| "All Star" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single bySmash Mouth | ||||
| from the albumAstro Lounge | ||||
| B-side | ||||
| Released | May 4, 1999 (1999-05-04) | |||
| Recorded | 1999 (1999) | |||
| Studio | H.O.S. (Redwood City, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Greg Camp | |||
| Producer(s) | Eric Valentine | |||
| Smash Mouth singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "All Star" onYouTube | ||||
"All Star" is a song by the Americanrock bandSmash Mouth from their second studio album,Astro Lounge (1999). Written byGreg Camp and produced byEric Valentine, the song was released on May 4, 1999, as the firstsingle fromAstro Lounge. The song was one of the last tracks to be written forAstro Lounge, after the band's record labelInterscope requested more songs that could be released as singles. In writing it, Camp drew musical influence from contemporary music by artists likeSugar Ray andThird Eye Blind, and sought to create an "anthem" for outcasts. In contrast to the moreska punk style of Smash Mouth's debut albumFush Yu Mang (1997), the song features a more radio-friendly style.
The song received generally positive reviews frommusic critics, who praised its musical progression fromFush Yu Mang as well as its catchy tone. It was nominated for theBest Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the42nd 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 theBillboard Hot 100, while topping theBillboardAdult Top 40 andMainstream Top 40 charts.
The song's accompanyingmusic video features characters from the superhero filmMystery Men (1999), which itself prominently featured "All Star". The song became ubiquitous in popular culture following multiple appearances in films, such as inMystery Men,Digimon: The Movie, and most notably inDreamWorks Animation's 2001 filmShrek. It received renewed popularity in the 2010s as aninternet meme, largely due to its association withShrek, and has ranked as one of the most-streamed rock songs from 2017 to 2021 in the United States. It is generally considered to be Smash Mouth’ssignature song.
"All Star" was the last song recorded forAstro Lounge, Smash Mouth's second album.[1] Along with the rest of the album, the song was produced,mixed, andengineered at H.O.S. Recording inRedwood City, California.[2] Although the band's previous albumFush Yu Mang had sold over two million copies from the strength of itslead single "Walkin' on the Sun", none of the album's other tracks charted well, leading to some labeling the band aone-hit wonder.[3]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.[1] For the creation ofAstro Lounge, the band decided to shift their musical style away from theska punk sound that characterizedFush Yu Mang.[1]Greg Camp, Smash Mouth's guitarist, was tasked with writing all of the songs forAstro Lounge due to hispop sensibilities.[1]
After seemingly completing the album, Smash Mouth presented it to their record labelInterscope, but the label declined a release because they felt there was no viable first or secondsingle.[1] Robert Hayes, Smash Mouth's manager, offered Camp advice in writing additional songs by pointing him to a copy ofBillboard magazine. Hayes showed Camp the top 50 songs on the chart, which featured artists such asSugar Ray andThird Eye Blind, and told him he wanted "a little piece of each one of these songs".[1] Over the next two days, Camp wrote "All Star" and "Then the Morning Comes", which would become the first two singles fromAstro Lounge.[1]
For the writing of "All Star", Camp considered what he had read in thefan mail the band frequently received. Many of the fans that had written to Smash Mouth considered themselves outcasts and identified strongly with the band, and Camp "set out to write an anthem" for them.[1] He also incorporated more melancholy lyrics as well, which contrasted with the upbeat instrumentation.[4] Smash Mouth did not have much time to record the song and brought inMichael Urbano, a session drummer, for recording instead of their regular drummer. According to Valentine, additional drumloops from older songs were used on top of the main drum track. BassistPaul De Lisle performed the whistling on the song.[1]
Manager Robert Hayes quickly licensed the song out for use in various media, resulting in its appearance in the filmMystery Men just a few months later.[1]
"All Star" is set in the key ofF♯ major, with atempo of 104 beats per minute.[5] Writers have described it musically asalternative rock[6] andpower pop.[7] Notably, the vocals begin before any instruments, with the first syllable of "somebody" acting as ananacrusis 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."[8]
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 artisticmusic videos, and more.[9] 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.[10] In addition to this, Camp has said that the second verse addressesclimate change and thehole in the ozone layer.[11][12]
"All Star" was met with generally favorable reviews frommusic critics, and several critics noted it as an example of Smash Mouth's musical progression fromFush Yu Mang. Todd Norden of theCalgary Herald praised the track as being "a lot better" than the songs onFush Yu Mang, and the staff of theAssociated Press praised it as an example of the "loose and light fare" the band had embraced onAstro Lounge.[13][14]The Morning Call writer John Terlesky favorably mentioned the song as an example of their "new and improved" sound.[15]
The song was also praised for its familiar tone. Stephen Thompson ofThe A.V. Club lauded it as being "unstoppably infectious", andRolling Stone writer David Wild felt that the song had potential to be a hit.[16][17] Doug Hamilton ofThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution called it the "peak" of the album and "the perfect summer anthem".[18] Sandra Sperounes fromEdmonton Journal praised "All Star" as an example of Smash Mouth's intelligent songwriting, specifically noting its "veiled references to stupidity".[19] Jay DeFoore of theAustin 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".[20]
