Between the Lines (song)
Encyclopedia
"Between the Lines" is the first single from the American rock
band Stone Temple Pilots
's sixth studio album, Stone Temple Pilots
. The single was released on March 22, 2010. The song set the record for largest positional gain on Billboard
s Rock Songs
chart, jumping from number 40 to 2, later reaching number 1. "Between the Lines" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards
, an award the band previously won for "Plush
" in 1994.
, with lead singer Scott Weiland
writing the song's lyrics. Guitarist Dean DeLeo
on the song's structure:
stated that the song "might not have the surefire hit potential of STP’s older singles", but applauded the band's return with the song, and called the song an excellent gift. Lehigh Valley Live staff writer Marcia loved the song musically, but stated that "the lyrics seem like an afterthought", additionally criticizing the resemblance to Bob Dylan
's material. Second Dustin called the music strong and the riffs catchy, comparing the song to the material on earlier albums Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
and Shangri-La Dee Da
. USA Today
stated that STP had "roared back to life with a shiny, infectious grunge-pop hit driven by a clever lyrical twist, stinging guitar solo, and charging beat."
stated in an interview with theaudioperv.com that the band would begin filming the music video for "Between the Lines" in early April 2010. On Friday, May 7, 2010 the band announced that the world premiere for the video would air that day during the broadcast FUSE TV
's Top 20 Video Countdown.
MTV News
stated that the video, which was directed by Christopher Sims, "feels like classic STP" and that "much like the song, it's a sweaty, claustrophobic affair, documenting frontman Scott Weiland's past history of drug use." Weiland said about the video's concept, "It's sort of like an off point of view, similar to The Prodigy
's "Smack My Bitch Up
." It was one of the coolest videos that came out in the last 15 years."
" and "Plush
" for Guitar Hero 5
.
chart where it peaked at #1 for seven straight weeks. The song has also reached #2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart,and also peaked at #50 on the Canadian Hot 100
.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
's sixth studio album, Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots (album)
Stone Temple Pilots is the sixth studio album by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. The album was released worldwide from May 21 through May 27, 2010, and is the band's first album since Shangri-La Dee Da . The album is the result of the band's reunion, which occurred in April 2008...
. The single was released on March 22, 2010. The song set the record for largest positional gain on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Rock Songs
Rock Songs
Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs...
chart, jumping from number 40 to 2, later reaching number 1. "Between the Lines" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
, an award the band previously won for "Plush
Plush (song)
"Plush" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It is one of the band's biggest hits, and was released as the second single from the band's debut studio album, Core .-Composition and inspiration:...
" in 1994.
Composition
The music to "Between the Lines" was written by bassist Robert DeLeoRobert DeLeo
Robert Emile DeLeo is an American bass player, songwriter, and harmony vocalist for the rock band Stone Temple Pilots. He has also played in Talk Show and Army of Anyone...
, with lead singer Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
writing the song's lyrics. Guitarist Dean DeLeo
Dean DeLeo
Dean DeLeo is an American guitarist for the rock band Stone Temple Pilots.He is also known for his role in the short-lived bands Talk Show and Army of Anyone, which featured his younger brother Robert DeLeo, Filter frontman Richard Patrick, and session drummer Ray Luzier...
on the song's structure:
"Robert was thinking Animals or ZombiesThe ZombiesThe Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
, a '60s go-go beat and a girl in a miniskirt. Sometimes we don't feel musically what Scott does lyrically. He took it to an exciting place. It's pretty twisted."
Critical reception
A reviewer from the Kuwait publication Arab TimesArab Times
Arab Times is an English-language newspaper published from Kuwait. Established in February 1977 by Dar Al-Seyassah newspaper which started the weekly Arab Times newspaper and soon transferred it into a daily newspaper with a remarkable role in Kuwait and the Gulf Area.The editor-in-chief of the...
stated that the song "might not have the surefire hit potential of STP’s older singles", but applauded the band's return with the song, and called the song an excellent gift. Lehigh Valley Live staff writer Marcia loved the song musically, but stated that "the lyrics seem like an afterthought", additionally criticizing the resemblance to Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's material. Second Dustin called the music strong and the riffs catchy, comparing the song to the material on earlier albums Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
-Album:-Singles:-References:...
and Shangri-La Dee Da
Shangri-La Dee Da
-Personnel:*Scott Weiland - vocals, keyboards *Dean DeLeo - guitars*Robert DeLeo - bass, percussion , guitar , acoustic guitar , keyboards , piano , autoharp , electric sitar *Eric Kretz - drums, percussion , keyboards , banjo -Additional personnel:*Brendan...
. USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
stated that STP had "roared back to life with a shiny, infectious grunge-pop hit driven by a clever lyrical twist, stinging guitar solo, and charging beat."
Music video
Drummer Eric KretzEric Kretz
Eric Kretz is an American musician and producer, known as the drummer for the rock band Stone Temple Pilots, one of the most successful rock bands of the 1990s and early 2000s that reunited in 2008. He has also played for Talk Show, and most recently Spiralarms...
stated in an interview with theaudioperv.com that the band would begin filming the music video for "Between the Lines" in early April 2010. On Friday, May 7, 2010 the band announced that the world premiere for the video would air that day during the broadcast FUSE TV
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
's Top 20 Video Countdown.
MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
stated that the video, which was directed by Christopher Sims, "feels like classic STP" and that "much like the song, it's a sweaty, claustrophobic affair, documenting frontman Scott Weiland's past history of drug use." Weiland said about the video's concept, "It's sort of like an off point of view, similar to The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
's "Smack My Bitch Up
Smack My Bitch Up
"Smack My Bitch Up" is a song by The Prodigy, released as the band's twelfth single on 17 November 1997. It was the third and final single from the album The Fat of the Land....
." It was one of the coolest videos that came out in the last 15 years."
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | March 22, 2010 | Promotional release (digital only) |
| North America | March 30, 2010 | Radio premiere |
Appearances
"Between the Lines" was released as Downloadable Content on June 1, 2010 as part of a Stone Temple Pilots Track Pack with "Sex Type ThingSex Type Thing
"Sex Type Thing" is the debut single released in 1992 by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots from their debut studio album, Core. "Sex Type Thing" also appears on the greatest hits compilation album Thank You. The song spawned a music video which received moderate rotation on MTV...
" and "Plush
Plush (song)
"Plush" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It is one of the band's biggest hits, and was released as the second single from the band's debut studio album, Core .-Composition and inspiration:...
" for Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
.
Chart positions
"Between the Lines" is the band's first #1 single on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart (they have had a total of three #2 singles in previous years), as well as the band's first song to ever chart on the Rock SongsRock Songs
Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs...
chart where it peaked at #1 for seven straight weeks. The song has also reached #2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart,and also peaked at #50 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
.
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
3 |
| Billboard Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
1 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
50 |
See also
- List of number-one rock songs (U.S.)
- List of number-one alternative rock singles of 2010 (U.S.)