"Kryptonite"
Single by 3 Doors Down
from the album The Better Life
ReleasedJanuary 18, 2000 (2000-01-18)
Genre
Length3:53
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Brad Arnold
Producer(s)Paul Ebersold
3 Doors Down singles chronology
"Kryptonite"
(2000)		 "Loser"
(2000)
Music video
"Kryptonite" on YouTube

"Kryptonite" is the debut single of American rock band 3 Doors Down. It was originally released as a demo for local play by 97.9 WCPR-FM in Biloxi, Mississippi, then was picked up by several radio stations during November and December 1999[3][4] and was officially serviced to radio on January 18, 2000. The song first charted on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, reaching number one for nine weeks, then hit number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart for 11 weeks. It also reached number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart for five non-consecutive weeks, number four on the Adult Top 40 chart, and number three on the Billboard Hot 100, the band's highest-charting single on the listing.

Composition and inspiration

The song was written by the band's vocalist and drummer, Brad Arnold, in a mathematics class when he was 15; it was one of the first songs he ever wrote.[5]

About the song's meaning, Arnold has said:

"That song seems like it's really just kind of like asking a question. Its question is kind of a strange one. It's not just asking, "If I fall down, will you be there for me?", because it's easy to be there for someone when they're down. But it's not always easy to be there for somebody when they're doing good. And that's the question it's asking. It's like, "If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman?" It's asking, "If I'm down, will you still be there for me?" but at the same time, "If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?" That's kind of asking, "If I'm doing good, will you be there for me? Will you not be jealous of me?" That's the basic question that song's asking, and maybe throughout the years of singing that song, I might have come up with more meanings for it than it actually might have originally had."[5]

The band gave their demo tape to local Mississippi radio station WCPR-FM who started playing the EP version of "Kryptonite" and it became the No. 1 requested song on the station for over 15 weeks.[6] The station's program director sent the song to manager Phin Daly who in turn showed it to Bill McGathy, his employer at In De Goot Entertainment. The band was booked in New York to perform a showcase at the CBGB music club. Daly told HitQuarters: "Once they got on stage and started playing, it was apparent the magic was in the music. So we moved to sign them."[6]

Music video

Directed by Dean Karr and filmed in March 2000,[3] the music video presents an old man who was a big-time action hero on 1950s TV. The scene cuts between the band hanging around on the roof of the apartments where the old man lives, spying on a man harassing a woman. When the man drags her away, the old man dons his superhero suit and follows. In between shots of the old hero chasing the bad guy and failing to protect himself against a group of goths, the band is shown playing in a club (the Cowboy Palace Saloon in LA) with several other elderly people dressed as caricatures of comic villains. Several of these people are seen riding a mechanical bull during the final chorus. The video comes to a close when the old man dives through the skylight and catches the bad guy off guard, possibly knocking him out by falling on top of him. The video ends with the old man smiling, giving a thumbs up to the camera, having successfully completed his mission.

Live performances

"Kryptonite" was first performed live in Pascagoula, Mississippi on January 15, 1997. As of July 24, 2023, it has been performed 617 times, making it the most performed song by 3 Doors Down.[7]

Track listings

Personnel

Personnel are taken from the US promo CD liner notes.[11]

  • Brad Arnold – vocals, drums, lyricist, composer
  • Matt Roberts – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, composer
  • Chris Henderson – rhythm guitar
  • Todd Harrell – bass guitar, composer
  • Paul Ebersold – producer

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[40] Platinum 70,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[41] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[42] Gold 250,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[44] 5× Platinum 5,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States January 18, 2000 [45]
June 5, 2000 [46][47]
June 6, 2000 Contemporary hit radio

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit From Worst to Best". Consequence of Sound. March 28, 2016. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. ↑ Loudwire Staff (October 2, 2020). "The 66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century". Loudwire. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Hay, Carla (March 25, 2000). "'The Better Life' Ahead for Republic/Uni's 3 Doors Down". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 13. p. 13. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), p. 633.
  5. 1 2 "Brad Arnold from 3 Doors Down : Songwriter Interviews". songfacts.com.
  6. 1 2 "Interview with Phin Daly". HitQuarters. November 1, 2001. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down song statistics". Setlist.fm. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  8. ↑ Kryptonite (European CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2000. 158 286-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Kryptonite (German CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2000. 158 456-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Kryptonite (European & Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2000. 158 261-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Kryptonite (US promo CD liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2000. U5P-1611.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ "3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  13. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7094." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 7244." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  15. ↑ "3 Doors Down – Kryptonite" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 43, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  17. ↑ "3 Doors Down – Kryptonite" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  18. ↑ "3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". Top 40 Singles.
  19. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  20. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  21. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  22. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  25. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  26. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  27. ↑ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  28. ↑ "End of Year Charts 2000". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 2000". Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  30. ↑ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. pp. YE-99. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  31. ↑ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. pp. YE-87. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 54.
  33. ↑ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 52. December 30, 2000. p. YE-88. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  34. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2001". ARIA. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  35. ↑ "BDS CHART : Top 100 of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on July 26, 2002. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 2001". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2001". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 54.
  38. ↑ "Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2001". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 60.
  39. ↑ "The Decade in Music – Hot 100 Songs" (PDF). Billboard. December 19, 2009. p. 159. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  40. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Danish single certifications – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (3 Doors Down; 'Kryptonite')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  43. ↑ "British single certifications – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  44. ↑ "American single certifications – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1333. January 14, 2000. pp. 101, 105, 115. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1353. June 2, 2000. pp. 47, 88. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2306. May 26, 2000. pp. 8, 19.
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