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1901 (song)

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"1901"
"1901" cover art
Single by Phoenix
from the album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
B-side
Released23 February 2009 (2009-02-23)
Recorded2008
StudioMotorbass (Paris)
GenreSynth-rock[1]
Length3:13
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Phoenix singles chronology
"Consolation Prizes"
(2006) 		"1901"
(2009) 		"Lisztomania"
(2009)

"1901" is a song by French indie pop band Phoenix. It was released on 23 February 2009 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009). It peaked at number 73 in Canada and number 84 in the United States, making "1901" the band's first song to chart there. It also reached number one on the US Alternative Songs chart. The song has been covered by English singer Birdy and also featured in the UK comedy series Friday Night Dinner.

Origin and description

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It was released in February 2009 as the album's lead single, originally as a free download from the band's official website, but was issued as a retail single due to the song's popularity. A black-and-white music video for the song was released in May.[2] In July, the song entered the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart, where it later reached number one,[3] becoming only the fourth independent label single to achieve the feat.[4] The single was re-issued in the UK in February 2010.[5] According to lead singer Thomas Mars, the song is about Belle Époque Paris. Mars said, "Paris in 1901 was better than it is now. So the song is a fantasy about Paris."[6]

Phoenix performed "1901" on television programs such as The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien,[7] Late Show with David Letterman,[8] Saturday Night Live,[9] and MTV's It's On with Alexa Chung.[8]

Critical reception

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The song has received very positive reviews from music critics; Pitchfork's Jason Crock chose the song as a "Best New Track" and added that it's "just as smooth and spirited and dementedly catchy as any of their best singles."[10] The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll ranked "1901" at number two to find the best music of 2009, after Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind". In October 2009, "1901" ranked number 228 in Pitchfork's list of "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s",[11] the fifth-highest placement on the list amongst 2009 songs.[12] The NME's Gavin Haynes praised the song's "rave-like stop-go guitars,"[13] while Evan Sawdey of PopMatters said it might be Phoenix's "finest song to date."[14] Philadelphia Inquirer music critic Dan DeLuca described the song as "joyously exultant riff-happy pop."[15] The song was ranked number two on Spin magazine's list of the "20 Best Summer Songs of 2009".[16]

Usage in Media

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The song was featured in the 2011 video game Test Drive Unlimited 2 as a song on the in-game radio station, RoadRock, it was also featured in the 2012 racing video game Forza Horizon in the in-game radio station, Horizon Pulse, NHL 2K10, and NBA 2K13, which the latter was picked by Jay-Z.

In 2024 Phoenix performed the song at the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Paris.

Track listing

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Promo CD single
  1. "1901" – 3:13

Charts

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For the week ending December 19, 2009, "1901" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 90. It peaked at number 84 for the week ending January 23, 2010. The single reached number 73 on the Canadian Hot 100. The single topped the Billboard alternative chart for two weeks and became the second longest running song on the chart at the time at 57 weeks.[citation needed]

Chart (2009–11) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[3] 73
Canada Rock (Canadian Rock)[3] 28
UK Physical Singles (OCC) 31
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 84
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[3] 1
US Rock Songs (Billboard)[3] 3
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[3] 6
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[3] 34

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[18] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

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Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Spin U.S. Best Songs of 2009[19] 2009 2
Pitchfork Media U.S. Top 100 Tracks of 2009[20] 2009 3
Slant Magazine U.S. Top 25 Songs of 2009[21] 2009 3
Consequence U.S. Top 50 Songs of 2009[22] 2009 1
Rolling Stone U.S. Best Songs of 2009[23] 2009 5
Rolling Stone U.S. Best Songs of the Decade[24] 2009 80
Pitchfork U.S. Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s[11] 2009 228
Triple J Australia Hottest 100 Countdown 2009[25] 2010 13

Birdy version

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"1901"
Single by Birdy
from the album Birdy
Released9 March 2012 (2012-03-09)
Recorded2011
GenreIndie folk
Length5:11
LabelWarner
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rich Costey
Birdy singles chronology
"People Help the People"
(2011) 		"1901"
(2012) 		"Wings"
(2013)

English singer Birdy released a cover version of the song on March 9, 2012 as a digital download in the United Kingdom.

Music video

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The music video for "1901" was uploaded to YouTube on October 25, 2009.[26] Featured artists include Helen George and Ian Roe.[citation needed]

Track listing

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Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."1901"5:11

Charts

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Chart (2012) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[27] 12
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[28] 11

Release history

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Country Date Format Label
United Kingdom 9 March 2012 Digital download Warner

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Payne, Chris (15 April 2013). "Phoenix, 'Bankrupt!': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. ^ "New Phoenix Video - '1901'". Stereogum. 2009-05-14. Archived from the original on 2009-05-17. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "'1901' - Phoenix". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  4. ^ "Chart Beat Wednesday: Phoenix, Black Eyed Peas, Kutless". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  5. ^ "Phoenix Add Extra London Date". Clash. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  6. ^ "12 Best Spin Sessions of 2009". Spin. 2009-12-31. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  7. ^ "Phoenix Play Conan, Cadillac Crossover Commercial". Stereogum. 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  8. ^ a b "Phoenix Play '1901' For Alexa Chung, David Letterman". Stereogum. 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  9. ^ "Uninspired SNL At Least Yields Extra Phoenix". Stereogum. 2009-04-05. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  10. ^ Crock, Jason (2009-03-08). "Track Reviews - Phoenix - '1901'". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2009-09-25. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  11. ^ a b "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s: 500-201". Pitchfork Media. 2009-08-17. Archived from the original on 2010-06-22. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  12. ^ "Pitchfork's 20 Greatest Songs of the '00s (and 15 Greatest Songs of 2009 So Far)". Stereogum. 2009-08-21. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  13. ^ Haynes, Gavin (2009-05-15). "Album review - Phoenix". NME (IPC Media). Archived from the original on 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  14. ^ Sawdey, Evan (2009-05-27). "It's Not a Miracle They Needed..." PopMatters. Archived from the original on 2009-05-30. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  15. ^ "A Playlist of the Best for Your Summer Mix". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 2009-07-05. Archived from the original on 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  16. ^ "20 Best Summer Songs of 2009". Spin. 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  17. ^ "British single certifications – Phoenix – 1901". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  18. ^ "American single certifications – Phoenix – 1901". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  19. ^ "The 20 Best Songs of 2009". Spin. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  20. ^ "Pitchfork Staff Lists: The Top 100 Tracks of 2009". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  21. ^ "2009: Year in Music". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  22. ^ "CoS Year-End Report: The Top 50 Songs of '09: 25-1 - Consequence". Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  23. ^ "The 25 Best Songs of 2009". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 21, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  24. ^ "100 Best Songs of the Decade". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  25. ^ "Hottest 100 Countdown 2009". Triple J. January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
  26. ^ "Phoenix - 1901". YouTube.com. October 25, 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  27. ^ "Birdy – 1901" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  28. ^ "Birdy – 1901" (in French). Ultratip.
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