Unfinished Sympathy
Encyclopedia
"Unfinished Sympathy" is a song by English electronica
group Massive Attack
, from their debut album Blue Lines
(1991). The song was written collaboratively by the members of the group (Grantley "Daddy G" Marshall
, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles
, and Robert "3D" Del Naja
), with Jonathan "Jonny Dollar" Sharp
and Shara Nelson
, the latter providing lead vocals for the song. Production of the song was done by Massive Attack and Jonny Dollar. "Unfinished Sympathy" was released as the second single from Blue Lines on 11 February 1991. It fared well on singles charts, reaching number one on the Dutch Top 40
, as well as reaching the top twenty in countries such as their native United Kingdom and Switzerland.
The song was acclaimed by critics, and is generally recognized as a pioneering song in the trip hop genre. Critics praised its unique production, atypical of the standard dance
track: the song contains usage of "classical
" instruments such as piano
and strings
, but also shows influences of their hip hop
roots, utilizing well-known hip hop practices such as scratching
and sampling
. It was acclaimed for its use of its production and Shara Nelson's vocals to conceive a generally moving and emotional nature. "Unfinished Sympathy" ranked highly on 1991 year-end polls for the best singles of the year, reaching the top spots on polls from NME
, Melody Maker
and The Face
, and also features prominently on critics' and popular polls as one of the best songs of all-time. It was also well-received by Massive Attack's peers in the electronic
genre, and has been praised by other electronic artists such as Darren Tate
and Norman Cook. The song was covered by American singer Tina Turner
in 1996; her version became a top ten hit on the French Singles Chart
.
The track is also known for its relatively simple video, directed by Baillie Walsh
, which simply consists of one continuous shot of Nelson walking along a sidewalk, detached from her surroundings, as the members of Massive Attack gradually start walking behind her. The influence of the video can been seen in later music videos by other artists, most notably on The Verve
's 1997 video for their track "Bitter Sweet Symphony
".
, and Abbey Road Studios
, London
. Vocals on the track are provided by English singer Shara Nelson
, whom the group had known from their days as a part of sound system
The Wild Bunch
. Strings on the track were conducted and arranged by Wil Malone at Abbey Road, led by violinist Gavin Wright, and engineered by Haydn Bendall
at Abbey Road. The track was mixed by Jeremy Allom at the Matrix Recording Studios in London.
"Unfinished Sympathy" was released as the second single from Blue Lines on 11 February 1991. At the time of the single's release, the group temporarily shortened their name to "Massive" at the advice of producer Cameron McVey
, who worked with the group on Blue Lines, to avoid controversy relating to the Gulf War
, which at the time had broken out recently. The group then reverted back to their original name, Massive Attack, for the release of their next single "Safe from Harm". As a result of their temporary name change, covers of the single credit either "Massive Attack" or "Massive" as the artist of the song..
track, and makes use of instruments common to tracks in the trip hop genre: keyboard
s, strings
, drum machine
s, and turntables.
Sampling
is also utilized: the percussion loop of the song is sampled from the song "Parade Strutt" by American composer J. J. Johnson, from the soundtrack to the 1974 film Willie Dynamite
. The "hey, hey, hey, hey..." voice that recurs throughout the song is a sample from John McLaughlin
and the Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Planetary Citizen". The voice was sampled without clearance.
12" (WBRT 2)
CD (WBRX 2)
12" remixes (WBRR 2)
, and filmed in January 1991 on West Pico Boulevard
between S. New Hampshire Avenue and Dewey Avenue in Los Angeles, California
. Dan Kneece, SOC was the Steadicam Operator. Scott Ressler was the Focus Puller. John Mathieson, who later went on to shoot Gladiator for Ridley Scott, was the DP. It features Shara Nelson walking along the sidewalk, unaware or uncaring of her surroundings, which includes drunks, gangs, bikers, disabled people and other; the three members of Massive Attack
- Robert Del Naja
, Grant Marshall
and Andrew Vowles
- gradually start walking behind her. It was one of the earliest music videos to use one continuous shot. The video was later paid homage to in the music video for The Verve
's song "Bitter Sweet Symphony
". The art director for the video was Leigh Bowery
.
