"Not Now" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 that was released on November 28, 2005. It was the lone single from the group's first compilation album, Greatest Hits (2005), because it was the only song on the compilation that was previously unreleased in the US. The song had been composed and recorded during the sessions that produced the group's self-titled 2003 album (it first appeared as a bonus track on the UK version of that album). "Not Now" would be the group's last single as a band before their four-year hiatus from 2005 to 2009.
| "Not Now" | ||||
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| Single by Blink-182 | ||||
| from the album Greatest Hits | ||||
| Released | November 28, 2005 | |||
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| Producer(s) | Jerry Finn | |||
| Blink-182 singles chronology | ||||
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"Not Now" was released to radio on October 18, 2005.[1] The song reached number 18 on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.
Background
edit"Not Now" was originally recorded by the band for its self-titled 2003 album.[2] Its lyrics have been interpreted as written from the perspective of someone on the verge of death.[3]
Composition
editThe song's guitar riffs were compared to the Descendents by journalist Joe Shooman, and are interspersed by verses containing a church organ.[4] Matt Mitchell of Paste also noted the similarities to the Descendents, dubbing the song "a tight, riff-heavy, pop-punk performance".[5]
Release and commercial performance
edit"Not Now" was first released for download on the nascent iTunes Music Store on the day of the album's release.[6] It was included as a bonus track on the UK edition of Blink-182, although it is unclear why it was originally left off the track listing of the international edition.[4] The song was also included on Atticus: ...Dragging the Lake, Vol. 3 (2005), a compilation album released by DeLonge's clothing company, Atticus Clothing.[7] Both of these physical releases are a slightly shorter edit, where the bridge is shortened, making it roughly 15 seconds shorter.
When the song was selected to be a single for the band's post-breakup Greatest Hits album, it ran into trouble with the trio's management, which were split between DeLonge (who remained with original Blink manager Rick DeVoe) and Hoppus/Barker (who switched to Irving Azoff to handle their new project, +44).[8] The Azoff camp lobbied for the Hoppus-led "Another Girl, Another Planet" as the lead single, while DeVoe argued for "Not Now", which eventually won.[8]
The song peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.[9]
Critical reception
edit"Not Now" received positive marks from contemporary music critics. Kieron Passaway in Kerrang! called it among the band's best, observing, "You can feel and hear the friction in the track [...] DeLonge appears to be pushing a separate sonic agenda which he eventually realized with Angels & Airwaves, while vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker are busy reinforcing the trademark Blink sound."[10] Matt Mitchell of Paste interpreted it as suggestive of the band's impending demise, writing, "DeLonge sings from the perspective of the song's protagonist, who, on the brink of death, much like the band at the time, keeps his loved ones close and promises to wait for them once he passes on."[11]
Music video
editThe music video features clips of the band's past music videos, concerts, and tours.[12] There are two released versions of this video, but the only significant difference between them is that different clips from all of their videos are used.
There is also a third, possibly unofficial, video; this is seen on Australia's Channel [V]. In this version, the video is black and white and is made up of some of the band's previous music videos as well as some footage of their live performance in the 2000 Big Day Out during the bridge of the song. [citation needed]
Format and track listing
edit
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Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)[13] | 29 |
| European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[14] | 88 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[15] | 49 |
| Italy (FIMI)[16] | 39 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 30 |
| UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[18] | 2 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[19] | 18 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | November 15, 2005 | Alternative radio | Geffen | [20] |
| United Kingdom | November 28, 2005 |
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[21] |
References
edit- ^ "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ "Bizkit, Blink 182 Look Back With Retrospectives". Billboard. September 26, 2005. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Ryder, Taryn (July 27, 2021). "Mark Hoppus plays bass for the first time since cancer diagnosis: 'Wow'". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Shooman, 2010. p. 124
- ^ Mitchell, Matt (June 20, 2022). "The 25 Best Blink-182 Songs". Paste. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Blink 182 Expand Australian Tour". Ultimate-Guitar. May 21, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
- ^ Shooman, 2010. p. 139
- ^ a b Ken Leighton (March 30, 2006). "Hackers' Delight". San Diego Reader. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
- ^ Rogers, Jack (October 21, 2022). "blink-182 Achieve First UK Top 40 Track In 17 Years With 'EDGING'". Rock Sound. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "8 lesser known but brilliant blink-182 songs everyone needs to hear". Kerrang!. March 25, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "The 25 Best Blink-182 Songs". Paste Magazine. October 11, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Piers, Ryan (May 11, 2020). "Here are blink-182's music videos ranked in order of greatness". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "Radio & Records Magazine" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 18, 2005. p. 60. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ "blink-182 – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for blink-182. Retrieved 2012-07-18. [dead link]
- ^ "Chart Track: Week 48, 2005". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
- ^ "Blink 182 – Not Now". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "Blink-182 Chart History – Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "FMQB – Available for Airplay Archive". FMQB. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "The Schedule: Singles". Music Week. November 26, 2005. p. 17.
Bibliography
- Shooman, Joe (June 24, 2010). Blink-182: The Bands, The Breakdown & The Return. Independent Music Press. ISBN 978-1-906191-10-8.