The Kids Aren't Alright

Last updated
"The Kids Aren't Alright"
TheOffspringTKAA.jpg
Single by the Offspring
from the album Americana
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1999 [1]
Recorded1998
Genre
Length3:00
Label Columbia [5] [ deprecated source ]
Songwriter(s) Dexter Holland
Producer(s) Dave Jerden [6]
The Offspring singles chronology
"Why Don't You Get a Job?"
(1999)		"The Kids Aren't Alright"
(1999)		"She's Got Issues"
(1999)
Music video
"The Kids Aren't Alright" on YouTube
No.TitleLength
1."The Kids Aren't Alright"3:00
2."Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" (Live) 
3."Walla Walla" (Live) 

Alternative pressing

No.TitleLength
1."The Kids Aren't Alright"3:00
2."Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" (Live) 
3."Walla Walla" (Live) 
4."Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" (CD Extra Video) 

Second alternative pressing

No.TitleLength
1."The Kids Aren't Alright"3:00
2."Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" (Live) 
3."Walla Walla" (Live) 
4."Why Don't You Get a Job?" (Live) 

Third alternative pressing

No.TitleLength
1."The Kids Aren't Alright"3:00
2."Walla Walla" (Live) 
3."Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" (CD Extra Video) 

Promo CD

No.TitleLength
1."The Kids Aren't Alright"3:00

Cassette single

No.TitleLength
1."The Kids Aren't Alright"3:00
2."Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" (Live)3:10

Personnel

The Offspring

Music video

It features a room with a background of abandonment or family activity at different times. In the center of the room, there are scenes of various persons, including an appearance by Bif Naked, doing stereotypical things and moves; occasionally band members show up. The camera pans around the room and the changing of the scenes of persons constantly morphing and shifting between each other.

The background can be seen shifting between two time lines, one where the scene is the past, where things are new and white, and modern days where it is dreary and drab.

The music video, directed by Yariv Gaber, released a month before the CD single, [11] received heavy airplay on MTV. It was later nominated for Best Direction on the MTV Video Music Awards. The visuals in the video are made with rotoscoping techniques.

DVD appearances

The music video also appears on the Complete Music Video Collection DVD, released in 2004.

Album art

The album art features two different drawings for this song. The first depicts a scarecrow falling into the tentacles shown prominently in other single and album covers from Americana . This art also appeared in the accompanying booklet for the album (however, this drawing appeared with the song "Have You Ever"). The second, alternative cover shows a young child reaching for a gun, with ominous blood near to it (the drawing that appears with the song in the Americana booklet).

Critical reception

"The Kids Aren't Alright" is widely considered one of the Offspring's best songs. In 2012, Loudwire ranked the song number three on their list of the 10 greatest Offspring songs, [12] and in 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number one on their list of the 20 greatest Offspring songs. [13]

Other versions

Live versions of the song were released with "Want You Bad" and "Hit That". A remix (by the Wiseguys) appeared as the b-side to "She's Got Issues" and was later included on the Greatest Hits album. The download version of Splinter (2003) included "The Kids Aren't Alright (Island Style)", an instrumental version of the song featuring ukulele and steel guitar. It is also available on the Enhanced CD version of the album under the folder MP3.

Evergreen Terrace recorded a version of the song for their 2004 covers album, Writer's Block . The same year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology a cappella group Logarhythms recorded the song for their album Soundproof. Chris Webby's "Fragile Lives" samples the song's chorus and uses a similar four-chord progression.

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "The Kids Aren't Alright"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [29] Gold30,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [30] Gold45,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [31] Gold300,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [32] Platinum50,000‡
Poland (ZPAV) [33] Gold25,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [34] Platinum60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [35] Platinum600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [36] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Offspring</span> American punk rock band

The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Todd Morse, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Nimoy and drummer Brandon Pertzborn. The Offspring is often credited for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the 1990s. During their 40-year career, the Offspring has eleven studio albums and sold more than 40 million records, making them one of the best-selling punk rock bands.

