What's Up (song)

Infobox Single
Name = What's Up?


Artist = 4 Non Blondes
from Album = Bigger, Better, Faster, More!
Released = 1993
Format = 7" vinyl, cassette, CD
Recorded =
Genre = Rock
Length = 4:55
Label = Interscope
Writer = Linda Perry
Producer = David Tickle
Certification =
Chart position =
Last single = "Dear Mr. President"
(1993)
This single = "What's Up?"
(1993)
Next single = "Spaceman"
(1993)
Misc =

"What's Up?" is a rock song written by Linda Perry for 4 Non Blondes' debut album "Bigger, Better, Faster, More!" (1992). It was released as the album's second single in 1993 (see 1993 in music). The song received considerable airplay success. It reached number fourteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and went gold, but peaked higher throughout the rest of the world, reaching number one in Germany and Ireland , while reaching number two in the United Kingdom and Australia. On the United World Chart, it went to number one staying at the top spot for two weeks in 1993.

The song was remixed by DJ Miko in 1994, reaching number six in the United Kingdom, and by the Cover Girls in early 1995.

On VH1's 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders, "What's Up?" ranks #94. [ [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/62172/episode_about.jhtml VH1's "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders"] ] It also ranks at #16 on Blender's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever". [ [http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=819 Run for Your Life! It's the 50 Worst Songs Ever!] from "Blender.com"] Similarly, it is ranked #19 on Spinner.com's list of the "Top 20 Worst Songs Ever." [http://www.spinner.com/2008/08/01/top-20-worst-bad-songs-ever-no-19/]

Despite the title, the song does not contain the phrase "what's up?", but has "what's goin' on?" in the chorus. This is due to the 1971 R&B song and album "What's Going On", by Marvin Gaye, which they feared would be confused with their song. They kept the name "What's Up?". [ [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1853 Songfacts.com] ]

Chart positions

* #1 (Germany, Ireland, Netherlands)
* #2 (Australia, Italy, United Kingdom)
* #3 (France)
* #14 (U.S. Billboard Hot 100)

In the media

*DJ Miko's remix was dubbed into "Jock Jams volume 2".
*Carl Barat, frontman of the band Dirty Pretty Things, called it, along with "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins", the worst song he has ever heard.
* Japanese punkband Nicotine covered the song on their album "Get The Liberty"
*The Philippine tv show Bitag used the song as a background in one of their commercials.

External links

* [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/62172/episode_about.jhtml VH1's "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders" ]
* [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1853 Songfacts "What's Up" entry]
* A report by NPR in April 2007 revealed that the song, especially it's braying chorus, was used in the breaking & interrogation of torture suspects in Guantanamo Bay. One anonymous suspect, later released, commented to Al-Jazeera that hearing the song, "made me want to give up all hope at that moment." Fact|date=September 2008

Notes