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Wish You Were Here (Rednex song)

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"Wish You Were Here"
Single by Rednex
from the album Sex & Violins
B-side"Hittin' the Hay"
Released6 May 1995
Recorded1994
Length4:00
Songwriter(s)Don Marcos
Producer(s)
Rednex singles chronology
"Old Pop in an Oak"
(1995) 		"Wish You Were Here"
(1995) 		"Wild 'N Free"
(1995)
Music video
"Wish You Were Here" on YouTube

"Wish You Were Here" is a ballad by the Swedish band Rednex from their first album Sex & Violins. Produced by Denniz Pop and Max Martin, it was a number-one hit in Austria, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. In Austria, it was the most successful single of 1995. Additionally the song reached number 2 in Iceland, number 3 in Sweden and number 6 in Finland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it peaked at number 5.

Critical reception

American magazine Billboard noted the song as a "surprisingly sincere ballad".[1] J.D. Considine from The Daily Gazette described it as a "unexpectedly Abba-esque ballad" in his review of Sex & Violins.[2] Music & Media wrote that "the upcoming third [single], Wish You Were Here, focuses on a totally different side. It's a ballad, sung with lots of Dolly-patented vibrato and pathos."[3]

Chart performance

"Wish You Were Here" managed to make an impact on the charts in Europe, becoming a major hit in many countries. It went to number-one in Austria, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. The single also reached the Top 5 in Iceland and Sweden, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number 5 in July 1995. Additionally, "Wish You Were Here" was a Top 10 hit in Denmark and Finland, and a Top 30 hit in Belgium and the Netherlands. It was awarded with a gold record in Austria and Switzerland, with a sale of 25,000, and a platinum record in Germany and Norway, where the single sold 500,000 (in Germany).

Music video

The music video of "Wish You Were Here" was directed by Matt Broadley.[4] It shows a woman, played by singer Annika Ljungberg, sitting in a meadow, singing to her man, a soldier who has been killed in a war. Other times we see the male band members dressed like soldiers, on a battlefield. They are shooting at each other and some of them being shot. In between, romantic flashbacks between the woman and the man takes us back to happier days. In the end, the woman walks through the battlefield at night with a torch in her hand. She watches and sings to the dead soldiers, lying on the ground. The video has a sepia tone.[5] It was uploaded to YouTube in August 2013, and in August 2020, the video had more than 8,3 million views.

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[26] Gold 25,000*
Germany (BVMI)[27] Platinum 500,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[28] Platinum  
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[29] Gold 25,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

References

  1. ^ "Billboard: Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. May 13, 1995. p. 76. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  2. ^ "RECORD RELEASES: 'Sex & Violins' Rednex". The Daily Gazette. June 11, 1995. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  3. ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. March 18, 1995. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  4. ^ "Credits - Matt Broadley". mattbroadley.com. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  5. ^ "Rednex - Wish You Were Here (Official Music Video) [HD] - RednexMusic com". YouTube. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  6. ^ "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. ^ "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. ^ "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  9. ^ "Top 10 Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  10. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media.
  11. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  12. ^ "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  13. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (04.11.1995-10.11.1995)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 24, 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  15. ^ "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  16. ^ "Rednex – Wish You Were Here". VG-lista.
  17. ^ "Rednex – Wish You Were Here". Singles Top 100.
  18. ^ "Rednex – Wish You Were Here". Swiss Singles Chart.
  19. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1995" (in German). Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  20. ^ "1995 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  21. ^ "Top 100 Singles – Jahrescharts 1995" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  22. ^ "Árslistinn 1995". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  23. ^ "Jaarlijsten 1995" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  24. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1995" (in German). Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  26. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  27. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rednex; 'Wish You Were Here')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  28. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  29. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Wish You Were Here')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
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