<i>Americana</i> (The Offspring album) 1998 studio album by the Offspring

Americana is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on November 17, 1998, by Columbia Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of Ixnay on the Hombre (1997), the band commenced work on a new album in July 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Out and Play (The Offspring song)</span> 1994 single by the Offspring

"Come Out and Play" is a 1994 song by the American punk rock band the Offspring. It is the seventh track on their third album, Smash (1994), and was released as its first single. Written by frontman Dexter Holland, the song was the second single to be released by the band, after "I'll Be Waiting" (1986). It is considered the Offspring's breakthrough song, as it received widespread radio play, with first attention brought by Jed the Fish of KROQ-FM, and reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, bringing both the band and the punk rock genre to widespread attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self Esteem (song)</span> 1994 single by the Offspring

"Self Esteem" is a song by American punk rock band the Offspring. It is the eighth track and second single from their third studio album, Smash (1994). The song was released on 22 December 1994 by Epitaph and was a worldwide hit, reaching number one in Iceland, Norway, Latvia and Sweden. "Self Esteem" was nominated for the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Song. The song also appears as the third track on their Greatest Hits (2005). Its music video was directed by Darren Lavett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicked Game</span> 1989 single by Chris Isaak

"Wicked Game" is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak, released from his third album, Heart Shaped World (1989). Released as a single in July 1989, it became a sleeper hit after being featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart, starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who loved David Lynch films, began playing the song, and it quickly became an American top-10 hit in March 1991, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, the single became a number-one hit in Belgium and reached the top 10 in several other nations.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (The Offspring album) 2005 greatest hits album by The Offspring

Greatest Hits is a 2005 compilation album by the American punk rock band The Offspring, compiling hit singles from five of their first seven studio albums along with the previously unreleased songs "Can't Repeat" and "Next to You", the latter a cover version of The Police song included as a hidden track at the end of the album. Greatest Hits peaked at no. 8 on the Billboard 200, with 70,000 copies sold in its first week of release, and has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)</span> 1998 single by the Offspring

"Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track from the band's fifth studio album, Americana (1998), and was released as its first single in November 1998. The song peaked at number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number five on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and number three on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was successful internationally, reaching number one in 10 countries, including Australia, where it stayed at number one for six weeks and was certified quadruple platinum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotta Get Away (The Offspring song)</span> 1995 single by the Offspring

"Gotta Get Away" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track and third single from their breakthrough album, Smash (1994). The song was a modest hit in several countries and peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Gotta Get Away" was inspired by an early track, "Cogs", written while the band was still named Manic Subsidal. Although the song was a big hit, it did not reach the heights nor achieve the popularity, success, airplay, or sales of the album's previous singles "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why Don't You Get a Job?</span> 1999 single by the Offspring

"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. The song is the 11th track on the Offspring's fifth studio album, Americana (1998), and was released as its second single on March 15, 1999. The song also appears as the eighth track on the band's Greatest Hits album (2005). The single peaked within the top 10 of the charts in several countries, including reaching number two in the United Kingdom, Australia, Iceland, and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's Got Issues</span> 1999 single by The Offspring

"She's Got Issues" is a song by The Offspring. It is the seventh track on their fifth studio album Americana (1998) and was released as the fourth and final single on October 19, 1999. The song also appears as the third track on the EP A Piece of Americana (1998).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gone Away (song)</span> 1997 single by the Offspring

"Gone Away" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. Written by the band's singer, Dexter Holland, it is the seventh track on the band's fourth studio album, Ixnay on the Hombre (1997), and was released as its second single. It also appears as the sixth track on Greatest Hits (2005). A piano version of the song features as the eleventh track on the group's tenth studio album Let the Bad Times Roll (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boys of Summer (song)</span> 1984 single by Don Henley

"The Boys of Summer" is a song by American musician Don Henley. The lyrics were written by Henley and the music was composed by Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released on October 26, 1984, as the lead single from Henley's album Building the Perfect Beast. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, number one on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, and number 12 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otherside</span> 2000 single by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Otherside" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released as the third single from their seventh studio album, Californication (1999), and confronts the battles addicts have with their prior addictions. The track was released in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan in 1999 and was given an international release in January of the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duality (song)</span> 2004 single by Slipknot

"Duality" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on May 4, 2004, as the first single from the band's third album, Vol. 3: . A music video was made for the song, which was listed as Roadrunner's greatest video of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alright (Supergrass song)</span> 1995 single by Supergrass

