehead". Radioscope. Retrieved 25 April 2025.Type Machinehead in the "Search:" field.

External links

• "Machinehead" Official music video on YouTube