"What's Up?" | ||||
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Single by 4 Non Blondes | ||||
from the album Bigger, Better, Faster, More! | ||||
B-side | "Train" | |||
Released | March 11, 1993 [1] | |||
Studio | Record Plant, Sausalito, California [2] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Linda Perry | |||
Producer(s) | David Tickle | |||
4 Non Blondes singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"What's Up?" on YouTube |
"What's Up?" is a song by American rock group 4 Non Blondes, released in March 1993 by Interscope and Atlantic Records as the second single from their debut album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992). The song was written by lead singer Linda Perry and produced by David Tickle. It has gained popularity in the United States [3] and in several European countries, peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. The accompanying music video was directed by American film director Morgan Lawley [4] and was also nominated in the category for Best Alternative Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. [4]
The song had its origins well before 4 Non Blondes were formed. Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins recalled sitting in a room with Linda Perry, who worked as a waitress down the street, performing their original compositions to one another when the two were struggling musicians in San Francisco. The two played each other early versions of "Semi-Charmed Life" and "What's Up?", both of which would become massive hits for their respective bands. It would be decades later that Jenkins realized the songs performed in that private session would sell a combined 17 million records. [5] The title does not appear in the song's lyrics, but the phrase "what's going on?" is prominently included in the chorus.
A different version of the song, with lyrics and arrangement reworked by producer David Tickle, was originally recorded at Groove Masters studio as part of 4 Non Blondes' debut album, but Perry hated it so much that she complained to Interscope executives. When she was told that the song sounded fine, Perry took matters into her own hands and booked a recording session at The Plant for the band to re-record her original version of the song. [6] [2] The song was re-recorded in one day, with the label's co-owner Jimmy Iovine agreeing that he preferred the re-recorded version based on Perry's demo over Tickle's, and establishing Perry's version as the final version of the song.
During an interview with Tape Op magazine, Perry recalled how the recording went:
The producer (David Tickle) had no sense of what the song was. I went to the label and said "This song sucks. This is not the song I wrote." They didn't support me. They said it sounded fine. I did not agree. I grabbed the band during a break and we went to The Record Plant in Sausalito. ... I started moving things around. The engineer there helped me a lot. I would tell him what I wanted, and if he didn't get it I would move the microphone around. Then I'd go, "Yes, that's it. That's the sound." I did that with everything. Then we got the tempo, and we got the recording of it, the base of it, done. I re-did my acoustics. I was in the middle of vocals when David Tickle showed up. I'd laid down three vocals. I was annoyed he showed up. We were already done with the frigging song. We comped the vocal and mixed it that night, and it made mastering the next day. That is the version that blew up all over the world. [...] I've told the story enough that people know that David Tickle did not produce that song. It was me. [7]
Tickle's instrumental (over the original vocals) could be heard on Perry's episode of Behind the Music ; Tickle's version was never released.
AllMusic editor Tom Demalon described the song as a "massive, neo-hippie anthem" in his review of Bigger, Better, Faster, More! Rolf Edmund Lund from Norwegian Altaposten complimented Perry's voice as "incredibly good". [8] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "gymnastic vocals, leaping from a breathy, high range, to gravelly, bar-rock blues in a single passage, front this straightforward, heartfelt rocker. Treads the line between album rock and modern rock, with the piano version favoring the former." [9] Tom Sinclair from Entertainment Weekly described it as "funky" and added that it "is only one of the goodies in the Blondes' musical grab bag". [10] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton viewed it as "a wonderful piece of laid back summer rock (well, almost)". [11] Pan-European magazine Music & Media complimented it as a "strong composition", where the lyrics "are done more than justice by Linda Perry's impressive vocal touch." [12] An Music & Media editor commented, "Toni Childs backed by a rock band playing Bobbie McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" comes closest as a description." [13]
Alan Jones from Music Week felt it is "charming" and "easily the best track" of the album. [14] Steven Wells from NME named it Single of the Week, writing, "This has a nine-foot tall titanium hook and a woman singer who does a fair bit of that Bjorkish OOOOOOEEEEEOOOEEE and seems to be demanding a revolution and is extremely pissed off about the world. Ooh, she's really getting going now. Damn, but this is good." [15] R.S. Murthi from New Straits Times called it "anthemic" and remarked that it "is probably one of the simplest and catchiest pop songs to be produced in recent times." [16] Carmen von Rohr from Rome News-Tribune noted "the amazingly down-to earth common sense lyrics" of "What's Up?", and added that Linda Perry "sings in her rich, soulful voice about the frustrations she feels as she tries to adjust to her place in the universe." [17] A reviewer from Sunday Life wrote that the song is "naggingly memorable". [18] Ronny Johansen from Troms Folkeblad commented, "What a wonderful use of voice and what an irresistible song!" [19]
The recording received considerable airplay success. It reached number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and went gold, but peaked higher in many other countries, reaching number one in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland while reaching number two in the United Kingdom and Australia.
