This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2011) |
"Price to Play" | ||||
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Single by Staind | ||||
from the album 14 Shades of Grey | ||||
Released | April 1, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2003 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:35 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Josh Abraham | |||
Staind singles chronology | ||||
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"Price to Play" is a song by American rock band Staind. It was the lead single from their fourth album, 14 Shades of Grey . "Price to Play" was released in advance and became a hit, charting high on both rock charts (number two on the Mainstream Rock Tracks and number six on the Modern Rock Tracks) and peaking within the top 100 of the Billboard Hot 100 at number 66. It was also the official theme song of WWE's Vengeance 2003 event.
Frontman Aaron Lewis explained that the song was the last song written and recorded for the 14 Shades of Grey album, and the lyrics initially were influenced from his frustrations that the band was so close to done with finishing the album. [1] He explained:
Lyrically, what started the song was my frustrations with having to be back in the studio writing more songs and feeling like we were underneath somebody's thumb, but it turned into a song that just applies to life in general. And it's kind of tongue-in-cheek because life isn't a game, but it's the price we pay to play this game that we call life. [1]
Similarly, Lewis stated the song was about the physical and mental toll of working in the music industry. [2] While 14 Shades of Grey was less heavy than previous Staind albums at that time, "Price to Play" retained Staind's heavier and more aggressive sound, with heavy guitars in the verses, soaring vocal harmonies, and melody/harmony guitars to complement the vocals.[ citation needed ]
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [3] | 66 |
Ireland (IRMA) [4] | 41 |
UK Singles (OCC) [5] | 36 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [6] | 6 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [7] | 66 |
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [8] | 2 |
Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal rarely features guitar solos or other displays of musical technique, and emphasizes rhythm with instrumentation that is heavily syncopated. Nu metal guitarists typically use seven-string guitars that are down-tuned to produce a heavier sound. Vocal styles are often rhythmic and influenced by hip hop, and include singing, rapping, screaming and sometimes growling. DJs are occasionally featured to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic background music. Nu metal is one of the key genres of the new wave of American heavy metal.
Staind is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki. The lineup has been stable outside of the 2011 departure of Wysocki, who was replaced by Sal Giancarelli. Staind has recorded and released eight studio albums: Tormented (1996), Dysfunction (1999), Break the Cycle (2001), 14 Shades of Grey (2003), Chapter V (2005), The Illusion of Progress (2008), Staind (2011), and Confessions of the Fallen (2023).
Dysfunction is the second studio album by American rock band Staind, released on April 13, 1999, by Flip Records and Elektra Records. It is the band's first studio album released on a record label.
14 Shades of Grey is the fourth studio album by American rock band Staind, released on May 20, 2003. The album continues to develop a post-grunge sound as seen on the band's previous album Break the Cycle, but the songs on 14 Shades of Grey have fewer pop hooks, focusing more on frontman Aaron Lewis's emotions. It is the band's last album to be released from Elektra Records.
Break the Cycle is the third studio album by American rock band Staind, released through Elektra Entertainment and Flip Records in 2001. It is Staind's most successful album to date and was the album that broke them into the mainstream. It was a huge international success for the band, as it spent three weeks at number-one position in the U.S. album charts and many weeks in the top-10 album charts of the Billboard 200, the UK and New Zealand. It sold at least 4 million copies in 2001. The album was certified 5× platinum by the RIAA for sales of over five million units in the US.
Chapter V is the fifth studio album by American rock band Staind. It was released on August 9, 2005, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first week sales of 185,000 copies, and spawned a hit single along with three moderately successful singles on rock radio. Its first single "Right Here" was the most successful at both rock and pop stations and it was used in a video package by World Wrestling Entertainment commemorating the professional wrestler known as Edge after he won his first WWE Championship. "Falling" and "Everything Changes" have also been released with accompanying videos.
Tormented is the debut studio album by the American rock band Staind, self-released in 1996. In 1993, Staind vocalist Aaron Lewis and Staind guitarist Mike Mushok met each other at a Christmas party in the New England area. Mushok brought drummer Jon Wysocki into the fold and Lewis had a connection with a bass guitarist who later left, starting the early lineup. Shortly after bassist Johnny April joined, Staind officially formed in Springfield, Massachusetts on November 24, 1995. Touring in the Northeast United States helped Staind achieve a cult following.
Aaron Lewis is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of the alternative metal band Staind, with whom he released seven studio albums. Since 2010, he has pursued a solo career in country music with his debut EP, Town Line, which was released in 2011. Lewis' first full-length solo release, The Road, was released by Blaster Records in 2012.
"So Far Away" is a song by American rock band Staind. It was released in June 2003 as the second single from their fourth album 14 Shades of Grey. The song enjoyed much success on both rock and mainstream radio, reaching number-one on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks for fourteen consecutive weeks, one of the longest runs in the chart's history, and number-one on the Modern Rock Tracks for seven non-consecutive weeks. The song also became the band's second top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 24.
"Outside" is a song by the American rock band Staind. It was released in May 2001 as the second single from their second album Break the Cycle.
"It's Been Awhile" is a song by American rock band Staind, released on March 27, 2001, as the lead single from their third studio album, Break the Cycle (2001).
"The Pretender" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. It was the first single from the group's 2007 album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. It is one of Foo Fighters' most successful songs; peaking at number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100, only "Learn to Fly" and "Best of You" beat its position on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Fade" is a song by American rock band Staind. It was the third single from their album Break the Cycle. The song was a crossover success for the band, peaking at number 3 and 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock song charts respectively, and at number 62 on the Billboard all-format Hot 100 chart.
"For You" is a song by Staind from their 2001 album Break the Cycle, released as the fourth single from the album in 2001. The song is also featured on Staind's greatest hits-type compilation album The Singles: 1996–2006. It became the third single from Break the Cycle to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, when it peaked at number 63. It also charted on the Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts at both number 3, respectively.
"Right Here" is the first single from Staind's fifth album Chapter V in 2005.
The Illusion of Progress is the sixth studio album by American rock band Staind. It was released on August 19, 2008. The Illusion of Progress was produced by Johnny K and recorded in lead singer Aaron Lewis's home studio. It debuted at No. 3 in the Billboard 200 with 91,800 units sold.
American rock band Staind has released eight studio albums, three live albums, one compilation album, two video albums, 25 singles, and 18 music videos.
"Back to You" is a song by Canadian singer Bryan Adams, written by Adams and Eliot Kennedy. It was released in December 1997 as a live acoustic version for Adams' album MTV Unplugged and features students from the Juilliard School, conducted by Michael Kamen. Upon its release, the song became Adams' ninth number-one single in his home country, staying at number one on the RPM Top Singles chart for three nonconsecutive weeks, and reached the top 40 in Australia, Hungary, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. It was later included on his compilation albums The Best of Me and Anthology.
"How About You" is a song by American rock band Staind. It was released on December 23, 2003, as the third single from the band's album 14 Shades of Grey. The song reached No. 10 on Billboard's Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts.
Staind is the seventh studio album by American rock band Staind, released on September 13, 2011. It was released as a download, a standard CD and a limited deluxe digipak edition, which contains a DVD documenting the recording process of the album, plus two live bonus tracks for the European digipak release. It is the band's last album to be released from Atlantic Records.