"Alright" is a song by British alternative rock band Supergrass. It was released with "Time" as a double A-side single from their debut album, I Should Coco (1995), on 3 July 1995 by Parlophone. It was concurrently released on the soundtrack of the 1995 movie Clueless, which helped it become a big hit for the band. "Alright" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number six in Iceland, number eight in Ireland, number 21 in Finland and number 30 in France. The music video for the song was directed by Dom and Nic and filmed at Portmeirion in North Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Want You Bad</span> 2000 single by the Offspring

"Want You Bad" is a song by American punk rock band the Offspring. The song is featured as the fourth track on the band's sixth studio album, Conspiracy of One (2000), and was released as its second single. The song is also featured on the band's Greatest Hits album (2005). It became another Offspring US Hot Modern Rock Track top 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Offspring discography</span>

The Offspring, a Southern California-based punk rock band, has released 11 studio albums, three extended plays (EP), four compilation albums, five demos, three video albums, and over 30 singles.

<i>The Offspring: Complete Music Video Collection</i> 2005 compilation of The Offsprings music videos and concert performances

Complete Music Video Collection is an extensive video album by the American punk rock band The Offspring. It was released to accompany the Greatest Hits CD, which arrived a month earlier, and shows all of the band's videos between 1994 and 2005. It also contains 11 live performances, two extra videos, an interview, and commentary by the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're Gonna Go Far, Kid</span> 2008 single by The Offspring

"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" is a song by American punk rock band the Offspring. It is the third track from the band's eighth studio album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) and was released as its second single on September 4, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kids (MGMT song)</span> 2008 single by MGMT

"Kids" is a song by American rock band MGMT. It was released as the third and final single from their debut studio album Oracular Spectacular (2007) on October 13, 2008. The version of the song that appears on Oracular Spectacular is updated from earlier versions that appear on the band's EPs Time to Pretend (2005) and We (Don't) Care (2004). A track entitled "Kids " appears on the album Climbing to New Lows (2005). At the 52nd Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The song was created to mock how effortlessly pop-music can be made, and first played, by then students, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, at an event at Wesleyan University in 2003.

References

  1. ↑ "The Kids Aren't Alright" was released as a single on this day in 1999! What are your favorite lyrics from the song? twitter.com/offspring. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  2. ↑ Harrington, Richard (May 21, 2004). "Offspring's Roots Are Showing". Washington Post. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  3. ↑ Carmody, Dan (May 26, 2016). "The 15 Best Uses of Punk Music in Films". Taste of Cinema. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  4. ↑ Hilberath, LJ. "Top 10 Punk Rock Songs of All-Time". Man of the Hour Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  5. ↑ "The Kids Aren't Alright". Rate Your Music . Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  6. ↑ "The Offspring – Kids Aren't Alright [US CD Single]". Allmusic . Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  7. ↑ "The Faculty (1998) – Soundtracks". Internet Movie Database . Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  8. ↑ Rainier (March 6, 2009). "Rock Band (ALL) to Get The Offspring, R.E.M. and Richard Thompson Tracks". Worthplaying. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  9. ↑ Roden, Al (May 2009). "Now Tip Your Hat (supplement)". Q . Bauer Media Group.
  10. ↑ Boehm, Mike (November 17, 1998). "The 'Americana' Dream : Post-Hoopla, the Offspring Settles Into Normal Music-Making". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ↑ "the Offspring - "The kids aren't alright"". mvdbase.com. 1999-07-14. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  12. ↑ Childers, Chad (December 29, 2012). "10 Best Offspring Songs". Loudwire . Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  13. ↑ Law, Sam (April 27, 2021). "The 20 greatest The Offspring songs – ranked". Kerrang . Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  14. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 207.
  15. ↑ "The Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  16. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 17, no. 48. September 18, 1999. p. 15. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  17. ↑ "The Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright" (in French). Les classement single.
  18. ↑ "The Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – offspring-the" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  20. ↑ "The Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. ↑ "The Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright". Top 40 Singles.
  22. ↑ "Lista Przebojów Programu 3" (in Polish). LP3 . Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  23. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  24. ↑ "The Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright". Singles Top 100.
  25. ↑ "Offspring: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  26. ↑ "The Offspring Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  27. ↑ "The Offspring Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  28. ↑ "Jaarlijsten 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Offspring; 'The Kids Aren't Alright')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – The Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  35. ↑ "British single certifications – Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  36. ↑ "American single certifications – Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved September 23, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.