Loser (Beck song)
"Loser" | ||||
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Single by Beck | ||||
from the album Mellow Gold | ||||
Released | March 8, 1993 | |||
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Beck singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Loser" on YouTube |
"Loser" is a single by American musician
When it was first released independently, "Loser" began receiving airplay on various modern rock stations, and the song's popularity eventually led to a major-label record deal with Geffen Records-subsidiary DGC Records. After the song's re-release under DGC, the song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1994, becoming Beck's first single to hit a major chart. Internationally, the song reached number one in Norway and entered the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. The song was subsequently released on the 1994 album Mellow Gold. Its music video was directed by Steve Hanft. In 2023, Billboard magazine ranked "Loser" among the 500 best pop songs of all time.[3]
Conception and recording
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Beck was a homeless musician in the
"Loser" was written and recorded by Beck while he was visiting Stephenson's home.
Composition and lyrics
Beck acknowledged the impact of folk on the song, saying "I'd realized that a lot of what folk music is about taking a tradition and reflecting your own time. I knew my folk music would take off, if I put hip-hop beats behind it."
Referred to as a "stoner rap" by AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine,[18] the lyrics are mostly nonsensical.[19] The song's chorus, in which Beck sings the lines "Soy un perdedor/I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?", is often interpreted as a parody of Generation X's "slacker" culture.[20] Beck has denied the validity of this meaning, instead saying that the chorus is simply about his lack of skill as a rapper.[21] Jon Pareles wrote in The New York Times that "The sentiment of 'Loser' [...] reflects the twentysomething trademark, a mixture of self-mockery and sardonic defiance", noting Beck's "offhand vocal tone and free-associative lyrics" and comparing his vocals to "Bob Dylan talk-singing".[22] After its recording, Beck thought that the song was interesting but unimpressive. He later said, "The raps and vocals are all first takes. If I'd known the impact it was going to make, I would have put something a little more substantial in it."[11] The relationship between Beck and Stephenson soured after the release of "Loser" as a single. Stephenson regretted his involvement in creating the song, in particular the "negative" lyrics, saying "I feel bad about it. It's not Beck the person, it's the words. I just wish I could have been more of a positive influence."[23]
Release and performance
"Loser" was first released on March 8, 1993, as a 12-inch vinyl single on Bong Load, with only 500 copies pressed.
In January 1994, DGC reissued "Loser" on CD and cassette, and Geffen began heavily promoting the single.
Around the time of the song's release, Beck had been approached about including "Loser" on the soundtrack of the comedy film Dumb and Dumber, but he refused. He recalled the process, "I remember getting a phone call one day. My manager said, 'There's a film. They want to use 'Loser' as the theme song.' There was a long pause, and he said, 'The name of the film is Dumb And Dumber.' And I just remember: That sums up what the world thinks of me at this point. I tried to have fun with it, tried to not take it too serious. But at the same time, it was a little disheartening sometimes."[36]
Critical reception
In his Consumer Guide,
Impact and legacy
"Loser" ranked first place in the 1994
Unproduced "Weird Al" Yankovic parody
Around the time the song was released, "Weird Al" Yankovic had approached Beck asking for permission to record a parody called "Schmoozer". At the time, Beck was just entering the music industry, and did not want his reputation to be seen as a one-hit wonder and refused the parody. Beck stated in 2022 that he wished he had given Yankovic permission, saying "I think it would have been an amazing video, I'm actually really sad it didn't happen.[49] Despite the refusal, Yankovic was able to include a portion of the song in his Polka Medley called "The Alternative Polka".[50]
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Loser" was directed by Beck's friend Steve Hanft. Hanft had worked for a week on storyboards for the video, then called a meeting with Beck's label, Bong Load Records, and requested a $300 shooting budget. The unprocessed 16 mm film footage was frozen for 6 months until Beck signed with Geffen Records. Geffen gave Hanft $14,000 to process, edit, and master the video, making the budget total $14,300. Filming for the video was done all across California, including in Rothrock's Humboldt County studio and backyard and at the Santa Monica graveyard.[13] The video is a mashup of various 16 mm film clips. Beck insisted they were "fucking around" when they made the video; he told Option in 1994, "We weren't making anything slick – it was deliberately crude. You know?"[51]
Hanft, inspired by the Black Sabbath's 16 mm film promo "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and also surrealist filmmakers
"Loser" ranked sixth in the music video category in the 1994 Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll.[44]
The music video for Beck's 2014 song "Heart Is a Drum" features characters from the "Loser" video, including the grim reaper, and another version of Beck in which he wears the white outfit from the "Loser" video. Also, two spacemen enter near the end of the "Heart Is a Drum" video as they ride away on the back of a pick up truck just as they do in the "Kill the Moonlight" film clip that was included in the "Loser" video.
