| "Since U Been Gone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byKelly Clarkson | ||||
| from the albumBreakaway | ||||
| B-side | "Miss Independent" (AOL live version) | |||
| Released | November 16, 2004 (2004-11-16) | |||
| Recorded | 2004 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:08 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| Kelly Clarkson singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Since U Been Gone" onYouTube | ||||
"Since U Been Gone" is a song recorded by American singerKelly Clarkson from her second studio album,Breakaway (2004). The song, written and produced byMax Martin andLukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, was released as the lead single fromBreakaway two weeks before the album was released. Anuptempo anthem withpower ballad influences, it mixes soft and loudpop rock,power pop,pop-punk andalternative rock withelectronic sounds. Martin originally wrote "Since U Been Gone" withPink in mind, but she turned it down. It was then given toHilary Duff, but she rejected the song because she could not reach its higher notes. The song was finally given to Clarkson afterClive Davis convinced the writers to give it to her. Clarkson decided to add heavier guitars and harder drums to the song after noticing that the demo had an obviouspop sound. Lyrically, the song is written from a woman's point of view where she expresses her sense of relief with the end of her troubled relationship.
"Since U Been Gone" received universal acclaim frommusic critics who considered the song to be the highlight ofBreakaway. Critics also felt that it was one of the best pop songs in the last decade.Rolling Stone ranked it at number 482 ofthe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2010 and at number 93 in the revamped 2021 ranking, whileBillboard ranked it as the fifth greatest pop song of all time. "Since U Been Gone" was a commercial success. In the United States, the song peaked at number two on theBillboard Hot 100. It topped the USPop Songs for seven consecutive weeks respectively. It was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over one million copies sold. It was also the fourth-best selling song of 2005 in the US. "Since U Been Gone" was also a worldwide success, peaking in the top five in Austria, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It also peaked in the top ten in Norway, Germany, and Switzerland.
Clarkson performed "Since U Been Gone" at the2005 MTV Video Music Awards and at the2006 BRIT Awards. It has been included on the set-list of Clarkson's many tours. The song's accompanying music video was directed byAlex De Rakoff, which shows Clarkson ruining her ex-boyfriend's apartment. The music video was nominated for three awards in the 2005 MTV Music Awards, winning two out of the three awards namelyBest Female Video andBest Pop Video. At the48th Grammy Awards, the song won the award forBest Female Pop Vocal Performance. "Since U Been Gone" was covered by many artists, notably the American rock bandA Day to Remember, indie rockerTed Leo as well as the Canadian indie rock band,Tokyo Police Club, and used in themusical& Juliet.
"I went to Max Martin's studio in Sweden. We recorded it there with Max and the co-writer of the song, Lukasz Gottwald. The first time I heard the song I thought it was a little poppy, so I asked if we could rock the track a little. We put some heavier guitars and harder drums on it. Now it's explosive."