"What's Up?" was ranked number 94 on VH1's "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders" [20] and number 86 on the MuchMore "The Top 100 One Hit Wonders". [21] Some critics disliked "What's Up?" Songwriters Carl Barât and Stuart Braithwaite named the song the worst ever. [22] [23] Dean Ween said: "It's as bad as music gets... Everything about the song is so awful that if I sat down and tried to write the worst song ever, I couldn't even make it 10 percent of the reality of how awful that song is." [24] In 2019, About.com featured it in their ranking of "The Best 100 Songs From the 1990s". Bill Lamb remarked that the song "seemingly appeared out of nowhere, becoming a neo-folkie hit first on modern rock radio stations and then on the pop charts. Although it only reached number 11, it has been a radio fixture ever since." [25]
A music video was produced to promote the single. It was directed by American film director Morgan Lawley [4] and features the band, dressed in punk clothing, performing the song as they stand in a living room set decorated with paintings. In between, there is footage of the band in a park and a playground. It was nominated in the category for Best Alternative Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. [4] The video was later published on YouTube in 2011 and passed 1 billion views in February 2021 on the platform. [26]
Credits are lifted from the Bigger, Better, Faster, More! album booklet. [34]
Studios
4 Non Blondes
| Other personnel
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [65] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [80] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [81] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [82] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [83] | 2× Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [84] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [85] | Platinum | 75,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [86] | Platinum | 10,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [87] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [88] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [89] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [1] | Gold | 700,000 [90] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | March 11, 1993 | Cassette | Interscope | [1] |
United Kingdom | May 31, 1993 |
| [91] | |
Europe | June 11, 1993 |
| Atlantic | [35] |
Japan | September 25, 1993 | Mini-CD | Interscope | [92] |
"What's Up" | |
---|---|
Single by DJ Miko | |
from the album The Last Millennium | |
Released | 1993 |
Genre | Dance |
Length |
|
Label | ZYX |
Songwriter(s) | Linda Perry |
Italian disc jockey DJ Miko covered the song as a dance track in 1993 (retitled without the question mark) with vocals provided by British singer Louise Gard. Although the song was released as a stand-alone single, it later appeared on DJ Miko's sole album, The Last Millennium, in 1999. DJ Miko's version was a modest hit in Europe in late 1993 and early 1994, reaching number five in Italy and Spain, number 13 in Finland, and number 17 in Sweden.
