Green Day - "Working Class Hero"

[TotallyEnormousExtinctDinosaur]

Now on iTunes... a little something to hold us over till the next album. It's good, but nothing great. It's a remake side project though so expectations shouldn't be soaring anyway.

I heard this on the radio already today. I wouldn't be surprised if it pulls in some Alternative airplay over the next month or two.

[tozion]

This went for adds today.

[TotallyEnormousExtinctDinosaur]

#45 on iTunes

[backintime]

Lennon cover?

[TotallyEnormousExtinctDinosaur]

backintime said:

Lennon cover?

Yes. Taken from a Lennon tribute album with all proceeds going to Amnesty International.

[tozion]

Third most added at Alternative with 15 adds.

[That Skipping Rope.]

I heard this on the radio today. He sounds HORRIBLE.

[tozion]

I don't like their cover much either.

[Punchanello]

Oh man, this is one of the first Green Day songs that has hurt my ears. I want it to flop mainly because its a cover, but that probably won't happen.

[tozion]

Debuts at #53 on the Hot 100.

[TotallyEnormousExtinctDinosaur]

This had a really fast come and go at iTunes. It's down to #100 already.

[tozion]

Billboard review:

Working Class Hero
GREEN DAY
Producer(s): Green Day
Label: Reprise

After joining forces with U2 for rousing hurricane relief single "The Saints Are Coming," Green Day returns with a cover of John Lennon's most political song, "Working Class Hero," featured on the all-star benefit "Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur," due June 12. Like the 1970 original, Green Day's version begins as a stripped, man-with-guitar ballad, but gradually expands with thunderous snares and thick power chords, building to a massive, richly melodic guitar solo. It's an ideal song for frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, whose haunting vocal leaves no doubt that he was meant to sing angry couplets like, "Keep you doped on religion and sex and TV/And you think you're so clever and classless and free," which still ring true today, perhaps more than ever. —Sven Philipp

[tozion]

JOHN: For the third year in a row, a song written by John Lennon makes its debut on The Billboard Hot 100. The latest Lennon composition to see chart ink is Green Day's remake of "Working Class Hero," a song that originally appeared on Lennon's 1971 LP, "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band."

The Green Day version, from the multi-artist "Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur" album (due in stores June 12), enters the Hot 100 at No. 53. It follows last year's cover of Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by the Fray, which debuted and peaked at No. 50 the week of Dec. 30, 2006.

Two Lennon songs appeared on the Hot 100 in 2005. Both were remakes of Beatles songs written with Paul McCartney. "Across the Universe," by a collection of artists, debuted and peaked at No. 22 the week of March 5, 2005 and McCarntey joined U2 on an update of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," which debuted and peaked at No. 48 the week of July 23, 2005.

The appearance of "Working Class Hero" extends Lennon's chart span as a songwriter to 43 years, 10 months and three weeks, counting back to the debut of Del Shannon's cover of the Beatles' "From Me to You" the week of June 29, 1963.

[tozion]

They're performing this on American Idol right now.

[That Skipping Rope.]

tozion said:

They're performing this on American Idol right now.

So rawk.

[TotallyEnormousExtinctDinosaur]

tozion said:

They're performing this on American Idol right now.

LMAO..... it's like anyone and everyone goes on that show to get a quick one-week Hot 100 inflated peak position.

[backintime]

This isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I just want them to focus on getting a new album out, not messing around with songs like this and The Simpsons theme.

[tozion]

Top 10

[mjb1124]

backintime said:

This isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I just want them to focus on getting a new album out, not messing around with songs like this and The Simpsons theme.

I think it's pretty neat that they're doing a version of the Simpsons theme. And don't worry, from everything I've heard, they are getting that new album out.