Pitchfork Media
rated "Unfinished Sympathy" as 44th best track of the '90s. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7852-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-50-21/
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
group Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
, from their debut album Blue Lines
Blue Lines
-Personnel:* All tracks produced and mixed by Massive Attack, Cameron McVey and Jonny Dollar.** Robert "3D" Del Naja: vocals - keyboards** Grantley "Daddy G" Marshall: vocals** Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles: keyboards# "Safe from Harm"#* Shara Nelson: vocals...
(1991). The song was written collaboratively by the members of the group (Grantley "Daddy G" Marshall
Daddy G
Daddy G, , is a British musician and a founding member of the band, Massive Attack.-Music:...
, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles
Andrew Vowles
Andrew Lee Isaac Vowles , also known as Mushroom, is a founding member of British trip-hop collective Massive Attack.-Early years:Vowles grew up in Bath, attending Newbridge Junior School...
, and Robert "3D" Del Naja
Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
), with Jonathan "Jonny Dollar" Sharp
Jonny Dollar
Jonathan Peter Sharp , better known under the artistic name Jonny Dollar, was an English Record producer and songwriter mostly known for his work on the Bristol collective Massive Attack's first album Blue Lines, for which he co-wrote the famous single "Unfinished sympathy".Amongst other works, he...
and Shara Nelson
Shara Nelson
Shara Nelson is a British singer and songwriter. She is notable for her work with the band Massive Attack in the early 1990s, and for her solo career in which she garnered five UK Top 40 hit singles...
, the latter providing lead vocals for the song. Production of the song was done by Massive Attack and Jonny Dollar. "Unfinished Sympathy" was released as the second single from Blue Lines on 11 February 1991. It fared well on singles charts, reaching number one on the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
, as well as reaching the top twenty in countries such as their native United Kingdom and Switzerland.
The song was acclaimed by critics, and is generally recognized as a pioneering song in the trip hop genre. Critics praised its unique production, atypical of the standard dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
track: the song contains usage of "classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
" instruments such as piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, but also shows influences of their hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
roots, utilizing well-known hip hop practices such as scratching
Scratching
Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...
and sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. It was acclaimed for its use of its production and Shara Nelson's vocals to conceive a generally moving and emotional nature. "Unfinished Sympathy" ranked highly on 1991 year-end polls for the best singles of the year, reaching the top spots on polls from NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
and The Face
The Face (magazine)
The Face was a British music, fashion and culture monthly magazine started in May 1980 by Nick Logan.-1980s:Logan had previously created the teen pop magazine Smash Hits, and had been an editor at the New Musical Express in the 1970s before launching The Face in 1980.The magazine was influential in...
, and also features prominently on critics' and popular polls as one of the best songs of all-time. It was also well-received by Massive Attack's peers in the electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
genre, and has been praised by other electronic artists such as Darren Tate
Darren Tate
Darren Tate is an English record producer and club DJ.-Biography and personality:As a classically trained musician, Tate has worked with international artists and songwriters with whom he collaborates regularly...
and Norman Cook. The song was covered by American singer Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
in 1996; her version became a top ten hit on the French Singles Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
.
The track is also known for its relatively simple video, directed by Baillie Walsh
Baillie Walsh
Baillie Walsh is a music video and film director. He is best known for writing and directing the film Flashbacks of a Fool starring Daniel Craig, Eve, Harry Eden, and Felicity Jones.-External links:...
, which simply consists of one continuous shot of Nelson walking along a sidewalk, detached from her surroundings, as the members of Massive Attack gradually start walking behind her. The influence of the video can been seen in later music videos by other artists, most notably on The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
's 1997 video for their track "Bitter Sweet Symphony
Bitter Sweet Symphony
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a song by English alternative rock band The Verve, the lead track on their third album, Urban Hymns. It is based on music from an Andrew Loog Oldham adaptation of a Rolling Stones song, "The Last Time". It was released on 16 June 1997 by Hut Recordings as the first single...
".
Recording and release
"Unfinished Sympathy" was recorded at Coach House, BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, and Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Vocals on the track are provided by English singer Shara Nelson
Shara Nelson
Shara Nelson is a British singer and songwriter. She is notable for her work with the band Massive Attack in the early 1990s, and for her solo career in which she garnered five UK Top 40 hit singles...
, whom the group had known from their days as a part of sound system
Sound system (DJ)
A sound system is a group of DJs and engineers contributing and working together as one, playing and producing music.-Origin:The sound system concept originated in the 1950s in Kingston, Jamaica. DJs would load up a truck with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers to set up street parties...