At the42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000, "All Star" was nominated forBest Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, ultimately losing toSantana's "Maria Maria".[21] Retrospective reviews from the editorial staff of bothBillboard andPaste ranked it as one of the best songs of 1999,[22][23] as didRolling Stone writerRob Sheffield[24] andSpin writer Taylor Berman.[25]Billboard staff writer Gab Ginsburg noted the song's lasting cultural impact following its appearance inShrek and the "hundreds" of popularmeme videos; Berman felt the song had "a life of its own" and became a "cultural artifact".[22][25] Geoffery Himes ofPaste called the song "the best reason to listen to top-40 radio in 1999".[23] In a glowing review, Leor Galil of theChicago Reader lauded the song for having "transcended genre" to become "permanently stuck in America's hippocampus".[26] Conversely, the staff ofNoisey listed it as one of the worst songs of the 1990s, with writer Annalise Domenighini calling the song "the only argument we need for whyska-pop should have never existed in the first place".[27] In 2020,The New York Times listed the song as #1 in their top tenclimate change songs.[11]
"All Star" was released on May 4, 1999,[28][29] as the first single fromAstro Lounge.[30][31] Also, it was the first single for the soundtrack album for the superhero filmMystery Men (1999).[10] It entered theBillboardHot 100 at number 75 on the week of May 22, 1999, and reached its peak position of number 4 on August 14.[32][33] The song peaked at number one on the componentRadio Songs chart, as well as on theAdult Top 40 andMainstream Top 40 charts.[34][35][36] "All Star" peaked at number two and five on theAlternative Songs andAdult Alternative Songs charts, respectively.[37][38] It was later certifiedtriple platinum in the United States by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 3,000,000 certified units in the United States.[39] The song achieved further success internationally. In Canada, "All Star" peaked at number two on theRPM Top Singles chart and number four and six on the Adult Contemporary and Rock/Alternative charts, respectively.[40][41][42] It charted within the top ten on theAustralian Singles Chart and peaked within the top 20 in Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Spain.[43][44][45][46]
The song ranked at number 17 on the year-end Hot 100 chart and in the top ten of the year-end US Adult Top 40, Alternative Songs, Mainstream Top 40, and Radio Songs charts for 1999.[47][48][49] It additionally appeared on the year-end charts for Australia and Canada, ranking at number 31 and 4, respectively.[50][51] The song has since beencertified double platinum in the United Kingdom and platinum in Australia and Italy.[52][53][54]
"All Star" appeared on theBillboardRock Streaming Songs chart, spending over 100 weeks on the chart and reaching a peak position of number three on the edition of September 21, 2019.[55] The track ranked as one of the most-streamed rock songs of 2017 and 2018, and it ranked at number six on the year-end US Rock Streaming Songs chart in 2019.[56][57][58]
Directed byMcG, the accompanying music video features cameos byWilliam H. Macy,Ben Stiller,Hank Azaria,Paul Reubens,Kel Mitchell,Janeane Garofalo,Doug Jones, andDane Cook as their characters from the superhero filmMystery Men, which prominently features the song. Their appearances in the video are primarily based on stock footage from the film; in all other scenes, the characters were portrayed bybody doubles and depicted exclusively from behind.[59] The visual opens with the characters fromMystery Men seeking recruits, with the group rejecting several applicants before expressing interest in Smash Mouth singerSteve Harwell.[59] The remainder of the video focuses on Harwell performing several feats (rescuing a dog from a burning building and flipping over a toppled school bus), in addition to scenes fromMystery Men.[59]
In June 2019, the music video wasremastered inhigh definition and receivedsubtitles in commemoration of its 20th anniversary.[60] By that point, it had received over 219 million views onYouTube.[61] As of 2025, the video has 523 million views.[62]
Smash Mouth performed "All Star" at the 1999Home Run Derby in July atFenway 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.[63] Smash Mouth performed it on September 9, 1999 in pouring rain, as the opening act of the1999 MTV Video Music Awards.[64]
A June 14, 2015, performance of the song at Taste of Fort Collins event inFort Collins, Colorado, went awry after members of the audience started throwing loaves ofbread 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.[65] Smash Mouth performed the song at theUrbana 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.[66]
"All Star" was frequently used in films in the years following its release.[28] The song featured in 1999'sInspector Gadget andMystery Men, the latter of which was the basis for the song's music video.[29] It appeared the following year inDigimon: The Movie and was even included on the film'ssoundtrack.[67] It features heavily in the 2001 movieRat Race, in which the band performs it at a live concert, over the closing credits.[68][69] It regained popularity after being featured in the 2001DreamWorks animated movieShrek, where it was played over the opening credits.[1][25] The filmmakers forShrek had originally used the song as a placeholder for the opening credits and intended to replace it with an original composition byMatt Mahaffey's bandSelf that would mimic the feel of "All Star", entitled "Stay Home". However, DreamWorks executiveJeffrey Katzenberg suggested for them to use "All Star" over the sequence instead.[29] Although Smash Mouth was initially apprehensive about being involved with what was considered a family film, DreamWorks was insistent on including the band's music in the film. After being granted an early screening ofShrek, the band members were impressed and ultimately agreed to license "All Star" to appear in the film. They also performed a new rendition ofthe Monkees' "I'm a Believer" for the ending scene.[1]Vicky Jenson, the co-director of the film, explained that "All Star" perfectly fits the tone and personality of itstitular ogre, who is "happy in his solitary existence and has no clue that he has a lot to learn about it".[1] Following the first film, an instrumental of the chorus was briefly played by amarching band at Worcestershire Academy when Shrek,Donkey, andPuss in Boots enter the gymnasium to meet Arthur Pendragon in 2007'sShrek the Third.
