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| next_title = [[Divine Hammer (song)|Divine Hammer]]
| next_title = [[Divine Hammer (song)|Divine Hammer]]
| next_year = 1993
| next_year = 1993
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|fxvkI9MTQw4|"Cannonball"}}}}
| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = single
| file = Cannonball.ogg
}}{{External music video|{{YouTube|fxvkI9MTQw4|"Cannonball"}}}}
}}
}}
"'''Cannonball'''" is an [[alternative rock]] song by [[The Breeders]] from their 1993 album ''[[Last Splash]]''. It was released as a single on August 9, 1993, on [[4AD]]/[[Elektra Records]], reaching {{Numero|44}} on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and {{Numero|40}} in the UK Singles Chart. It was released in France in November 1993, where it remained charted for 30 weeks, peaking at {{Numero|8}}.
"'''Cannonball'''" is an [[alternative rock]] song by [[The Breeders]] from their 1993 album ''[[Last Splash]]''. It was released as a single on August 9, 1993, on [[4AD]]/[[Elektra Records]], reaching {{Numero|44}} on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and {{Numero|40}} in the UK Singles Chart. It was released in France in November 1993, where it remained charted for 30 weeks, peaking at {{Numero|8}}.


==Music video==
==Composition==
"Cannonball" is an [[alternative rock]] and [[indie pop]] song that lasts for a duration of three minute and thirtysix seconds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0085623|title=The Breeders "Cannonball" Guitar Tab in E Major - Download & Print|last=Deal|first=Kim|work=Musicnotes.com|publisher=[[EMI Music Publishing]]|access-date=}}</ref><ref name="Maginnis"/> It contains a blend of [[indie pop]] and [[rock]], featuring a balance of quirky pop [[Hook (music)|hook]]s and surging power which support playful, goofball lyrics.<ref name="Maginnis"/> According to the [[sheet music]] published at Musicnotes.com by [[EMI Music Publishing]], the song is written in the [[Time signature|time signature]] of [[Time signature#Most frequent time signatures|common time]], with a moderately fast rock [[Tempo|tempo]] of 112 [[Tempo#Beats per minute|beats per minute]].<ref name="Deal">{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0027389|title=The Breeders "Cannonball" Sheet Music in Eb Major - Download & Print|last=Deal|first=Kim|work=Musicnotes.com|publisher=[[EMI Music Publishing]]|access-date=}}</ref> "Cannonball" is composed in the [[Key (music)|key]] of [[E-flat major]] (E{{music|flat}}), while Kim Deal's [[vocal range]] spans from a low of [[E (musical note)|E{{music|flat}}<sub>3</sub>]] to a high of [[B (musical note)|B{{music|flat}}<sub>4</sub>]].<ref name="Deal"/> The song has a basic sequence that alternates between the chords of B{{music|flat}}<sub>5</sub> and E{{music|flat}}<sub>5</sub> during the [[introduction (music)|introduction]] and verses and follows B{{music|flat}}<sub>5</sub>–E{{music|flat}}<sub>5</sub>–A{{music|flat}}<sub>5</sub> at the chorus as its [[chord progression]].<ref name="Deal"/>
⚫
The [[music video]] for "Cannonball" was directed by [[Kim Gordon]] and [[Spike Jonze]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mvdbase.com/video.php?id=4414|title=The Breeders - Cannonball |accessdate=May 24, 2019|website=Mvdbase.com}}</ref> It features the band in a garage, and the Deal sisters in what seems to be a dressing room trashed with clothes, sitting in a chair together. There are also shots of a cannonball rolling down suburban streets, as well as a shot of [[Kim Deal]] singing underwater.

During the verses, Kim Deal recites repetitive lines with a seductive shyness.<ref name="Maginnis"/> The song intensies at their jubilant chorus, which is signaled by pelting [[snare roll]]s. They unleash layers of guitar [[Distortion (music)|distortion]] alongside Deal's distorted, transmitted vocals shouting: "Hey now, hey now/I want you Koo Koo, Cannonball."<ref name="Maginnis"/> Its musical arrangment features stuttering, start-and-stop transitions before evening out into an infectious, melodic hook layered with sweet vocal harmonies, with Deal and the band repeating the line: "In the shade/In the shade."<ref name="Maginnis"/> "Cannonball" employs a [[False_ending#Music|false ending]], pausing for a whole [[Bar (music)|measure]] and then crashing into its chorus and shifting in another full verse and chorus before coming to an abrupt halt.<ref name="Maginnis"/>

