Smash Mouth – "All Star" әні туралы

1999 single by Smash Mouth
the Martin Solveig song

"All Star" is a song by the American rock band Smash Mouth from their second studio album, Astro Lounge (1999). Written by Greg Camp and produced by Eric Valentine, the song was released on May 4, 1999, as the first single from Astro Lounge. The song was one of the last tracks to be written for Astro Lounge, after the band's record label Interscope requested more songs that could be released as singles. In writing it, Camp drew musical influence from contemporary music by artists like Sugar Ray and Third Eye Blind, and sought out to create an "anthem" for outcasts. In contrast to the more ska punk style of Smash Mouth's debut album Fush Yu Mang (1997), the song features a more radio friendly style. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its musical progression from Fush Yu Mang as well as its catchy tone. It was nominated for the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards. Subsequent reviews from critics have regarded "All Star" favorably, with some ranking it as one of the best songs of 1999. The song charted around the world, ranking in the top 10 of the charts in Australia, Canada, and on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping the Billboard Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 charts. The song's accompanying music video features characters from the superhero film Mystery Men (1999), which itself prominently featured "All Star". The song became ubiquitous in popular culture following multiple appearances in films, most notably in Mystery Men, Digimon: The Movie and especially DreamWorks Animation's 2001 film Shrek. It received renewed popularity in the 2010s as an internet meme and has ranked as one of the most streamed rock songs from 2017 to 2021 in the United States.

"All Star" was the last song recorded for Astro Lounge, Smash Mouth's second album. Along with the rest of the album, the song was produced, mixed, and engineered at H. O. S. Recording in Redwood City, California. Eric Valentine, Smash Mouth's producer, said the album had the "dubious distinction" of being very successful but also frequently returned by buyers, as the rest of it sounded very little like the single. Writers have described it musically as alternative rock and power pop. Notably, the vocals begin before any instruments, with the first syllable of "somebody" acting as an anacrusis before the bass guitar joins on the second syllable, followed by guitar and organ. The band's label disliked this structure, as did radio stations, but the band fought to keep the song as is, with Camp stating that, while "[Radio DJs] like to talk over the beginning of your song, [ ] they should shut up when our song plays." During a 2017 interview, Camp stated he was interested in exploring several layers of meaning with the stripped down song; the social battle cry, the sports anthem, the fanbase affirmation, the poetic lyricism, the sweeping melody, the inclusion, the artistic music videos, and more. Camp described the song as "a daily affirmation that life is, in general, good", something he called a "tradition" for Smash Mouth; according to him, the band frequently read fan mail they received from kids, parents, and teachers thanking them for making "fun and lighthearted" music.

"All Star" was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics, and several critics noted it as an example of Smash Mouth's musical progression from Fush Yu Mang. Todd Norden of the Calgary Herald praised the track as being "a lot better" than the songs on Fush Yu Mang, and the staff of the Associated Press praised it as an example of the "loose and light fare" the band had embraced on Astro Lounge. The Morning Call writer John Terlesky favorably mentioned the song as an example of their "new and improved" sound. The song was also praised for its familiar tone. Stephen Thompson of The A. V. Club lauded it as being "unstoppably infectious", and Rolling Stone writer David Wild felt that the song had potential to be a hit. Doug Hamilton of The Atlanta Journal Constitution called it the "peak" of the album and "the perfect summer anthem". Sandra Sperounes from Edmonton Journal praised "All Star" as an example of Smash Mouth's intelligent songwriting, specifically noting its "veiled references to stupidity". Jay DeFoore of the Austin American Statesman was more critical, calling the song a "fluffy, made for MTV anthem that evaporates into thin air" and "a classic example of hit by numbers". At the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000, "All Star" was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, ultimately losing to Santana's "Maria Maria". Retrospective reviews from the editorial staff of both Billboard and Paste ranked it as one of the best songs of 1999, as did Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield and Spin writer Taylor Berman. Billboard staff writer Gab Ginsburg noted the song's lasting cultural impact following its appearance in Shrek and the "hundreds" of popular meme videos; Berman felt the song had "a life of its own" and became a "cultural artifact". Conversely, the staff of Noisey listed it as one of the worst songs of the 1990s, with writer Annalise Domenighini calling the song "the only argument we need for why ska pop should have never existed in the first place". In 2020, The New York Times listed the song as #1 in their top ten climate change songs. Also, it was the first single for the soundtrack album for the superhero film Mystery Men (1999). It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 75 on the week of May 22, 1999, and reached its peak position of number 4 on August 14. The visual opens with the characters from Mystery Men seeking recruits, with the group rejecting several applicants before expressing interest in Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell. By that point, it had received over 219 million views on YouTube.

Smash Mouth performed "All Star" at the 1999 Home Run Derby in July at Fenway Park. After the band finished playing, Camp said "Save Fenway Park", referencing plans to demolish the stadium and replace it with a new facility; this elicited boos from the crowd. Smash Mouth performed it on September 9, 1999 in pouring rain, as the opening act of the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. A June 14, 2015, performance of the song at Taste of Fort Collins event in Fort Collins, Colorado, went awry after members of the audience started throwing loaves of bread onto the stage. While the rest of the band repeated the opening riff of "All Star", Harwell began a three minute profanity filled verbal tirade against the crowd, with him threatening to beat up anyone who threw things onto the stage. Security restrained Harwell after he tried to enter the crowd; the band continued playing while the crowd sang the song in place of him. Smash Mouth performed the song at the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival on August 28, 2016; Harwell passed out in the middle of the set and was taken to a nearby hospital, but the band continued their set and performed the song without him.

"All Star" was frequently used in films in the years following its release. It appeared the following year in Digimon: The Movie and was even included on the film's soundtrack. It features heavily in the 2001 movie Rat Race, in which the band performs it at a live concert, over the closing credits. It regained popularity after being featured in the 2001 DreamWorks animated movie Shrek, where it was played over the opening credits. it became so popular among sports fans that they were led to play it at Major League Baseball's 1999 Home Run Derby, and have performed it at dozens of sporting events since.