In an interview forBlender, Martin and Dr. Luke revealed that they had originally intendedPink to sing "Since U Been Gone", however, she turned it down.[2] Dr. Luke also explained thatHilary Duff's management was interested in the song but rejected it because Duff could not reach the song's higher notes.[2][3][4] It wasClive Davis who convinced Martin and Dr. Luke to give the song to Clarkson, even though they were initially reluctant. Davis said, "Max was looking to move on from what he had done with Backstreet Boys, and I really spent time convincing them that an 'American Idol' winner could bring all the feeling and passion that was required to the song."[5]According to MTV, Clarkson had already finished recording her materials for her second album,Breakaway in late 2004 when she was advised by herA&R to fly to Sweden to meet with Martin and Dr. Luke.[6] Both Martin and Dr. Luke were associated with pop music, but they wanted to produce rock songs. Realizing that her record had more of a rock influence, Clarkson finally agreed to collaborate with them."[6]
"Since U Been Gone" was inspired by indie rock of the early 2000s. In an interview withBillboard, Dr. Luke said:
That was a conscious move by Max and myself, because we were listening to alternative and indie music and talking about some song – I don't remember what it was. I said, "Ah, I love this song,' and Max was like, 'If they would just write a damn pop chorus on it!' It was driving him nuts, because that indie song was sort of on six, going to seven, going to eight, the chorus comes ... and it goes back down to five. It drove him crazy. And when he said that, it was like, light bulb. 'Why don't we do that, but put a big chorus on it?" It worked.[5]
InRolling Stone in 2011, Dr. Luke made more specific claims about what music had inspired the song:
Either the first or the second thing we did was "Since U Been Gone". We were listening tothe Hives andthe Strokes, and Max was like, ‘Why can’t they just write a hit chorus?’ And that’s what we did.[7]
Despite these statements, the identity of the song is widely speculated to be the 2003 song "Maps" byYeah Yeah Yeahs. "Maps" and "Since U Been Gone" share a similar guitar line in itsmiddle eight, and are both in the key ofG major.[8] The first significant observation of this was in a satirical 2005medley of "Since U Been Gone"/"Maps" byTed Leo, which went viral[9] for using this part of "Since U Been Gone" to transition into "Maps". In 2006,Rolling Stone journalistRob Sheffield told "Maps" songwriterKaren O about the similarity, to which she responded that it was "like getting bitten by a poisonous varmint" and that "if it wasn't [Kelly Clarkson], it just would've beenAshlee Simpson".[10] The 2015 bookThe Song Machine byJohn Seabrook claimed that the song was based on "Maps" as if it was a confirmed fact. In 2025, the music critic Dave Moore speculated that "Hard To Explain" byThe Strokes was a more likely candidate, arguing that the instrumental on the verses is almost identical, that Dr. Luke had cited The Strokes as an influence, and noting the song's similarity to "Stroke Of Genie-us" byThe Freelance Hellraiser, a highly influential[11] 2001 mashup of "Hard To Explain" withChristina Aguilera's "Genie In A Bottle".[12]
"Since U Been Gone" was the last track that Clarkson recorded forBreakaway;[6] it was recorded in Sweden.[13] At first, Clarkson was not fully convinced by the prospect of recording the song saying, "It didn't have any lyrics and the melody really wasn't finalized ... the track was done on a computer, there was no band on it. My record label was freaking out about it and I was, like, why?"[14] Clarkson also explained that when she first heard "Since U Been Gone", she felt that it sounded a little bit pop for her direction, and she decided to tweak the song musically by incorporating drums and guitars.[1] Clarkson told MTV that the song is about a relationship turned sour although it was going well at the very beginning.[6] The song was officially released to mainstream radio stations in the United States on November 16, 2004, as the lead single ofBreakaway.[15]
