Sink to the Bottom
| "Sink to the Bottom" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Fountains of Wayne | ||||
| from the album Fountains of Wayne | ||||
| B-side | "Can't Get It Out of My Head" (live) | |||
| Released | February 21, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996–97 | |||
| Genre | Power pop | |||
| Length | 3:12 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Adam Schlesinger | |||
| Fountains of Wayne singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Sink to the Bottom" on YouTube | ||||
"Sink to the Bottom" is the second single by Fountains of Wayne, from their debut studio album Fountains of Wayne. The song was first released on February 21, 1997, for radio airplay. It was later released in Europe on April 28, 1997, and charted in the UK at No. 42 on May 10, 1997.[1] It also reached No. 7 in Norway in 1998.[2]
Composition and recording
"Sink to the Bottom" was written by Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger, the latter also produced the track.[3] The song was recorded at the Place in New York City between January to April 1996.[3] A live cover of "Can't Get It Out of My Head" originally performed by Jeff Lynne, was recorded at the Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida on February 2, 1997.[3]
Release
The two other tracks on the single – "Kid Gloves" and a live version of "Can't Get It Out of My Head" – were unavailable on any Fountains of Wayne album until the release of Out-of-State Plates in 2005.[3]
Critical reception
In a retrospective review on the 25th anniversary of Fountains of Wayne, Chris Conaton of PopMatters wrote on the song, "The rest of the song is also very simple [...] Both refrains are catchy earworms, and Schlesinger and Collingwood resist the urge to overcomplicate, just letting the song be two big hooks."[4] Morgan Enos of Billboard named the track as one of Schlesinger's "15 Greatest Songs", writing, "it's hard to think of a more prototypically 1996 radio-rock song than 'Sink to the Bottom' — despondent yet triumphant with a melodic fuzzbomb of a chorus."[5]
Music video
The music video for "Sink to the Bottom" premiered via MTV on March 11, 1997, directed by Sisyphus Applebaum.[6]
Usage in media
The song was used as the outro for the movie Bongwater, on How I Met Your Mother, in the episode "Atlantic City" and outro song for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Se.3 Ep.7 "Marvelous Radio". It was also featured on a Finnish beer commercial, according to Schlesinger.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sink to the Bottom" | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Can't Get It Out of My Head" (live) | 3:52 |
| 3. | "Kid Gloves" | 3:31 |
Credits
Credits for "Sink to the Bottom" adapted from CD liner notes.[3]
Fountains of Wayne
- Chris Collingwood – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Adam Schlesinger – drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals; bass guitar (track 2)
- Danny Weinkauf – bass guitar (tracks 1 & 3)
- Jody Porter – lead guitar, backing vocals (track 2)
- Brian Young – drums (track 2)
Additional personnel
- Engineered by Gary Maurer
- Mixed by Adam Schlesinger, Gary Maurer (track 1); Chris Shaw, Eric Tew (track 3)
- Mastered by Greg Calbi
- Recorded in January and April 1996 at The Place, New York City (tracks 1 & 3)
- Mixed at Greene Street Recording, New York City
- Mastered at Masterdisk, New York City
Charts
| Chart (1997–98) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[7] | 153 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[5] | 7 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[2] | 8 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[8] | 36 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[9] | 42 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | February 21, 1997 | Modern rock | Atlantic | [10] |
| Europe | April 28, 1997 | CD | [3] |
References
- ^ ""Sink to the Bottom" at The Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Fountains of Wayne – Sink to the Bottom". VG-lista. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f Sink to the Bottom (European CD booklet). Atlantic. 1997. 7567-95612-2.
- ^ Chris Conaton (October 1, 2021). "Fountains of Wayne's Power Poptastic Debut Turns 25". PopMatters. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ a b c Enos, Morgan; Unterberger, Andrew; Lynch, Joe (April 1, 2020). "Adam Schlesinger's 15 Greatest Songs: Fountains of Wayne, 'That Thing You Do!,' 'Crazy Ex Girlfriend' & More (Staff Picks)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Fountains of Wayne - 'Sink to the Bottom'". MTV. March 11, 1997. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ "Fountains of Wayne ARIA chart history". ARIA. Retrieved January 12, 2026 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 4/5/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 4/5/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Rock Airplay Monitor: New Releases" (PDF). Billboard. February 21, 1997. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2026.