"Flavor of the Weak"
Single by American Hi-Fi
from the album American Hi-Fi
B-side
  • "Scar"
  • "Vertigo" (demo)
ReleasedDecember 22, 2000 (2000-12-22)
GenrePop punk[1]
Length3:10
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)Stacy Jones
Producer(s)Bob Rock
American Hi-Fi singles chronology
"Flavor of the Weak"
(2000)		 "Another Perfect Day"
(2001)
Music video
"Flavor of the Weak" on YouTube

"Flavor of the Weak" is a song by American rock band American Hi-Fi. The song was released as the first single from their self-titled debut album on December 22, 2000. It is the band's highest-charting single, reaching number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaking within the top 50 in Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Background

American Hi-Fi was formed by musician Stacy Jones in 2000, former drummer for cult favorites Letters to Cleo and Veruca Salt. He recruited several close friends in Boston initially to play cover songs. That same year, Jones was invited to participate in recording a Nina Gordon solo album in Maui, and brought the group along to rehearse. Bob Rock, veteran rock producer, was involved Gordon's album and lended his services to the band as well after hearing Jones's demos.[2][3]

The song's title is a play on the term "flavor of the week."[4] Jones wrote the song for a female friend that he felt was being treated poorly by her boyfriend.[5] "My angle wasn't 'she should be with me.' It was, 'Man, these guys are idiots,'" he said. He wrote and sang the song from her perspective,[6] and Rock felt the song had immediate potential. He suggested he sing from his perspective instead, and also contributed the idea for its opening guitar riff. Its genesis was swift: the quartet recorded and completed the song in one evening. Jones took influence for the tune from power pop groups like Teenage Fanclub and Fountains of Wayne,[7] but also older artists like Cheap Trick.[8] In 2016, the band re-recorded the song, along with its debut album, in acoustic form.[9]

Reception

The song initially saw success on alternative and modern rock radio,[10] with programmers grouping in the new-coming band in with acts like Sum 41 or Good Charlotte. The band's fanbase and perception shifted drastically upon the song's crossover to the top 40 format; alternative stations began to disregard the band as a pop act.[11] "Flavor of the Weak" was among the first of many crossover pop-punk hit singles in the early aughts. The song's huge success was unusual for the band, who had just formed: "We had never even played a real show, and all of a sudden we had a song on the radio," said Jones.[7] Jones also observed the swift backlash from the alternative scene was strange: "The [pop] radio stations would speed the song up and do their own edits. It was really weird. I think it exposed us to a wider audience that we didn't have but it also took away our connection to the rock world."[11] Due to the song's brief popularity, it is considered to have solidified American Hi-Fi's standing as a one-hit wonder.[12][13]

"Flavor of the Weak" was well-received by music critics. Robbie Daw at Billboard called the tune "a perfect mix of gritty guitars and infectious hooks."[7] Anna Gaca at Spin ranked the song among the best pop-punk choruses of the 21st century.[14] Mike Rampton at Kerrang! dubbed it "one of the all-time top entries [of its kind]."[4]

Music video

The music video for the song, directed by Chris Applebaum, is a parody of the heavy metal documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot.[4] It takes place in 1986 and begins with a teenage boy, played by drummer Jason Sutter, and his friends cussing about how the heavy metal genre and its artists should be praised while punk rock belongs on Mars. The band American Hi-Fi is jokingly referenced among other metal musicians. The video then begins, flash-forwarding between a story about a girl who acts subservient to her boyfriend, not knowing about his cheating escapades, and the band performing. The video was a staple on MTV and MuchMusic USA.[5]

Track listings

Personnel

  • Stacy Jones – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Jamie Arentzen – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Drew Parsons – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Brian Nolan – drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Stacy Jones – writer
  • Bob Rock – producer

Charts

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States December 22, 2000 Island [32]
February 7, 2001 Top 40 radio [32]
Australia May 14, 2001 CD [33]
Japan July 18, 2001 [34]
United Kingdom August 27, 2001
  • CD
  • cassette
 Mercury [35]

References

  1. ↑ Pauker, Lance (January 22, 2014). "49 Phenomenally Angsty Pop-Punk Songs from the 2000s You Forgot Existed". Thought Catalog. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. ↑ American Hi-Fi (US CD album booklet). American Hi-Fi. Island Records. 2001. 314 542 871-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ↑ Reese, Joel (June 2001). "Incoming: American Hi-Fi". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 56. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "A Deep Dive Into American Hi-Fi's Video For Flavor Of The Weak". Kerrang!. January 4, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Hay, Carla (May 5, 2001). "Island's American Hi-Fi Savors the 'Flavor' of Success". Billboard. p. 11. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ Pesselnick, Jill (March 31, 2001). "The Modern Age". Billboard. p. 80. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Daw, Robbie (April 9, 2021). "Where Are They Now? Catching Up With 2001 Stars Afroman, S Club 7, American Hi-Fi & More". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Lang, George (July 20, 2001). "AMERICAN HI-FI Band works hard to promote image". The Oklahoman. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  9. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (February 26, 2016). "Premiere: American Hi-Fi re-record 'Flavor Of The Weak'". Gigwise. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  10. ↑ Halperin, Shirley (November 19, 2010). "On Tap Tonight: American Hi-Fi at Viper Room". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Bayer, Jonah (September 23, 2014). "American Hi-Fi's Stacy Jones Talks About the Band's New Album and How He Became Miley Cyrus' Musical Director". VICE. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  12. ↑ "13 of the best rock one-hit wonders". Kerrang!. July 22, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Stacy Jones of American Hi-Fi on five steps to writing songs". The Boston Globe. June 18, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  14. ↑ "The 21 Best Pop-Punk Choruses of the 21st Century". Spin. April 28, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ Flavor of the Weak (Australian CD single liner notes). American Hi-Fi. Island Records. 2000. 572944-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ↑ Flavor of the Weak (European CD single liner notes). American Hi-Fi. Island Records. 2001. 588 648-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ Flavor of the Weak (UK CD single liner notes). American Hi-Fi. Mercury Records. 2001. 588 672-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ↑ Flavor of the Weak (Japanese CD single liner notes). American Hi-Fi. Island Records. 2001. UICL-5005.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ "Issue 596" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  20. ↑ "American Hi-Fi – Flavor of the Weak". Top Digital Download. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  21. ↑ "American Hi-Fi – Flavor of the Weak" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  22. ↑ "American Hi-Fi – Flavor of the Weak". Top 40 Singles.
  23. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  25. ↑ "American Hi-Fi Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  26. ↑ "American Hi-Fi Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  27. ↑ "American Hi-Fi Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  28. ↑ "American Hi-Fi Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2001". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 54.
  30. ↑ "Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2001". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 60.
  31. ↑ "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 52. December 29, 2001. p. YE-72.
  32. 1 2 Titus, Christa (February 24, 2001). "Boston Band American Hi-Fi Surfed Out to Maui to Record Island Debut" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 8. p. 20. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  33. ↑ "The ARIA Report: ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 14th May 2001" (PDF). ARIA. May 14, 2001. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2002. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  34. ↑ "新譜発売日一覧 7月分" [New Release Date List for July] (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Archived from the original on August 11, 2001. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  35. ↑ "New Releases – For Week Starting August 27, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. August 25, 2001. p. 31. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
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