Shine (Collective Soul song)
Encyclopedia
"Shine" is a song by American post-grunge
band Collective Soul
. It served as the lead single
from their 1993 debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid
. "Shine" would remain the band's most well known song and a hallmark of 1990s
alternative rock
. It became the #1 Album Rock Song of 1994, and won a Billboard award for Top Rock Track. The track also reached the top of the Album Rock Tracks for eight weeks and peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100
. VH1
would later place "Shine" at #42 on their list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s." In 2001, it was included on the band's 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits, 1994-2001
.
", Collective Soul was often early on regarded as a Christian band
. Frontman Ed Roland
elaborated, "I remember around the time ["Shine" came out] getting into an argument with a writer who said, 'You're a Christian band.' I said, 'No, we're not.' 'Well, you have the word heaven in your song.' And I said, 'Well, so does Led Zeppelin
. I don't remember anyone saying they were a Christian band.'" He went on to stress that such classification would unite the bandmates' beliefs and that a particular doctrine
can not speak for all its members. Roland did note, however, his religious background and the fact that his father is a Southern Baptist
minister but that this does not justify a Christian label.
Collective Soul rhythm guitarist and Ed Roland's brother, Dean has called the song's chorus "basically a prayer" and noted that the uplifting single was released during an odd time amidst heavy grunge
. He noted that, despite the song's unique feel, this circumstance wrongfully pigeonholed the band as being grunge.
"Shine" features guitar with a slight distortion and mellow atmosphere throughout the verses. Its chorus pounds with staccato
riffs before brightening up with the lyrics "Heaven let your light shine down." Later, the song's bridge
modulates into double-time behind a hard rock
guitar solo
before returning to its previous state of calmness.
. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic regarded the song "a tremendous guilty pleasure, built on a guitar riff so indelible you swear it's stolen, blessed by a sighing melody that makes this a fine album-rock single that would have sounded as good in '74 as it did in '94."
Due to its popularity among '90s music, "Shine" has been included on various era-themed compilation album
s including VH1: I Love the '90s, Whatever: The '90s Pop and Culture Box, Big Shiny '90s, and The Buzz. Live versions have been included on the Woodstock '94
and Much at Edgefest 1999 compilations.
"Shine" has been featured in a commercial for Pennzoil
motor oil.
recorded a cover
of "Shine" for her 2001 album Little Sparrow
with members of the alt
/bluegrass
band Nickel Creek
. Parton's recording of the song earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance
.
The Christian rock
band Pillar
recorded a cover version of this song as the 7th track on their Confessions
album.
Phish
performed a short version of the song in the middle of "Fly Famous Mockingbird" at Madison Square Garden
on New Year's Eve 1995 with songwriter Tom Marshall
on vocals. This version can be found on the live album Phish: New Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square Garden
.
The Holmes Brothers covered "Shine" on their 1994 album, Simple Truths.
The San Diego-based progressive rock band Audiofishtank always plays their cover version of the song at the end of each show.
The Smashing Pumpkins
have played parts of Shine during their 2010 tour. Billy Corgan
has expressed his hatred of the song and noted its similarities to the Smashing Pumpkins' song Drown.
, which achieved popularity on MTV
, features various footage, largely black & white. Youths are seen carrying seemingly random items across a rural area and railroad tracks before arriving at an old shed and watching the band perform. "Shine" was included on the era-themed compilation Essential Music Videos: '90s Rock.
it was revealed by two roommates that gunman Cho Seung-Hui played "Shine" over and over. He even wrote some of the lyrics of the song ("Teach me how to speak/ Teach me how to share/ Teach me where to go") on his wall. In response to this news, the band issued a statement saying that "It is an enormous tragedy and we deeply regret the loss of life. The issue is not about the song. It is about the innocent lives that were lost that we regret deeply, as do all Americans."
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
band Collective Soul
Collective Soul
Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...
. It served as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from their 1993 debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid
Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid
Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid is the debut album of Atlanta rock band Collective Soul. It was originally released as a demo on a small indie label in Atlanta called Rising Storm Records. However, the track "Shine" attracted attention to the band thanks to college radio...
. "Shine" would remain the band's most well known song and a hallmark of 1990s
1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. It became the #1 Album Rock Song of 1994, and won a Billboard award for Top Rock Track. The track also reached the top of the Album Rock Tracks for eight weeks and peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
would later place "Shine" at #42 on their list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s." In 2001, it was included on the band's 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits, 1994-2001
7even Year Itch
On September 18, 2001, Collective Soul released their greatest hits compilation 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits, 1994-2001. It is made up of some of their greatest hits from 1994 to 2001 and included two new tracks; "Next Homecoming" and "Energy"...