"Since U Been Gone" is apop rock,[16]power pop[17] andpop-punk song withpower ballad-inspired sounds,[18][19] with elements ofbubblegum[20] andindie rock,[21] written and produced by Max Martin and Dr. Luke.[22] The song, which is set incommon time with a moderatetempo of 132beats per minute, is written in thekey ofG major.[23] Popdose staff noted that the song contains an "electronics-enhanced sheen" over "alt-rock's soft/loud dichotomy".[24] The song also incorporates ringing guitars with plaintive lyrics[25] and a huge chorus.[26] It has a chord progression of G-Am–Em–F, and Clarkson's vocal range in the song spans two octaves from the low note of G3 to the high note of G5.[23] Film Laureate ofBlogcritics praised "Since U Been Gone" for its "high energy, vocally powered, pop/rock jam with a hook that is infectious".[27] The same opinion was echoed byEntertainment Weekly staff who thought that the song highlighted Clarkson's "sublime" vocals and praised the song for its "addictive" hook.[28] Dave Donnelly of Sputnikmusic compared the musical arrangements of "Since U Been Gone" to Clarkson's "Behind These Hazel Eyes". He opined that the two songs allow the melodies to represent themselves because the tight musical arrangements complement Clarkson's vocals.[29]
The song's narrative is infirst person, from the point of view of a woman who is relieved with the end of her relationship.[30] Steve Lampiris of ZME Music lauded Clarkson's vocals as the heart of the song. He praised the way Clarkson sings the chorus, which implies that she was the one who ended the relationship. He also thought that the line "I can breathe for the first time/ I'm so moving on, yeah yeah" was believable "that either her ex is a total prick or she's deserves [sic] an Oscar nom."[31] In an interview with Dan Snierson ofEntertainment Weekly, it was noted that Clarkson sang "So together but so broken up inside/ 'Cause I can't breathe" in "Behind These Hazel Eyes", but in "Since U Been Gone", she sang "But since you been gone/ I can breathe for the first time." When asked whether she was a bipolar asthmatic, Clarkson responded that "Behind These Hazel Eyes" is about a dipstick who is unhappy because she has completely screwed up, and "Since U Been Gone" is an expression of relief because her ex is now miserable.[32]
Upon release, the song received universal acclaim from music critics.[33][34] In his review forBreakaway, Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofMSN considered "Since U Been Gone", "Walk Away", and "You Found Me" as the spine of the album. He added that the songs sound mainstream and youthful.[35] Rohin ofBlogcritics gave a positive response to the song, emphasizing that "it is almost one of the best pieces of throwaway pop in recent history". He also thought that the song was a song "that you can roll down the windows of your car and proudly headbang your way through a yellow light somewhere on a suburban side street."[36] Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine thought that Clarkson did a good impression ofPat Benatar in "Since U Been Gone".[37] He concluded his review by emphasizing thatBreakaway proves that Clarkson has successfully dodged thesophomore slump but "Since U Been Gone" helped her establish her success.[38] The staff ofSlant Magazine later ranked "Since U Been Gone" at number thirteen in their list of Best Singles of the Aughts, writing that the song proves Clarkson's powerful ability as a vocalist as well as her versatility as an artist.[39]
Stephen Thompson ofNPR Music called the song "one of the decade's finest pop anthems" which is infused with energy, charisma and full-throated intensity.[40] Steve Lampiris of ZME Music opined that the song is "one of very few perfect pop songs released in the last ten years," stating that it is hard to determine the principal reason that makes the song very successful.[31] Gary Trust ofBillboard thought that "Since U Been Gone" is a defining song of the 2000s. He commented on its status as a blueprint for female pop songs, as seen in song productions by artists such asMiley Cyrus,Katy Perry and Pink.[41] In 2014, Ryan Kailath of NPR Music argued that the song succeeded by borrowing from musical trends that preceded it, such as 1990s R&B and alternative rock.[42] In 2015, Gary Trust ofBillboard wrote that "Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone", co-written by Max Martin, especially helped lead to pure pop's reemergence, and the breakthroughs of Rihanna, Katy Perry, [Taylor] Swift and Lady Gaga would soon follow (as well as [Britney] Spears' own revival)", stating that the song "began to erode hip-hop's early '00s reign, with women at the forefront of turning the tide."[43]
At the48th Grammy Awards, "Since U Been Gone" won the category ofBest Female Pop Vocal Performance.[44][45] At the 2005Teen Choice Awards, the song won the category of Choice Single.[46] It also won the award for Best Pop Sing-Along Song at the 2005 XM Nation Music Awards.[47] The song received a nomination in the category of Song of the Year: Mainstream Hit Radio at the 2005Radio Music Awards[48] but lost toMariah Carey's "We Belong Together".[49] At the 2005Billboard Music Awards, the song received nominations for two awards. It received a nomination for the Hot 100 Single of the Year but lost to Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and for the Digital Song of the Year but lost toGwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl". In 2023,Billboard named "Since U Been Gone" the fifth-best pop song of all time, the highest-ranked song on the list from the 21st century.[50]
