Hoobastank hit the charts with “The Reason”

The Reason Hoobastank

Writer(s): Douglas Robb, Dan Estrin, Chris Hesse, Markku Lappalainen (see lyrics here) Released: April 27, 2004 First Charted: February 14, 2004 Peak: 2 US, 18 RR, 17 AC, 110 A40, 4 AR, 11 MR, 12 UK, 7 AU, 13 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 4.5 US, 0.4 UK, 4.94 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.87 radio, 933.5 video, 686.05 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Rock band Hoobastank formed in 1994, self-releasing an album four years later and a major-label-released eponymous album in 2001. The latter went platinum on the strength of two singles which hit the top ten on both the alternative and mainstream rock charts. However, the band’s pinnacle came with “The Reason,” the second single from their 2003 album of the same name. The gold-selling single reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the adult Top 40 and alternative rock charts. It was also featured in the final episode of hit TV show Friends, garnering over 52 million viewers. MTV The song also received a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. Hoobastank lead singer Doug Robb said he wasn’t sure why the song was so popular. “If anybody knew why, then everybody would be [writing hits]. For one reason or another, it’s connected with people. People come up to me and say, ‘I feel like you’re sitting right next to me and you picked my brain.’ Or ‘It’s everything I’m going through.’” MTV The video starts off showing a woman getting hit by a car. By the end, however, it becomes clear it was staged when she gets up at the end and rides off on a motorcycle with an accomplice. It turns out the band members were planning a jewel heist and used the accident as a diversion. The viewers and the presumed owner of the victimized shop realize what has happened at the end. Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Hoobastank MTV MTV.com WK MTV News (5/28/2004). “And the Reason Is…? Hoobastank Singer’s Not So Sure” by Joe Dangelo First posted 5/9/2020; last updated 10/22/2022.

3 Doors Down released “Kryptonite”

Kryptonite 3 Doors Down

Writer(s): Brad Arnold, Matt Roberts, Todd Harrell (see lyrics here) Released: January 11, 2000 First Charted: February 5, 2000 Peak: 3 US, 16 BA, 15 RR, 4 A40, 24 AA, 19 AR, 111 MR, 17 UK, 6 CN, 8 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 5.0 US, 0.4 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 2.0 radio, 533.88 video, 783.97 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: 3 Doors Down owes their first hit, and perhaps their career, to the fact that Brad Arnold, the band’s lead singer, was bad at math. As he says, when he was fifteen his teacher knew he wasn’t good at the subject, but let him go. Arnold entertained himself in class by writing, as he says, probably “about half of that Better Life album.” SF One of those songs in particular started out as Arnold tapping on his desk. That became the beat for “Krpytonite.” SF It was, he says, only the third or fourth song he’d ever written. SF Lyrically, the song is a series of questions like “If I fall down, will you be there for me?” and “If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman?” However, Arnold says, “It’s easy to be there for someone when they’re down. But it’s not always easy to be there for somebody when they’re doing good.” SF The song, therefore, became not about being there for someone in their time of need, but not being jealous when the person is successful. Arnold says the song actually has very little to do with Superman, despite the line dropping his name and the title referencing the substance which renders the hero powerless. SF The video, however, capitalized on the hero angle, portraying an old man donning a superhero costume to chase down and capture a man who harasses and abducts a woman. WK Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for 3 Doors Down SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 5/9/2020; last updated 8/8/2023.