Snow (Hey Oh)
"Snow (Hey Oh)" (occasionally stylized as "Snow ((Hey Oh))") is a song by American band Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 2006 double album, Stadium Arcadium. The song was released as the follow-up single to "Tell Me Baby" in 2006, and became the band's third straight number one hit on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, a spot it held for five straight weeks. The single was their 11th to top that chart, setting a record they still hold, extended in 2016 to 13 number ones.
"Snow (Hey Oh)" | ||||
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Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers | ||||
from the album Stadium Arcadium | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2005 | |||
Studio | The Mansion, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, pop rock | |||
Length | 5:35 (album version) 4:00 (radio edit) | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | Flea, Frusciante, Kiedis, Smith | |||
Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |||
Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Snow (Hey Oh)" on YouTube |
Vocalist Anthony Kiedis states that the track is "about surviving, starting fresh. I've made a mess of everything, but I have a blank slate—a canvas of snow—and I get to start over."[1]
Background
"Snow (Hey Oh)" is a characteristically soft, melodic song, much like those from the band's prior album By the Way. The song is driven by a rapid guitar riff by John Frusciante, and makes use of double stops on the bass by Flea. The song is written in the key of G# minor.
Reception
Frusciante.net revealed that this was going to be the third of seven songs released as a single from Stadium Arcadium. Before even being released as a single, it climbed to #53 in the UK iTunes top 100 on May 13. Like its predecessor "Tell Me Baby", it peaked at #16 in the UK Singles Chart. On January 17, 2007, "Snow (Hey Oh)" became the band's record-breaking 11th number-one Modern Rock single in the United States and is the third consecutive chart-topping Modern Rock single from Stadium Arcadium. In Germany, it was the band's most successful song, reaching #5, making it the band's only Top-10-song there.[2]
Music video
In an interview, Tony Kaye, who also directed the video for "Dani California", told MTV he would be directing the video for the song. However, his footage wasn't used. Instead, Warner commissioned director Nick Wickham to shoot a new video showing the band at the October 17 and 18, 2006 shows at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, along with black and white film of fans at the parking lot and lines at the live show.
Live performances
"Snow (Hey Oh)" has been the second most performed song from Stadium Arcadium and has been performed over 250 times since 2006. On June 28, 2012, at the band's concert at Goffertpark in Nijmegen, Netherlands during the I'm with You Tour, the band performed the song for the first time since the end of the Stadium Arcadium Tour nearly five years earlier. As of 2023, the song is still featured regularly in the band's setlists.
Appearances
In 2008 "Snow (Hey Oh)" was used as one of the official themes of WWE WrestleMania XXIV.[3] It was also used in Scrubs in the two-part episode "My Finale" and during the end credits in Death Note: The Last Name. The song can be heard in a flashback scene in the Cold Case episode "Sabotage".It was in a scene from Brothers and Sisters season 1 episode 23.
Track listings and formats
- CD single
- "Snow (Hey Oh)" – 5:34
- "Permutation" (Live) – 3:43
- Maxi single 9362 42983-2
- "Snow (Hey Oh)" – 5:34
- "Funny Face" – 4:46
- "I'll Be Your Domino" – 3:54
- International CD single/7" picture disc 5439 15624-2
- "Snow (Hey Oh)" – 5:34
- "Funny Face" – 4:46
- iTunes version single
- "Snow (Hey Oh)" – 5:34
- "Funny Face" – 4:46
- "I'll Be Your Domino" – 3:54
- "Permutation" (Live) – 3:43
Personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[4]
Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Anthony Kiedis – lead vocals
- John Frusciante – guitars, backing vocals, mellotron
- Flea – bass guitar
- Chad Smith - drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- Greg Kurstin - Organ on "Funny Face"
Recording personnel
- Rick Rubin – production
- Andrew Scheps – mixing and engineering
- Ryan Hewitt – mixing and engineering
- Dana Nielsen – engineering
- Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman – mastering (vinyl)
- Vlado Meller – mastering (CD)
- Matt Taylor – design and art direction
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[42] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI)[43] | Gold | 150,000^ |
Italy (FIMI)[44] (since 2009) |
Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Italy | — | 20,000[45] |
Japan (RIAJ)[46] Full-length ringtone |
Gold | 100,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[48] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- "Tattooed Love Boys". invisible-movement.de. June 1, 2006. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
- "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, etc". musicline.de. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
- "WWE: TV Shows & WrestleMania XXIV". WWE. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Snow (Hey Oh)" is one of the official theme songs for WrestleMania XXIV.
- "Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200711 into search. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- "The ARIA Report: European Top 20 Charts – Week Commencing 12th February 2007" (PDF). ARIA. February 12, 2007. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Snow (Hey Oh)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)". Top Digital Download.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 2007" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)". Top 40 Singles.
- "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- "Romanian Top 100 – Issue nr: 2/2007 (22 Ianuarie - 28 Ianuarie 2007)" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on January 22, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200711 into search. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)". Singles Top 100.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)". Swiss Singles Chart.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- "Pop Rock" (in Spanish). Record Report. February 17, 2007. Archived from the original on November 24, 2006.
- "Jahreshitparade Singles 2007". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- "Jaaroverzichten 2007" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 13, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- "Singles chart 2007" (in German). MTV. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
- "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2007" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2007". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2007" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2007". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- "Alternative Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2008" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- "Danish single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Red Hot Chili Peppers; 'Snow (Hey Oh)')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- "Italian single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey OH)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2017" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Snow (Hey OH)" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
- "Music in Italy" (PDF). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
- "Japanese ringtone certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved September 14, 2021. Select 2008年5月 on the drop-down menu
- "British single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- "American single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow". Recording Industry Association of America.