"Since U Been Gone" entered theBillboard Hot 100 at number 70 for the week ending December 18, 2004.[51] On its second week, the song moved to number 53,[52] before jumping to number 38 the following week.[53] During the week ending April 9, 2005, "Since U Been Gone" ascended to a new peak of number two on theBillboard Hot 100.[54] The song also became the first non-R&B/hip hop song by a solo female artist to reach top two on the chart sinceChristina Aguilera's "Beautiful" hit number two in February 2003.[55] Fred Bronson ofBillboard noted that had "Since U Been Gone" moved to number one, it would become the 41st chart-topper for theAmerican Idol franchise.[55] The song stayed in the top 10 on theBillboard Hot 100 for 20 weeks.[56] After the week ending March 26, 2005, the song topped the USPop 100 for six consecutive weeks, through the week ending March 26, 2005.[57] It also spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the USPop Songs.[58] On theBillboard'sRadio Songs chart, the song peaked at number four on April 23, 2005.[59] "Since U Been Gone" was certifiedplatinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 25, 2006.[60] As of September 2017, "Since U Been Gone" has sold 2,973,000 paid digital downloads.[61]
Internationally, "Since U Been Gone" was a commercial success. In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number three on February 13, 2005.[62] It was certifiedplatinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of over 70,000 units.[63] In New Zealand, Since U Been Gone debuted at number 18 on the week ending March 21, 2005. Three weeks later, it peaked at number 11 and matched that position for three non-consecutive weeks.[64] On July 16, 2005, "Since U Been Gone" debuted and peaked at number five in the United Kingdom.[65] It was certified triple platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting sales and streams of 1,800,000 track-equivalent units.[66] In Ireland, it entered theIrish Singles Chart at number eight on the week ending July 7, 2005[67] and peaked at number four three weeks later.[68] Elsewhere in Europe, the song was also a success; it peaked at number three in Austria,[69] number seven in Switzerland,[70] number nine in Norway,[71] number 10 in the Netherlands,[72] and number 16 in Sweden.[73]
The music video for "Since U Been Gone" was directed by Alex De Rakoff and filmed in early November 2004.[74] Clarkson told MTV that she conceived the idea of the video after assuming that revenge is what every girl wants to do when their boyfriend cheats on them. She added, "You know, 'Why don't I just go trash her house? [...] And so I do it in the video. All I do is break stuff. It's a cool job. I could get used to this."[6] Clarkson expressed that in the music video, viewers would get to see her act out of character. She explained, "In the beginning, I'm like tipping things over and smearing mud all over the walls and it seems like my apartment, but it ends up being the other girl's that he's with, so it's a humorous video."[6] The music video premiered onTotal Request Live alongside the single.[6]
The music video begins with Clarkson sitting on a couch in an apartment's living room, holding a heart-shaped locket in her hand. The next scene shows Clarkson in the bathroom where she fixes her face in the mirror, she opens the medicine cabinet and tossing all the pills in the medicine cabinet over her shoulder and messing all the bathroom items on the floor, squirting the toothpaste into the sink. When she gets to a container of birth control pills, she turns on the water in the sink, snaps the pills out, and drops them down the drain. Clarkson then starts to take other items; she throws a container of makeup powder spray in the air and smears a container of facial mud mask on the wall. During the chorus, Clarkson and her band perform the song for a dancing crowd in a club. After the first chorus, Clarkson walks into a room full of closets. She cuts up dresses, rifling through the closets and pulling out clothes, destroying them and singing in a pile of them. After the second chorus, she walks into a bedroom and begins to tear the pillow on the bed, filling the room with feathers. The scenes of Clarkson singing with her band then alternate with