"When the Lights Go Out" is the second single released from British group Five

Five (band)

Five were an English boyband put together in 1997 by the same team that managed the Spice Girls before they launched their career. The five members were Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville, J Brown, Abs Breen and Sean Conlon. Signed by Simon Cowell, they were a manufactured band and held several...

's debut studio album, 5ive

5ive (album)

5ive, also written as Five, is the self-titled debut album by English pop rap band Five. Released in the United Kingdom on 22 June 1998, the album topped the UK Albums Chart, the only Five album to do so...

It was released in early 1998. The song was co-written by Eliot Kennedy

Eliot Kennedy

Eliot Kennedy is an English songwriter and record producer based in Sheffield. He has worked with artists such as the Spice Girls, Bryan Adams, Lulu, S Club 7, Five, Delta Goodrem, and Lovers Electric.-History:...

, Tim Lever and Mike Percy (from the band Dead or Alive

Dead or Alive (band)

Dead or Alive were a British New Wave band from Wirral, England, United Kingdom, Europe. The band rose to fame in the 1980s with their number one single on the UK Singles Chart, "You Spin Me Round ". They were the first group to have a number one single under the production team Stock Aitken Waterman...

), and John McClaughlin. It was co-produced by Eliot Kennedy, Tim Lever and Mike Percy. The track is the band's only top ten hit in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. An alternate version of the song, in which Abs

Abs Breen

Richard Abidin "Abs" Breen is a British singer, rapper, dancer, and DJ. He was formerly a member of London-based boyband Five. In 2003, he released his first solo album called "Abstract Theory".-Early life:...

' rap replaces J

Jason 'J' Brown

Jason Paul "J" Brown is an English singer who is best known as one of the lead vocalists in the former boyband, Five...

's rap, was made especially for the US release; there are separate videos for each version. Five's biggest hit to date internationally, "When the Lights Go Out" is considered somewhat to be their debut single in most countries (except in the UK), peaking at #2 in Australia, reaching the Top 30 in the US on 23 June 1998 and peaking at #10 on 21 July 1998. The song also spent a massive 6 months in the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Track listing

USA CD Single #1

1. "When the Lights Go Out" [US Remix] - 4:20
2. "Straight Up Funk" - 3:57

USA CD Single #2

1. "When the Lights Go Out" [US Remix] - 4:20
2. "When the Lights Go Out" [Hip Hop Mix] - 6:19
3. "When the Lights Go Out" [R&B Rub Mix] - 4:24
4. "Shake" - 3:23

UK CD Single #1

1. "When the Lights Go Out" [Radio Edit] - 4:12
2. "When the Lights Go Out" [Extended Mix] - 6:23
3. "When the Lights Go Out" [The Drummers Mix] - 7:27
4. "When the Lights Go Out" [Loop Da Loop Full Vocal Mix] - 4:50
5. "When the Lights Go Out" [Video] - 4:10

UK CD Single #2

1. "When the Lights Go Out" [Radio Edit] - 4:12
2. "When the Lights Go Out" [Blacksmith R&B Rub] - 4:26
3. "Slam Dunk Da Funk" [Extended Mix] - 7:06
4. "Interview" - 4:23

Brazilian Single

1. "When the Lights Go Out" [Radio Edit] - 4:12
2. "When the Lights Go Out" [Extended Mix] - 6:23
3. "When the Lights Go Out" [US Remix] - 4:20
4. "When the Lights Go Out" [The Drummers Mix] - 7:27
5. "When the Lights Go Out" [Blacksmith R&B Rub] - 4:26
6. "When the Lights Go Out" [Loop Da Loop Full Vocal Mix] - 4:50

Charts performance

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	2
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart	13
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart	8
Canadian RPM Singles Chart	30
Danish Singles Chart	17
Dutch Singles Chart	35
Irish Singles Chart	11
New Zealand Singles Chart	20
Swedish Singles Chart	7
UK Singles Chart	4
US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart	10

End-of-year charts

End of year chart (1998)	Position
Australian Singles Chart	25
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart	76
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	38