Back 2 Good

"Back 2 Good"
"Back 2 Good"
Single by Matchbox 20
from the album Yourself or Someone Like You
B-side	"Push"
Released	September 22, 1998
Genre	Alternative rock; post-grunge;
Length	5:40; 4:10 (radio edit);
Label	Atlantic; Lava;
Songwriter(s)	Rob Thomas; Matt Serletic;
Producer(s)	Matt Serletic
Matchbox 20 singles chronology
Music video
	"Back 2 Good" on YouTube

"Back 2 Good" is a song by American rock band Matchbox 20, released as the fifth single from their 1996 debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in September 1998.

Meaning

The song was written by lead singer Rob Thomas and producer Matt Serletic, and is about a romantic relationship that seems to have reached its end, much to the chagrin of the singer. Rob Thomas has described the song to be about “screwing up so often that you become used to it.” Thomas has also said that “Back 2 Good”, over all other songs on the album “holds up as a song”.^[3]

Music video

"Back 2 Good" was released with a music video, directed by an uncredited Paul Hunter. The music video features the band walking through a street carnival while Thomas sings the lyrics to the song.

Release and reception

"Back 2 Good" was the band's biggest hit song on the US Billboard Hot 100 from Yourself or Someone Like You—peaking at number 24 in 1999—because their more successful prior hits, "Push" and "3AM", were not allowed to chart due to not receiving commercial releases in the US. The chart rules were changed in December 1998 to allow songs to chart from airplay alone, making "Back 2 Good" their first single able to receive a full chart run. In Canada, the song peaked at number 11 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, becoming the band's fourth top-20 hit.

Track listings

US 7-inch single^[4]

A. "Back 2 Good" – 5:40

B. "Push" – 3:59

Australian CD single^[5]

"Back 2 Good" – 5:40
"Kody" (MTV's Live from the 10 Spot) – 3:57
"Damn" (MTV's Live from the 10 Spot) – 3:57

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1998-1999)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[6]	11
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[7]	35
US Billboard Hot 100^[8]	24
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[9]	11
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)^[10]	4
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)^[11]	8

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)	Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[12]	89

Chart (1999)	Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[13]	75
US Billboard Hot 100^[14]	49
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[15]	3
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)^[16]	20

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[17]	Platinum	1,000,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1266. September 18, 1998. p. 39.
^ Moore, Dan (July 13, 2012). "Toward A Taxonomy of '90s Pop Songs You Kind of Remember". Riverfront Times. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
^ "Rob Thomas reflects on Matchbox Twenty's debut album 20 years later". avclub.com. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
^ Back 2 Good (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1998. 7-84410.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Back 2 Good (Australian CD single liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records. 1998. 7567955392.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7494." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7500." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
^ "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
^ "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
^ "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
^ "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 55.
^ "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved July 25, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1999". Archived from the original on July 9, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
^ "1999 The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracls" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-100. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 54.
^ "American single certifications – Matchbox Twenty – Back 2 Good". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 7, 2023.

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[1] "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1266. September 18, 1998. p. 39.

[2] Moore, Dan (July 13, 2012). "Toward A Taxonomy of '90s Pop Songs You Kind of Remember". Riverfront Times. Retrieved August 26, 2015.

[3] "Rob Thomas reflects on Matchbox Twenty's debut album 20 years later". avclub.com. Retrieved 23 August 2022.

[4] Back 2 Good (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1998. 7-84410.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[5] Back 2 Good (Australian CD single liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records. 1998. 7567955392.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-6] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7494." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2019.

[sc_Canadaadultcontemporary_-7] "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7500." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2019.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Matchbox_Twenty-8] "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.

[sc_Billboardadultalternativesongs_Matchbox_Twenty-9] "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.

[sc_Billboardadultpopsongs_Matchbox_Twenty-10] "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.

[sc_Billboardpopsongs_Matchbox_Twenty-11] "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.

[12] "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 55.

[13] "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved July 25, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.

[14] "Billboard Top 100 – 1999". Archived from the original on July 9, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.

[15] "1999 The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracls" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-100. Retrieved April 2, 2020.

[16] "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 54.

[United_StatesMatchbox_TwentyBack_2_GoodsingleCertRef-17] "American single certifications – Matchbox Twenty – Back 2 Good". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 7, 2023.

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v t e Matchbox Twenty
Rob Thomas Brian Yale Paul Doucette Kyle Cook Adam Gaynor Joey Huffman Matt Beck Ryan MacMillan Stacy Jones
Studio albums	Yourself or Someone Like You Mad Season More Than You Think You Are North Where the Light Goes
Compilation albums	Exile on Mainstream
EPs	EP Exile on Mainstream
Singles	"Long Day" "Push" "3AM" "Real World" "Back 2 Good" "Bent" "If You're Gone" "Mad Season" "Last Beautiful Girl" "Disease" "Unwell" "Bright Lights" "Downfall" "All I Need" "How Far We've Come" "All Your Reasons" "These Hard Times" "She's So Mean" "Overjoyed" "Wild Dogs (Running in a Slow Dream)" "Don't Get Me Wrong"
Concert tours	North Tour 2013 Summer Tour
Related articles	Discography The Break and Repair Method Tabitha's Secret