a montage of her destroying the apartment, breaks the glass window from the door, breaks the vase, television, clock, fridge, lights, microwave, phone, furniture, and chair. Later, Clarkson takes a framed photo of her ex-boyfriend with another girl in the living room, before pushing a tall CD rack over. She then smashes the framed photo through a glass table, breaking it in half. Having decimated the apartment, Clarkson walks out the door and down the hallway with a hat on her head, just as her ex-boyfriend appears with his girlfriend, walking arm in arm. Clarkson hides her face as she walks away from them. The final scene shows the couple seeing their damaged apartment in shock and the scene of the locket swinging.[74]
Stephen Thompson of NPR Music was disappointed with the music video because it "undercuts its message to an alarming degree: The words say 'Since you've been gone / I can breathe for the first time,' but the pictures say, 'Breaking up with you necessitates destroying all of your property.'"[40] On the other hand, Johnni Macke ofE! felt the video was amusing and Clarkson was "at her rocker prime." She added, "It features the tomboy side of the singer messing up her ex's closet, destroying his bed and getting some major revenge by destroying his place."[75] At the2005 MTV Video Music Awards, the music video received nominations for three awards; it wonBest Female Video andBest Pop Video,[76] and received a nomination for theViewer's Choice Awards but lost toGreen Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".[77][78]MusicOMH ranked the music video as the 86th best video of the last decade.[79] In February 2012, the music video received aPop-Up Video treatment byVH1 which shows "pops up" bubbles containing trivia, witticisms and borderline sexual innuendos throughout the video.[80]
Clarkson performed "Since U Been Gone" at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.[81] Her performance garnered positive reviews from critics, who considered it one of the highlights in the event.[82] Performing barefoot,[83] Clarkson sang the song as rain cascaded onto the audience.[84][85] Clarkson toldPeople that one of her favourite moments on television was performing "Since U Been Gone" at the MTV Video Music Awards, saying "I hate being all dressed up, so the fact that I was soaking wet with mascara smeared all over my face was definitely the highlight of my evening!"[86] Becky Bain ofIdolator thought that the performance was Clarkson's most memorable live performances[83] while Kelefa Sanneh ofThe New York Times thought Clarkson's performance was very solid despite the feeling that she sounded better dry than drenched.[87] Clarkson performed the song onSaturday Night Live in 2005,[88] along with the2006 BRIT Awards which took place inEarls Court, London.[89]
"Since U Been Gone" has been performed by Clarkson in all of her tours since theBreakaway Tour. It was included in the setlist of herMy December Tour as an encore. While performing atMohegan Sun Arena,Uncasville, Connecticut, Clarkson performed "Since U Been Gone" and let the audience sing the song's chorus.[90] Clarkson's performance of the song at theBeacon Theatre, New York City stirred crowd into a frenzy, causing the show to be closed abruptly.[91] During herAll I Ever Wanted Tour, Clarkson performed the song at theHammerstein Ballroom, where Caryn Ganz ofRolling Stone remarked that "the room turned into an electric sea of flailing arms and pogo-ing heads."[92] In 2011, Clarkson performed "Since U Been Gone" as well as "Mr. Know It All" onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show while promoting her fifth album,Stronger.[93] At theVH1 Divas Celebrates Soul television special, Clarkson performed a medley of "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Spotlight", "Real Love", and "Since U Been Gone" withMary J. Blige andJennifer Hudson.[94] The song was also performed by Clarkson during her 2012Stronger Tour. While touring at theTimes Union Center,Albany, New York, Clarkson performed the song with a musical arrangement. Grey Haymes ofTimes Union remarked that the song was "re-made and re-modeled with a throbbing, fuzzed-out bassline and an irresistible techno pulse as the foundation for her hook-filled pop song." He also added that it was one of the several surprises from the concert.[95]