Formats and track listing
All songs were written by Beck except where noted.
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[73] | Gold | 35,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[83] | Gold | 5,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[84] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[32] | Gold | 600,000[33] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref(s). |
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United States | March 8, 1993 | 12-inch vinyl | Bong Load Custom
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[24][25] |
United Kingdom | February 21, 1994 |
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Geffen | [85] |
Japan | April 6, 1994 | CD | [86] |
References
- ^ a b Reed, James (July 29, 2013). "Beck ends the Newport Folk Festival in style". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ ISSN 1070-4701.
- ^ a b "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ISBN 0-7522-7143-1.
- ^ Palacios 2000, p. 69
- ^ Palacios 2000, p. 71
- ^ Browne, David (February 14, 1997). "Beck In The High Life". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Palacios 2000, p. 72
- ^ a b c Palacios 2000, pp. 72–73.
- ^ Schoemer, Karen (December 1999). "The Last Boy Wonder". Elle.
- ^ a b c d e f Black, Johnny (March 2003). "The Greatest Songs Ever! Loser". Blender. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^ Palacios 2000, p. 73
- ^ a b c Torrence, Truck (Director); Sharp, Stoney (Director) (2004). 10 Years Of Mellow Gold. Specialten Publishing.
- ^ Joyce, John (December 5, 1998). "Diary of an LP". Melody Maker.
- ^ Zaleski, Annie (October 20, 2014). "Instant deception: 14 incongruous and misleading album openers". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ de Clercq, Trevor (December 27, 2007). "Combinatoriality in "Loser" by Beck". Midside.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
- ^ Palacios 2000, p. 47
- Allmusic. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
- ISBN 1-59376-206-2.
- ^ Ellis 2008, p. 232
- ISBN 1-56025-302-9.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (March 27, 1994). "Recordings View; A Dylan In Slacker's Clothing?". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
- ^ Quantick 2001, p. 32–33
- ^ a b "Beck on Instagram: "Released 30 years ago today... Loser."".
- ^ a b c Palacios 2000, p. 77
- ^ Palacios 2000, p. 74
- ^ Hart, Ron (March 4, 2019). "Beck Producer Tom Rothrock Looks Back on 'Mellow Gold' & Its Unlikely Road to Success". Billboard. NYC. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c Palacios 2000, p. 80
- ^ Cummings, Sue (June 1996). "Beck: Dumpster Divin' Man". MTV.
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(help) - ^ a b "Beck Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ a b "Beck Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Beck – Loser". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
- ^ Palacios 2000, p. 84
- ^ Wild, David (April 21, 1995). "Beck". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (21 November 2019). "Beck Discusses Failing To Get Aphex Twin To Produce Him In The '90s And Denying Dumb And Dumber "Loser" For Its Theme Song". Stereogum. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Beck". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
- ^ Stubbs, David (June 22, 1996). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 48. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 9. February 26, 1994. p. 10. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- NME. p. 51. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ a b Evans, Paul (December 29, 1994-January 12, 1995). "The year in recordings". Rolling Stone. Issue 698/699.
- ^ Aaron, Charles (December 1994). "Top 20 Singles of the Year". Spin. p. 77. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ Stowe, Jay (April 1994). "Spins". Spin. p. 94. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "The 1994 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". Village Voice. February 28, 1995. Retrieved on January 3, 2009.
- ^ "2004 RS Greatest Songs 101-200". Rolling Stone. December 4, 2004. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Pitchfork Top 200 Tracks of the 90s". Pitchfork. 3 September 2010.
- ^ Bort, Ryan (July 16, 2012). "The 20 Best Beck Songs". Paste. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (July 2, 2020). "Beck's greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ "Beck wishes he had let "Weird Al" Yankovic parody "Loser"". The A.V. Club. June 30, 2022.
- ^ "[Part 1 - "Loser" by Beck] / Soy un perdedor! / I'm a loser, baby! / So why don't you kill me? / Everybody! / Soy un perdedor! / I'm a loser, baby! / So why don't you kill me? / HEY!". Genius.
- ^ Kemp, Mark. "Beck: Folk Futurist". Option. March 1994.
- ^ "Beck – Loser". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
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- ^ "Beck – Loser" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2463." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 26. June 25, 1994. p. 24. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- Les classement single.
- ^ "Beck – Loser" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
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- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Loser". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
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- ^ "U.S. Cash Box Charts" (PDF). popmusichistory. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
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- ^ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1994". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "1994 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. 12. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- GfK Entertainment. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
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- ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
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- ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. February 19, 1994. p. 21.
- ^ "ルーザー | Beck" [Loser | Beck] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 18, 2023.