Push (Matchbox Twenty song)

"Push" is a song by American rock band Matchbox 20. It was released in 1997 as the second single from their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You (1996). After landing "Long Day" on several rock radio stations paving the way, "Push" topped the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and became one of the band's signature songs.

"Push"
Single by Matchbox 20
from the album Yourself or Someone Like You
B-side"Tired"
ReleasedJune 10, 1997 (1997-06-10)
StudioTriclops Recording (Atlanta)
GenreAlternative rock[1]
Length3:59
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Matt Serletic
Matchbox 20 singles chronology
"Long Day"
(1996)		 "Push"
(1997)		 "3AM"
(1997)
Music video
"Push" on YouTube

Composition

Vocalist Rob Thomas wrote the lyrics to "Push" with Matt Serletic. The song's lyrics are about the stress of falling in and out of love.[2] Thomas stated that the man in the song (either himself or fictional) was the one being abused, either emotionally or physically, by a woman.[3] Later after its release, some feminist groups were outraged and claimed the song was about abusing women, Thomas expressed surprise when he heard that the song was being interpreted as misogynistic.[3] In an interview with The Morning Call, the bass guitarist Brian Yale adding "We were kind of surprised when we heard all that stuff. [Our response] was, 'Wow, really? No, it's not about that.'[2]

Music video

The video for "Push" was directed by Nigel Dick, and shot March 27–28, 1997, in Los Angeles.[4] The video starts and ends with Rob Thomas playing with a puppet. Throughout the song, the band is seen playing in an alley. A couple of scenes feature Thomas chained to a wall. Another scene is of Thomas holding onto a barbed wire fence while the band stands in the background. He gets stuck by the fence but keeps putting his hands back on it. Thomas is also seen in a room containing a clock and a bed, though no windows are shown.

Track listings and formats
  • 12-inch vinyl, cassette, and CD single[5][6][7]
  1. "Push"  – 3:59
  2. "Tired"  – 3:44
  1. "Push"  – 3:59
  2. "Busted" (acoustic) – 4:24
  3. "Tired"  – 3:44

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the Yourself or Someone Like You album liner notes.[9]

  • Rob Thomas – vocals, writer
  • Kyle Cook – lead guitar, background vocals
  • Adam Gaynor – rhythm guitar, background vocals
  • Brian Yale – bass
  • Paul Doucette – drums
  • Matt Serletic – writer, producer, mixing, composition and arrangement
  • Jeff Tomei – engineering
  • Greg Archilla – mixing
  • John Nielson – recording assistant
  • Malcolm Springer – mixing assistant
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Don C. Tyler – digital editing

Charts

Certifications
Sales certifications for "Push"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[34] Platinum 70,000^
United States (RIAA)[35] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Push"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 1997 Rock radio
June 10, 1997 Contemporary hit radio [36]
Europe October 20, 1997 CD [14]
Japan November 15, 1997
[37]
United Kingdom March 23, 1998
  • CD
  • cassette
  • Atlantic
  • Lava
  • Melisma
 [38]

Usage in media

An extract of the song was used in the "Weird Al" Yankovic polka medley, "Polka Power!", along with many other popular songs of the late 90s, off the album Running with Scissors.[39]

The song is featured extensively in the 2023 fantasy comedy Barbie, where doll Ken (Ryan Gosling) adopts it as his favorite song after visiting the real world, and it becomes "a tongue-in-cheek anthem of patriarchal dominance" in the fictional Barbieland.[40] While many reviews of the film interpreted this as a critique of the song,[41][42] director Greta Gerwig said that she was a fan of Matchbox 20 and "I never put anything in a movie I don’t love."[43] Gosling's cover of the song was included on Barbie: The Album (Best Weekend Ever Edition).[44]

See also

References
  1. "The 79 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1997". Spin. p. 4. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  2. "Push for Stardom Takes Matchbox 20 into the Big League". The Morning Call. March 13, 1998.
  3. Gardner, Elysa (September 5, 1997). "The Roaring 20's". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28.
  4. "PRODUCTIONS 1997". Nigel Dick - Director.
  5. Push (UK 12-inch vinyl liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records. 1997. AT0021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. Push (US cassette vinyl liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records. 1997. AT0021C.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. Push (European CD single liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Lava Records. 1997. 7567-98011-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Push (Australian maxi-single liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records. 1997. 7567-95590-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. Yourself or Someone Like You (Inlay cover). Matchbox Twenty. Lava Records. 1996. 7567927212.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. "Matchbox 20 – Push". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3348." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  12. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3397." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  13. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3266." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  14. "Matchbox 20 – Push" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  15. "Tipparade-lijst van week 12, 1998". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  16. "Matchbox 20 – Push" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  18. "Major Market Airplay" (PDF). Music & Media. 9 May 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  20. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  21. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  22. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  23. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  24. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  25. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  26. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  27. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  28. "RIA Top 100 Singles for 1997". ARIA. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  29. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved March 3, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  30. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Retrieved March 3, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  31. "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks". RPM. Retrieved March 3, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  32. "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media. December 27, 1997. p. YE-83. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  33. "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media. December 27, 1997. p. YE-73. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  34. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  35. "American single certifications – Matchbox Twenty – Push". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  36. "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1200. June 6, 1997. p. 39.
  37. "プッシュ | マッチボックス・トゥエンティ" [Push | Matchbox Twenty] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  38. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. March 21, 1998. p. 37.
  39. Hines, Will (January 6, 2015). "An Insanely Thorough and Expansive Ranking of Every Weird Al Polka Medley". Vulture. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  40. Moran, Robert (July 21, 2023). "Barbie: a soundtrack for the ages? Sure, we'll see in 30 years". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  41. Marchant, Piers (July 19, 2023). "Dolly parting: In Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie,' the plastic girl gets real". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  42. Fear, David (July 18, 2023). "'Barbie' May Be the Most Subversive Blockbuster of the 21st Century". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  43. Erbland, Kate (July 20, 2023). "Greta Gerwig Tells Us Some Ideas Were 'Too Strange' Even for Her Weird, Wild, and Wonderful 'Barbie'". IndieWire. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  44. Mier, Tomás (July 21, 2023). "Listen to Ryan Gosling's Silly Ken Cover of Matchbox Twenty's 'Push' in 'Barbie'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
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