.
Overview
Due to the song's lyrical themes, particularly the mention of "heavenHeaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
", Collective Soul was often early on regarded as a Christian band
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
. Frontman Ed Roland
Ed Roland
Edgar Eugene Roland III was born August 3, 1963 in Stockbridge, Georgia. He is an American musician and vocalist of the alternative rock band Collective Soul. He is the primary songwriter and also contributes guitars, keyboards, producing, and engineering....
elaborated, "I remember around the time ["Shine" came out] getting into an argument with a writer who said, 'You're a Christian band.' I said, 'No, we're not.' 'Well, you have the word heaven in your song.' And I said, 'Well, so does Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. I don't remember anyone saying they were a Christian band.'" He went on to stress that such classification would unite the bandmates' beliefs and that a particular doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
can not speak for all its members. Roland did note, however, his religious background and the fact that his father is a Southern Baptist
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
minister but that this does not justify a Christian label.
Collective Soul rhythm guitarist and Ed Roland's brother, Dean has called the song's chorus "basically a prayer" and noted that the uplifting single was released during an odd time amidst heavy grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
. He noted that, despite the song's unique feel, this circumstance wrongfully pigeonholed the band as being grunge.
"Shine" features guitar with a slight distortion and mellow atmosphere throughout the verses. Its chorus pounds with staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
riffs before brightening up with the lyrics "Heaven let your light shine down." Later, the song's bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
modulates into double-time behind a hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
before returning to its previous state of calmness.
Legacy and appearances
"Shine" has remained a symbol of '90s alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic regarded the song "a tremendous guilty pleasure, built on a guitar riff so indelible you swear it's stolen, blessed by a sighing melody that makes this a fine album-rock single that would have sounded as good in '74 as it did in '94."
Due to its popularity among '90s music, "Shine" has been included on various era-themed compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s including VH1: I Love the '90s, Whatever: The '90s Pop and Culture Box, Big Shiny '90s, and The Buzz. Live versions have been included on the Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
and Much at Edgefest 1999 compilations.
"Shine" has been featured in a commercial for Pennzoil
Pennzoil
Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...
motor oil.
Cover versions
In 2001, Dolly PartonDolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
recorded a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Shine" for her 2001 album Little Sparrow
Little Sparrow
-Chart performance:-External links:*...
with members of the alt
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
/bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
band Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
. Parton's recording of the song earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance was first awarded in 1965, to Dottie West. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Female...
.
The Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band Pillar
Pillar (band)
Pillar is a Christian rock band currently located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their sixth studio album, Confessions, was released in 2009.- Formation and independent albums :...
recorded a cover version of this song as the 7th track on their Confessions
Confessions (Pillar album)
Confessions is the sixth album, from the Christian band Pillar. The album was released on September 22, 2009, by Essential Records.- Musical style and concepts :...
album.
Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
performed a short version of the song in the middle of "Fly Famous Mockingbird" at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on New Year's Eve 1995 with songwriter Tom Marshall
Tom Marshall
Tom Marshall may refer to:* Tom Marshall , Canadian poet and novelist* Tom Marshall , American singer/songwriter known for his association with the band Phish...
on vocals. This version can be found on the live album Phish: New Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square Garden
Phish: New Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square Garden
New Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square Garden is a live concert release by the American rock band Phish, released in 2005. The album comprises the band's entire December 31, 1995 show at Madison Square Garden, named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the "Greatest Concerts of the '90s".The...
.
The Holmes Brothers covered "Shine" on their 1994 album, Simple Truths.
The San Diego-based progressive rock band Audiofishtank always plays their cover version of the song at the end of each show.
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
have played parts of Shine during their 2010 tour. Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
has expressed his hatred of the song and noted its similarities to the Smashing Pumpkins' song Drown.
Music video
The song's videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, which achieved popularity on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, features various footage, largely black & white. Youths are seen carrying seemingly random items across a rural area and railroad tracks before arriving at an old shed and watching the band perform. "Shine" was included on the era-themed compilation Essential Music Videos: '90s Rock.
Peak positions
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 4 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
8 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 31 |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart | 50 |
Virginia Tech massacre
In the aftermath of the April 2007 Virginia Tech massacreVirginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
it was revealed by two roommates that gunman Cho Seung-Hui played "Shine" over and over. He even wrote some of the lyrics of the song ("Teach me how to speak/ Teach me how to share/ Teach me where to go") on his wall. In response to this news, the band issued a statement saying that "It is an enormous tragedy and we deeply regret the loss of life. The issue is not about the song. It is about the innocent lives that were lost that we regret deeply, as do all Americans."