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch (sound system)
The Wild Bunch was a sound system based in the St Paul's district of Bristol, England from 1983 to 1986. The group was renowned for playing sets that drew large crowds from the club scene and had performed shows as far away as London. They performed in soundclashes against other Bristol sound...
. Strings on the track were conducted and arranged by Wil Malone at Abbey Road, led by violinist Gavin Wright, and engineered by Haydn Bendall
Haydn Bendall
Haydn Bendall is a British music record producer, engineer and mixer. He was Chief Engineer at Abbey Road Studios for ten years and was awarded the Audio Pro Industry Excellence Award for Best Studio Engineer in 2009.-Career:...
at Abbey Road. The track was mixed by Jeremy Allom at the Matrix Recording Studios in London.
"Unfinished Sympathy" was released as the second single from Blue Lines on 11 February 1991. At the time of the single's release, the group temporarily shortened their name to "Massive" at the advice of producer Cameron McVey
Cameron McVey
Cameron Andrew McVey is a British music producer, best known for his work with Neneh Cherry, Massive Attack, Portishead, All Saints, and Sugababes.-Family:...
, who worked with the group on Blue Lines, to avoid controversy relating to the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, which at the time had broken out recently. The group then reverted back to their original name, Massive Attack, for the release of their next single "Safe from Harm". As a result of their temporary name change, covers of the single credit either "Massive Attack" or "Massive" as the artist of the song..
Composition
"Unfinished Sympathy" is a trip hopTrip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
track, and makes use of instruments common to tracks in the trip hop genre: keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s, strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s, and turntables.
Sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
is also utilized: the percussion loop of the song is sampled from the song "Parade Strutt" by American composer J. J. Johnson, from the soundtrack to the 1974 film Willie Dynamite
Willie Dynamite
Willie Dynamite is a 1974 blaxploitation film starring Roscoe Orman, Joyce Walker, Thalmus Rasulala, and Diana Sands. Willie Dynamite is a pimp in NYC who strives to be number one in the city...
. The "hey, hey, hey, hey..." voice that recurs throughout the song is a sample from John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
and the Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Planetary Citizen". The voice was sampled without clearance.
Track listing
7" (WBRS 2)- "Unfinished Sympathy" (Nellee HooperNellee HooperNellee Hooper is a British producer/remixer/composer best known for his work with Björk, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Sinéad O'Connor, Garbage, Andrea Corr, U2, Sneaker Pimps, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack...
7" Mix) – 4:34 - "Unfinished Sympathy" – 5:12
12" (WBRT 2)
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (Paul OakenfoldPaul OakenfoldPaul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
Mix) – 5:18 - "Unfinished Sympathy" (Paul Oakenfold Instrumental Mix) – 5:18
- "Unfinished Sympathy" – 5:12
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (instrumental) – 4:08
CD (WBRX 2)
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (Paul Oakenfold Mix) – 5:18
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (Paul Oakenfold Instrumental Mix) – 5:18
- "Unfinished Sympathy" – 5:12
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (instrumental) – 4:08
12" remixes (WBRR 2)
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (Nellee Hooper 12" Mix) – 5:50
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (Nellee Hooper Instrumental Mix) – 5:34
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (original) – 5:12
Music video
The video for "Unfinished Sympathy" was directed by Baillie WalshBaillie Walsh
Baillie Walsh is a music video and film director. He is best known for writing and directing the film Flashbacks of a Fool starring Daniel Craig, Eve, Harry Eden, and Felicity Jones.-External links:...
, and filmed in January 1991 on West Pico Boulevard
Pico Boulevard
Pico Boulevard is a major Los Angeles street that runs from the Pacific Ocean at Appian Way in Santa Monica to Central Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA...
between S. New Hampshire Avenue and Dewey Avenue in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Dan Kneece, SOC was the Steadicam Operator. Scott Ressler was the Focus Puller. John Mathieson, who later went on to shoot Gladiator for Ridley Scott, was the DP. It features Shara Nelson walking along the sidewalk, unaware or uncaring of her surroundings, which includes drunks, gangs, bikers, disabled people and other; the three members of Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
- Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
, Grant Marshall
Daddy G
Daddy G, , is a British musician and a founding member of the band, Massive Attack.-Music:...
and Andrew Vowles
Andrew Vowles
Andrew Lee Isaac Vowles , also known as Mushroom, is a founding member of British trip-hop collective Massive Attack.-Early years:Vowles grew up in Bath, attending Newbridge Junior School...
