"Highway Tune"
Single by Greta Van Fleet
from the album Black Smoke Rising and From the Fires
ReleasedMarch 31, 2017 (2017-03-31)
Recorded2015–16
Genre
Length3:01
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
  • Jacob Kiszka
  • Joshua Kiszka
  • Samuel Kiszka
  • Daniel Wagner
Greta Van Fleet singles chronology
"Highway Tune"
(2017)		 "Safari Song"
(2017)

"Highway Tune" is a song by American rock band Greta Van Fleet. It was their first single from their debut EP Black Smoke Rising. It topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Active Rock charts in September 2017. The song, and the rest of its respective EP, is also part of the band's double EP From the Fires, released on November 10, 2017.

Background

"Highway Tune" was the first song the band Greta Van Fleet had ever written and recorded together. The song's initial guitar riff was cited by guitarist Jake Kiszka as being written as early back as 2010—seven years prior to the song's release as a single, and two years prior to the band even being formed.[3] The riff was then brought to early writing and recording sessions upon the band forming in 2012, and was later reformatted and demoed twice before being recorded in its final form.[3][4] The song was initially used in an episode of the television show Shameless in January 2016.[5] The song was officially released as one of four songs for the band's debut EP, Black Smoke Rising.[6] The song was released on March 31, 2017 as a single,[7][8] and on the EP on April 21, 2017.[9] The song's music video was released 2 days prior to the EP's release, and is mostly a performance-based video, with the band playing in an abandoned warehouse.[4][10]

Themes and composition

The song has received many comparisons to the work of Led Zeppelin,[9][11][12] including comparison to the vocals of Robert Plant.[4][9]

Reception

The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Active Rock stations in September 2017.[13] The Mainstream Rock chart was topped in just 14 weeks.[14] Billboard magazine noted that, outside of solo musicians breaking away from their original band, Greta Van Fleet with "Highway Tune" was the fastest for a band to top the Mainstream Rock charts with their debut single since Tantric's 2001 single "Breakdown" and 3 Doors Down's 2000 single "Kryptonite".[14] Loudwire named it the second best hard rock song of 2017.[1] HelloMusicTheory ranked the song as the 8th best rock song of the 2010s.[15]

Personnel

  • Joshua Kiszka – lead vocals
  • Jacob Kiszka – guitar
  • Samuel Kiszka – bass guitar, keyboards
  • Daniel Wagner – drums

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23] Platinum 80,000‡
United States (RIAA)[24] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 "25 Best Hard Rock Songs of 2017". Loudwire.com. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  2. ↑ Fragassi, Selena (November 24, 2017). "Greta Van Fleet feeling the love along the success 'Highway'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Greta Van Fleet's Jake Kiszka Talks 'Black Smoke Rising' EP + More". Loudwire.com. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Greta Van Fleet, 'Highway Tune' - Exclusive Video Premiere". Loudwire.com. 18 April 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "Showtime's 'Shameless' to feature song by Frankenmuth's Greta Van Fleet". Mlive.com. 3 January 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "Greta Van Fleet - Biography & History - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Highway Tune". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  8. ↑ "The future of rock and roll is here with Greta Van Fleet". M.axs.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 "Greta Van Fleet - Black Smoke Rising (EP Review) - Cryptic Rock". Crypticrock.com. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  10. ↑ "Greta Van Fleet Debuts Music Video for "Highway Tune"". Shockwavemagazine.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "GRETA VAN FLEET Vocalist On LED ZEPPELIN Comparisons: 'We'll Take It'". Blabbermouth.net. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  12. ↑ "It's Not Led Zeppelin, It's Greta Van Fleet 'Highway Tune' [Video] - 97.7 QLZ - Anything That Rocks". Wqlz.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  13. ↑ "GRETA VAN FLEET's 'Highway Tune' Claims #1 Spot At U.S. Active And Mainstream Rock Radio". Blabbermouth.net. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Greta Van Fleet Rides 'Highway Tune' to No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Songs Chart". Billboard.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  15. ↑ "23 Of The Best Rock Songs Of The 2010s". hellomusictheory.com. 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  16. ↑ "Top 20 Argentina – Del 10 al 16 de Diciembre, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Greta Van Fleet Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Vinsældalisti Rásar 2 - RÚV". RÚV. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Greta Van Fleet Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Greta Van Fleet Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Greta Van Fleet – Highway Tune". Music Canada. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  24. ↑ "American single certifications – Greta Van Fleet – Highway Tune". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
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