"Since U Been Gone" has been covered by many artists. On September 27, 2011,Joseph Gordon-Levitt covered the song in the style ofAxl Rose onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon.[96] The song was also covered by American musicianButch Walker in his 2005 album,Cover Me Badd. Dave Donelly of Sputnikmusic praised Walker's cover for sticking closely to Clarkson's version.[97] American metalcore bandA Day to Remember recorded their own version of "Since U Been Gone" which was included in the reissued version of their album,For Those Who Have Heart.[98] Indie rock artistTed Leo recorded an acoustic version of "Since U Been Gone" for a videotaped web session, a few hours after watching the song's music video, which included an interpolation of "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He commented, "It's just one great hook after another. I also really appreciate the more advanced pop pastiche aspects of it. It's written in a way that is so transparent in terms of drawing from a lot of what's vaguely edgy and popular right now, but put together in such a perfect little package. It's undeniable."[99][100] A cover of the song by Canadian indie rock bandTokyo Police Club was included in their "Ten Days, Ten Covers, Ten Years" project where they covered a song every day for ten days.[101] "Since U Been Gone" was sampled inGirl Talk's "Here's The Thing" on his 2008 album,Feed the Animals.[102] The song was included as the opening track of theAmerican Idol 10th Anniversary – The Hits, a compilation album that celebrates 10 years ofAmerican Idol which features tracks from nine winners of the show.[103][104] The song was parodied onMadTV as "Since We Were On" in a skit about the various performers who came after Clarkson onAmerican Idol.[105]
"Since U Been Gone" has also been covered by contestants from reality television singing competitions. The song was performed by Todrick Hall on theeighth season ofAmerican Idol. Despite fulfilling the judges' desire to hear something original, his rendition of the song drew criticism from the judges, withSimon Cowell commenting that Hall seemed like a dancer trying to sing.[106] On November 26, 2011, Amelia Lily performed the song on theeighth series ofThe X Factor UK. Her rendition was praised by the judges;Louis Walsh felt that her performance was effortless whileKelly Rowland remarked that "Amelia Lily hits those notes in her sleep!"[citation needed] The song was also covered by Luke O'Dell on thethird season ofThe X Factor Australia.[107] On June 13, 2012,John Legend and his duet partner, Meleana Brown, covered "Since U Been Gone" inDuets. Katy Kroll ofRolling Stone lambasted their cover for being "pitchy" and "almost unlistenable",[108] Gord Craig ofLeader-Post felt that Brown did not deliver her best although she sounded great with Legend.[109] In the third season ofThe Sing Off, the winning groupPentatonix sang a "mastermix" of "Since U Been Gone" and "Forget You". All three judges were impressed withBen Folds commenting "You guys gave voices to the instruments" whileShawn Stockman, praising the rhythm and percussion section, renamed Kevin and Avi "Meat and Potatoes".[110]
"Since U Been Gone" was performed byEster Dean andSkylar Astin in the 2012musicalcomedy film,Pitch Perfect.[111] Lanford Beard ofEntertainment Weekly noted that the song was used during the audition sequences in the film, writing "Set to Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," it arranged the singers in a clever a cappella tapestry that simultaneously landed laughs and showed off their talents."[112] Christy Lemire ofThe Boston Globe was positive of the song's incorporation in the film during the audition process due to its beautiful editing which makes "it feels like a fresh take on the tried-and-true, bad-first-date montage."[113] The song was used in twelfth season of Braziliansoap operaMalhação.[114] The song was also used in the first season ofSupergirl,[115] and inUnpregnant.[116] The song is used the musical& Juliet acoming-of-agestage musical featuring the music of Max Martin. For the& Juliet (Original Broadway Cast Recording), Clarkson re-recorded the song along with theLorna Courtney who playsJuliet.[117]
As of 2014, the song has appeared in more than 40 different albums either remixed or in its original format.[118] The song propelled Clarkson to success in mainstream pop music and was regarded as apower pop milestone in the 2000s.[17]Maura Johnston fromBillboard asserted that "the song inspired covers from all corners—Ted Leo,Kidz Bop—and helped prime the pop world for tracks likePink's "Who Knew" andParamore's "Misery Business", not to mention later Clarkson hits like "My Life Would Suck Without You".[119]Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list, saying, "Can anyone do bitter better? Nothing packs more romantic rage than the original Idol's 2004 kiss-off to a coldhearted ex."[120] The song was ranked byPitchfork Media as the 21st best track of the 2000s; they wrote that "'Since U Been Gone' gave us one of the most blunt rallying cries of the last ten years, a perfectly realized sing-along chorus that will be a karaoke staple for years."[121] In 2014,The Atlantic magazine dubbed "Since U Been Gone" as the best pop song of the past decade.[122]