The cover was released worldwide in mid-1994, peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart and number eight on the Irish Singles Chart. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "What's Up" reached number 21. In the United States it reached number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 19 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. In the Australasia region, "What's Up" was popular in New Zealand, reaching number 23 on the RIANZ Singles Chart, but it was a commercial failure in Australia, reaching number 92 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "The biggest new hit of the week comes straight from the clubs. After setting dancefloors alight for weeks, this rather pointless dance remake of the 4 Non Blondes track crashes straight into the Top 10. As a dance track it seems to work alright but of course pales in comparison with the original which made No.2 in July last year." [93] James Hamilton from British magazine Music Week's RM Dance Update described the song as a "truly bizarre galloping cheesy Eurodisco remake of the 4 Non Blonde's strangulatedly wailed 1993 smash". [94]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
"What's Up" | ||||
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Single by Minnesota | ||||
B-side | "Move Your Body" | |||
Released | 1993 | |||
Length | 3:38 | |||
Label | Coconut | |||
Songwriter(s) | Linda Perry | |||
Producer(s) | ABM | |||
Minnesota singles chronology | ||||
|
German Eurodance group Minnesota covered the song as a dance version in late 1993. It reached number one in Portugal and on the Canadian RPM Dance chart, peaked at number two in Finland, and also charted in Belgium and Switzerland.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
In 2005, a Texas-based animation and video production company known as SLACKCiRCUS created a satirical music video titled "Fabulous Secret Powers." Edited by Ryan Haines and composed by Jay Allen, the video was inspired by Fenslerfilm's G.I. Joe PSAs and pairs/edits footage from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe with their own techno-house cover of "What's Up" (which eventually interpolates "Don't Cry Out Loud" by Melissa Manchester). [116] [117] The video was taken and reuploaded by the channel ProtoOfSnagem under the title "HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA" and became an internet meme. [118] As of December 2023, the video has 215 million views. The meme was itself parodied by YouTube gaming channel The Yogscast in a 2013 music video that hit a million views in 24 hours. [119] A mash-up of both "What's Up?" and the "Fabulous Secret Powers" version was featured in the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem . According to the film's director Jeff Rowe, the inclusion of the SLACKCiRCUS cover was suggested by producer & co-writer, Seth Rogen during a chase scene where Rogen considered to the team that they use "a crazy version" of "What's Up". [120]
4 Non Blondes was an American rock band from San Francisco, active from 1989 to 1994. Their only album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More!, spent 59 weeks on the Billboard 200 and sold 1.5 million copies between 1992 and 1994. They hit the charts in 1993 with the release of the album's second single, "What's Up?".
"No Rain" is a song by American rock band Blind Melon. It was released in 1993 as the second single from the band's debut album Blind Melon. The song is well known for its accompanying music video, which features the "Bee Girl" character. The music video, directed by Samuel Bayer, received heavy airplay on MTV at the time of its release. It subsequently helped propel Blind Melon to a multi-platinum level.
"The Best Things in Life Are Free" is a duet between American singers Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson, recorded for the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced soundtrack to the 1992 American film Mo' Money, starring Damon Wayans. The song was composed by Jam, Lewis, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch. The song was released as the soundtrack's lead single on May 12, 1992, by Perspective Records and A&M Records. Additionally, the song was remixed by David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, and CJ Mackintosh. The duet became a major hit in several countries, peaking at number two in Australia and the United Kingdom, number six in Ireland and New Zealand, number eight in Canada and Germany, and number 10 in the United States. Its music video was directed by Paris Barclay, but didn't feature Vandross and Jackson. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
"The Sign" is a song by Swedish group Ace of Base from their first North American studio album, The Sign (1993), and their re-released debut studio album, Happy Nation (1992), titled Happy Nation . The song was released by Arista and Mega as a single in Europe on 1 November 1993 and the US on 14 December 1993. It was written by band member Jonas Berggren, who also produced the song with Denniz Pop and Douglas Carr. "The Sign" is a techno-reggae, Europop, and pop ballad with lyrics describing a couple contemplating the state of their relationship.
"Wild Wild West" is a song by American rapper and actor Will Smith from the 1999 film of the same name, in which he also starred. The song plays during the film's closing credits. The single samples Stevie Wonder's 1976 hit song "I Wish" and includes parts of the chorus from Kool Moe Dee's song of the same name. Kool Moe Dee re-performed the chorus for the song, and additional guest vocals are provided by Dru Hill. The album version of the song is introduced by a brief spoken-word interlude where Smith asks his infant son Jaden what song he should play next, interpreting Jaden's repeated non-verbal response as "Wild Wild West".