==Reception==
As the [[lead single]] from their sophomore album, "Cannonball" went on to become The Breeders' biggest commercial success. The song was ranked as song of the year by both English music weeky magazines ''[[Melody Maker]]'' and ''[[NME]]'' and helped propel the album as well as the release of their follow-up single "[[Divine Hammer]]" to [[Music recording certification|Platinum]] status.<ref name="Maginnis"/>

[[AllMusic]]'s Tom Maginnis complimented the single, writing, "the song conveys an effusive energy, balancing quirky hooks with a gushing power, supporting playful, goofball lyrics that perfectly deliver the song's sense of unhinged, freewheeling fun."<ref name="Maginnis">{{cite web |author=Maginnis, Tom|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/cannonball-mt0000622329|title=The Breeders Cannonball – Song Review by Tom Maginnis |website=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=July 4, 2010|authorlink=Tom Maginnis}}</ref>


==Critical reception==
''[[NME]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1993.html | title=NME End Of Year Lists 1993 | website = Rocklist.net |accessdate=May 24, 2019 }}</ref> [[Melody Maker]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mmlists_p2.htm#1993|title=Rocklist.net...Melody Maker End of year Lists - The '90's  .....|website=www.rocklistmusic.co.uk|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref> and [[The Village Voice]]''{{'}}s [[Pazz & Jop]] annual year-end critics' poll all named "Cannonball" their best single of 1993. In May 2007, ''[[NME]]'' magazine placed "Cannonball" at number 22 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. It ranked {{Numero|83}} on [[VH1]]'s "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". In September 2010, [[Pitchfork Media]] included the song at number 22 on their ''Top 200 Tracks of the 90s''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7852-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-50-21/?page=3|title=The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50-21 - Page 3|website=Pitchfork|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>
''[[NME]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1993.html | title=NME End Of Year Lists 1993 | website = Rocklist.net |accessdate=May 24, 2019 }}</ref> [[Melody Maker]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mmlists_p2.htm#1993|title=Rocklist.net...Melody Maker End of year Lists - The '90's  .....|website=www.rocklistmusic.co.uk|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref> and [[The Village Voice]]''{{'}}s [[Pazz & Jop]] annual year-end critics' poll all named "Cannonball" their best single of 1993. In May 2007, ''[[NME]]'' magazine placed "Cannonball" at number 22 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. It ranked {{Numero|83}} on [[VH1]]'s "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". In September 2010, [[Pitchfork Media]] included the song at number 22 on their ''Top 200 Tracks of the 90s''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7852-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-50-21/?page=3|title=The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50-21 - Page 3|website=Pitchfork|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>

==Music video==
⚫
The [[music video]] for "Cannonball" was directed by [[Kim Gordon]] and [[Spike Jonze]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mvdbase.com/video.php?id=4414|title=The Breeders - Cannonball |accessdate=May 24, 2019|website=Mvdbase.com}}</ref> It features the band in a garage, and the Deal sisters in what seems to be a dressing room trashed with clothes, sitting in a chair together. There are also shots of a cannonball rolling down suburban streets, as well as a shot of [[Kim Deal]] singing underwater.


==Usage in media==
==Usage in media==
Line 138: Line 150:


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Youtube|fxvkI9MTQw4|"Cannonball" Music video}}
* {{MetroLyrics song|breeders|cannonball}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->
* {{MetroLyrics song|breeders|cannonball}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->


Revision as of 02:39, 3 September 2019

"Cannonball"
Single by The Breeders
from the album Last Splash
B-side
  • "Cro-Aloha"
  • "Lord of the Thighs"
  • "900"
ReleasedAugust 9, 1993
GenreAlternative rock, noise pop
Length3:36
Label4AD/Elektra
Songwriter(s)Kim Deal
Producer(s)
  • Kim Deal
  • Mark Freegard
The Breeders singles chronology
"Cannonball"
(1993) 		"Divine Hammer"
(1993)
Audio sample
Music video
"Cannonball" on YouTube

"Cannonball" is an alternative rock song by The Breeders from their 1993 album Last Splash. It was released as a single on August 9, 1993, on 4AD/Elektra Records, reaching No. 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and No. 40 in the UK Singles Chart. It was released in France in November 1993, where it remained charted for 30 weeks, peaking at No. 8.