"All Star" has been commonly played at sporting events;[1][28][70] it became so popular among sports fans that they were led to play it atMajor League Baseball's 1999 Home Run Derby, and have performed it at dozens of sporting events since.[70] The second verse has been used inclimate change protests.[11] An unstagedmusical theatre adaption of the song,All Star: The Best Broadway Musical, has been written and officially sanctioned by the band. "All Star" is the only song in the musical, being adapted into various genres and styles.[29][71] Siddhant Adlakha ofPolygon, who attended areading of the play, described it as a "jukebox musical, but the jukebox is broken". Regarding the play's concept, Adlakha said it "sounds like the dumbest idea on planet, but I'll be damned if every single member of its cast wasn't committed to the gimmick".[71]
"All Star" has become widely used as aninternet meme and is frequentlyparodied.[28] Remixes and memes have often focused on its connection toShrek, which has a largeonline fandom and meme community.[72][73] The song's basic structure lends itself easily towards being used for mashups or remixes;[4]NPR said that the song "seems like it was made to be remixed, mashed-up and squeezed through the meme machine".[74] Both the song's chorus as well as its opening "somebody" line are frequently used as punchlines due to their widespread recognition.[75]
"Mario, You're a Plumber", uploaded to YouTube in 2009 by the channel Richalvarez, has been identified as the earliestparody of "All Star" on the platform.[1][28][72][76] The video, themed around theNintendo characterMario, has received over 1.6 million views as of 2024.[72]Neil Cicierega released a series of four mashup albums—Mouth Sounds,Mouth Silence,Mouth Moods, andMouth Dreams—which prominently remixed "All Star" as well as other popular songs from the 1990s.[77] The popularity of 2014'sMouth Sounds, in particular, has been cited as a point where the song received renewed popularity and interest.[76] The track received additional exposure in 2016 fromYouTuber Jon Sudano, who reached over a million subscribers by almost exclusively posting videos of himself singing its lyrics over the instrumentals of other songs, eventually going on to rack up over 112 million views as of 2024.[28] Such parodies and memes caused the official music video to experienced a large increase of views on YouTube towards the end of 2016. According toABC News Radio, it increased from an average of 21,000 views per day to 155,000 a day in December 2016 and reached a peak of 478,000 views per day in 2017.[78] By this point, "All Star" had become so popular on the internet that Austin Powell ofThe Daily Dot described it as "almost as inescapable now as it once was on commercial radio".[79]
Smash Mouth has embraced the song's status as a meme.[72][79][80] The band was initially hesitant of its newfound popularity, but gradually warmed up to the concept.[72] In an interview withThe Daily Dot, Harwell said they consider themselves to have "invented the meme" due to having released 10 remixes of the song through Interscope.[79] According to Harwell, Smash Mouth has "fully accepted" the song as their legacy and consider the "obsession" with it as "a level of love [they are] more than appreciative of".[72] Although the band has received requests to feature on remixes or covers, Smash Mouth has declined to be involved in any because "we feel if other people do it, it adds to the beauty, but if we did it, we feel it would cheapen it".[72] Camp, who is no longer with Smash Mouth, said that he was "flattered" at the continued popularity of "All Star" and has befriended Sudano.[4] Camp was particularly appreciative of "The Sound of Smash Mouth", a "sad" mashup withSimon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" that emphasizes the melancholic lyrics Camp included in "All Star".[4]
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Credits from the liner notes ofAstro Lounge[2]
Smash Mouth
Production
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[52] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[102] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[103] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[104] | Gold | 250,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[53] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[105] | 4× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[106] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[54] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[39] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