Bill Lamb ofAbout.com ranked the song as the 29th best pop song of all time, expressing that "Kelly Clarkson has stated that she insisted on adding the rock feel to the recording. The result was a record that captured the prevailing sound of mainstream pop with near perfection."[123]NME placed it at number 135 on its list of the "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years",[124] writing "What should have been a slice of American schlock power-pop turned into a brilliant kiss-off, in any genre."[125]The A.V. Club staff rated the song as one of their favorite gleeful breakup songs, writing "The minute that bass and drum machine start, this song is an anthem of the scorned, a call to self-actualization, and an instant hands-in-the-air dance party."[126]Rolling Stone ranked "Since U Been Gone" at number 482 ofthe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2010, and later at 93 in the 2021 revamped ranking, whose readers listed it as the ninth-ranked single of the last decade.[127][128][129] The AOL Radio Staff put the song at number 10 on their list of 10 Best Break Up Songs.[130] "Since U Been Gone" has also appeared in severalBillboard lists; in March 2013, it was ranked at number one on its list of Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time.[131] In April 2017, it appeared at number two ofBillboard's 100 greatest choruses of the 21st century[132] and is also one of Clarkson's biggestBillboard Hot 100 hits.[133]The song has been ranked 342nd byBillboard on its 600 most massive smashes over the chart's six decades.[134]
| Publisher | Year | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beats Per Minute | 2010 | The Top 100 Tracks of the 2000s | 26 | [135] |
| Billboard | 2013 | Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time | 1 | [131] |
| Blender | 2005 | Top 500 Greatest Songs From 1980–2005 | 92 | |
| The Guardian | 2009 | 1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear | No order | [136] |
| NME | 2012 | 150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years | 135 | [124] |
| NPR | 2009 | The 50 Most Important Recordings of the 2000s | No order | [137] |
| Pitchfork | 2008 | The Pitchfork 500 | No order | [138] |
| 2009 | The 200 Best Songs of the 2000s | 21 | [139] | |
| Rolling Stone | 2010 | The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time | 482 | [127] |
| 2021 | 93 | [128] | ||
| 2009 | The Top 100 Songs of the 2000s | 18 | [140] | |
| 2018 | The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century So Far | 11 | [141] | |
| Slant Magazine | 2010 | The 100 Best Singles of the 2000s | 13 | [142] |
| VH1 | 2011 | The 100 Greatest Songs of the 00s | 5 | [143] |
|
|
Credits are adapted from theliner notes ofBreakaway.[147]
Recording
Personnel
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[194] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[195] | Platinum | 20,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[196] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[197] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[198] | 4× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[199] | Gold | 5,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[66] | 3× Platinum | 1,800,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[200] | Platinum | 2,973,000[61] |
| United States (RIAA)[201] Mastertone | Gold | 500,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | November 16, 2004 | Contemporary hit radio | RCA | [15] |
| Germany | December 24, 2004 | Digital download | Sony BMG | [202] |
| Ireland | [203] | |||
| Luxembourg | [204] | |||
| Finland | December 27, 2004 | [205] | ||
| Australia | January 28, 2005 | Maxi single | [206] | |
| United States | March 7, 2005 | Hot adult contemporary radio | RCA | [207] |
| Ireland | March 25, 2005 | Digital download (Dance Vault Remixes) | Sony BMG | [208] |
| Norway | March 28, 2005 | [209] | ||
| United States | March 29, 2005 | RCA | [210] | |
| United Kingdom | July 4, 2005 | CD single | Sony BMG | [211][212] |
| Maxi single | [211][213] | |||
| Germany | July 18, 2005 | [214] | ||
| Germany | August 29, 2005 | CD single | [215] | |
| France | September 21, 2005 | [216] |
"Since You've Been Gone" still received universal acclaim
Critically, the track received positive reviews and has since garnered retrospective acclaim
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