Composition

"Cannonball" is an alternative rock and indie pop song that lasts for a duration of three minute and thirtysix seconds.[1][2] It contains a blend of indie pop and rock, featuring a balance of quirky pop hooks and surging power which support playful, goofball lyrics.[2] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderately fast rock tempo of 112 beats per minute.[3] "Cannonball" is composed in the key of E-flat major (E♭), while Kim Deal's vocal range spans from a low of E♭3 to a high of B♭4.[3] The song has a basic sequence that alternates between the chords of B♭5 and E♭5 during the introduction and verses and follows B♭5–E♭5–A♭5 at the chorus as its chord progression.[3]

During the verses, Kim Deal recites repetitive lines with a seductive shyness.[2] The song intensies at their jubilant chorus, which is signaled by pelting snare rolls. They unleash layers of guitar distortion alongside Deal's distorted, transmitted vocals shouting: "Hey now, hey now/I want you Koo Koo, Cannonball."[2] Its musical arrangment features stuttering, start-and-stop transitions before evening out into an infectious, melodic hook layered with sweet vocal harmonies, with Deal and the band repeating the line: "In the shade/In the shade."[2] "Cannonball" employs a false ending, pausing for a whole measure and then crashing into its chorus and shifting in another full verse and chorus before coming to an abrupt halt.[2]

Reception

As the lead single from their sophomore album, "Cannonball" went on to become The Breeders' biggest commercial success. The song was ranked as song of the year by both English music weeky magazines Melody Maker and NME and helped propel the album as well as the release of their follow-up single "Divine Hammer" to Platinum status.[2]

AllMusic's Tom Maginnis complimented the single, writing, "the song conveys an effusive energy, balancing quirky hooks with a gushing power, supporting playful, goofball lyrics that perfectly deliver the song's sense of unhinged, freewheeling fun."[2]

NME,[4] Melody Maker[5] and The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop annual year-end critics' poll all named "Cannonball" their best single of 1993. In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Cannonball" at number 22 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. It ranked No. 83 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". In September 2010, Pitchfork Media included the song at number 22 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.[6]

Music video

The music video for "Cannonball" was directed by Kim Gordon and Spike Jonze.[7] It features the band in a garage, and the Deal sisters in what seems to be a dressing room trashed with clothes, sitting in a chair together. There are also shots of a cannonball rolling down suburban streets, as well as a shot of Kim Deal singing underwater.

Usage in media

"Cannonball" was featured in a preview for South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, the film Moonlight and Valentino, the start of A Walk to Remember as well as in the heist scene of Sugar & Spice. It was the original televised score to a skit on MTV's sketch comedy show The State, but due to music licensing issues had to be re-recorded with a sound-alike song for the DVD. The song was also featured in the third season in episode 3 in Misfits and in the season six finale of True Blood. The band Phish covered the song during their May 7th, 1994 concert in Dallas, Texas, which was later released commercially as Live Phish Volume 18.

Track listings

CD single

  1. "Cannonball" – 3:33
  2. "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15

CD and 12" maxi

  1. "Cannonball" – 3:33
  2. "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15
  3. "Lord of the Thighs" (Steven Tyler) – 3:58
  4. "900" (Wiggs) – 4:27

Cassette

  1. "Cannonball" – 3:33
  2. "Lord of the Thighs" – 3:58
  3. "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15

"Cro-Aloha" is a demo version of "No Aloha" from Last Splash.

Personnel

Certifications and sales

Country Certification Date Sales certified Physical sales
France[8] Silver December 21, 1994 125,000 210,000[9]

Charts

References

  1. ^ Deal, Kim. "The Breeders "Cannonball" Guitar Tab in E Major - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Maginnis, Tom. "The Breeders Cannonball – Song Review by Tom Maginnis". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Deal, Kim. "The Breeders "Cannonball" Sheet Music in Eb Major - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing.
  4. ^ "NME End Of Year Lists 1993". Rocklist.net. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  5. ^ "Rocklist.net...Melody Maker End of year Lists - The '90's  ..." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 24 May 2019. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 58 (help)
  6. ^ "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50-21 - Page 3". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  7. ^ "The Breeders - Cannonball". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  8. ^ French certifications Disqueenfrance.com Archived 2009-04-27 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 12, 2009)
  9. ^ French certifications See: "Les Ventes" => "Toutes les certifications depuis 1973" => "BREEDERS" "Infodisc.fr". Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  10. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  11. ^ a b "Cannonball", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 13, 2009)
  12. ^ "Official Charts > Breeders". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d Billboard allmusic.com (Retrieved April 13, 2009)

External links

Template:NMESingle

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