- gradually start walking behind her. It was one of the earliest music videos to use one continuous shot. The video was later paid homage to in the music video for The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
's song "Bitter Sweet Symphony
Bitter Sweet Symphony
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a song by English alternative rock band The Verve, the lead track on their third album, Urban Hymns. It is based on music from an Andrew Loog Oldham adaptation of a Rolling Stones song, "The Last Time". It was released on 16 June 1997 by Hut Recordings as the first single...
". The art director for the video was Leigh Bowery
Leigh Bowery
Leigh Bowery was an Australian performance artist, club promoter, actor, pop star, model and fashion designer, based in London. Bowery is considered one of the more influential figures in the 1980s and 1990s London and New York art and fashion circles influencing a generation of artists and...
.
Critical acclaim
In European media, "Unfinished Sympathy" has frequently been placed highly on lists of "the best songs of all time":- The TV channel MTV2MTV (UK and Ireland)MTV is a 24-hour general entertainment channel operated by Viacom International Media Networks.The channel was launched as part of MTV Networks Europe localization strategy in 1997. MTV UK was launched on 1 July 1997. The channel was set up to provide audiences with local artists and more relevant...
in the UK ranked it #1 in a poll of the best songs of all time.http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=8470 - The FaceThe Face (magazine)The Face was a British music, fashion and culture monthly magazine started in May 1980 by Nick Logan.-1980s:Logan had previously created the teen pop magazine Smash Hits, and had been an editor at the New Musical Express in the 1970s before launching The Face in 1980.The magazine was influential in...
(UK) – Singles of the Year, ranking #1http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/theface.htm#1991 - Melody MakerMelody MakerMelody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
(UK) – Singles of the Year, ranking #1http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mmlists_p2.htm#1991 - New Musical ExpressNMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
(UK) – Singles of the Year, ranking #8http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1991.html - Iguana (Spain) – Singles of the Year, ranking #2 http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/iguana.htm#1991
- A BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
poll ranked it #44 in the best songs of all time - Reviewer Julie BurchillJulie BurchillJulie Burchill is an English writer and journalist. Beginning as a writer for the New Musical Express at the age of 17, she has written for newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Guardian. She is a self-declared "militant feminist". She has several times been involved in legal action...
has described it as her favourite song of all time.http://www.granta.com/Contributors/Julie-Burchill - Dance music producer Darren TateDarren TateDarren Tate is an English record producer and club DJ.-Biography and personality:As a classically trained musician, Tate has worked with international artists and songwriters with whom he collaborates regularly...
has described it as his favourite record ever. - MixmagMixmagMixmag is a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as "the world's biggest selling dance music magazine", with an Audit Bureau of Circulations audited circulation of approximately 21,250...
(UK) – ranked #10 in The 100 Best Dance Singles of All Time (1996)http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mixmag.html#singles - New Musical Express (UK) – ranked #10 in The Top 100 Singles of All Time (2002)Greatest Singles
- QQ (magazine)Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
(UK) – The 1001 Best Songs Ever (2003), ranking #37http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q1001_songs.htm - Q (UK) – Top 20 Singles from 1980-2004 (2004), ranking #8greatest songs
- RockdeluxRockdeluxRockdelux is a popular music magazine published monthly in Spain.Rockdelux was first published in November 1984, and since then has accumulated over 200 editions, celebrating its 200th in October 2002, when it released a list of the 200 greatest international albums of all time, according to the...
(Spain) – The 100 Best Songs from 1990 to 1998 (1999), ranking #1 - Rockdelux (Spain) – The Top 100 Songs from 1984 to 1993 (1993), ranking #4
- BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
(1998), ranking #1http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/uk_radio.htm - Q (1998), ranking #15
- EveryHit.com poll of polls, ranking #21
- Triple JTriple Jtriple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
(Australia) Hottest 100 Of All Time 2009, ranking #93 - Mixmag top 10 songs of all time http://forum.aatwc.com/showthread.php?t=416
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
rated "Unfinished Sympathy" as 44th best track of the '90s. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7852-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-50-21/
Peak positions
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
17 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
2 |
| New Zealandian Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
48 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
40 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 9 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
13 |