"Men in Black" is the debut solo single of American rapper and actor Will Smith from the 1997 film of the same name, in which he also starred. The song was released by Columbia Records on June 3, 1997, as the lead single from both the soundtrack and Smith's debut solo album, Big Willie Style (1997), and it was Smith's first solo single following his work with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
"Causing a Commotion" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack album to the 1987 film Who's That Girl. It was released as the album's second single on August 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Its Silver Screen Single Mix later appeared on the EP The Holiday Collection (1991). Written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, the song was inspired by her relationship with then-husband Sean Penn, and his abusive and violent nature. Containing a dance-oriented, up-tempo groove, the song begins with the chorus and is accompanied by a four-note descending bassline and staccato chords in the verses.
Bigger, Better, Faster, More! is the only studio album by American rock band 4 Non Blondes, released on October 13, 1992. The first single was "Dear Mr. President", which bass player Christa Hillhouse told Songfacts "was about the hierarchy of power and government." The second single, "What's Up?", reached No. 1 in several countries and went gold in the United States, while the album itself went platinum, accumulating sales of 1.5 million copies in the United States alone and 6 million copies worldwide.
"Get the Party Started" is a song by American singer Pink, released on October 16, 2001, as the lead single from her second album, Missundaztood (2001). It received positive reviews and became an international success and reached the top ten in many countries, peaking at number one in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Romania, Spain, and the Walloon region of Belgium. The song was Pink's biggest-selling song at that time. The song was originally intended for Madonna’s 2000 album Music but her team turned it down. It was later given to Pink.
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"Keep It Together" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989). It was released as the fifth and final single from the album in the United States, Canada and Japan on January 30, 1990, by Sire Records. Written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind "Keep It Together" was Madonna's relationship with her family—whom she dearly missed during her divorce from Sean Penn. The song was dedicated to the American band Sly and the Family Stone. The lyrics deal with the realization of how important Madonna's family has been to her life. A pop, funk and deep funk song consisting of an upbeat rhythm and groove, "Keep It Together" features instrumentation from percussion, banjo and a conga.
"Real Love" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige from her debut studio album, What's the 411? (1992). Based on real life experiences, it was written and produced by Cory Rooney and Mark Morales, and samples Audio Two's 1987 song "Top Billin'". The song was issued as the album's second single on July 28, 1992 by Uptown and MCA. It became Blige's first top-10 hit, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic charts and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 4, 1992. Marcus Raboy directed the song's music video. Rolling Stone included "Real Love" in their list of "500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2021 at number 327.
"Go West" is a song by American disco group Village People, released in June 1979 by Casablanca Records as the second single from their fourth studio album of the same name (1979). The song was written by Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis, while Morali produced it. It was successful in the disco scene during the late 1970s and a top-20 hit in Belgium, Ireland and the UK. "Go West" found further success when it was covered in 1993 by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys.
"Ordinary World" is a song by English rock band Duran Duran, released in December 1992 by Parlophone, EMI and Capitol as the first single from their self-titled album (1993), commonly known as the Wedding Album. The ballad, both written by the band and co-produced with John Jones, reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Top 40/Mainstream chart, the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, and the Italian Singles Chart. It also peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 2 in Iceland and Sweden, and No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's music video was directed by Nick Egan and filmed in California.
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"Spaceman" is a song by American alternative rock band 4 Non Blondes. It is the sixth track on their only studio album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992), and was released as the album's third single in September 1993 by Interscope and Atlantic Records. The song is written by lead singer Linda Perry with guitarist Shaunna Hall, and was produced by David Tickle. While the album's lead single, "What's Up?", became a worldwide hit, "Spaceman" reached the top 20 only in Austria, Iceland, Italy and Switzerland and missed the US Billboard Hot 100. The music video for the song was directed by Scott Kalvert.
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