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"Bad Day"
Single by Fuel
from the album Something Like Human
B-side	"Down" (demo) "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" (demo)
Released	May 29, 2001 (2001-05-29)
Studio	Right Track, New York City Sear Sound, New York City The Mix Room, Los Angeles
Length	3:15
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Carl Bell
Producer(s)	Ben Grosse
Fuel singles chronology
"Innocent" (2000) "Bad Day" (2001) "Last Time" (2001)
Music video
"Bad Day" on YouTube

"Bad Day" is a song by American rock band Fuel from their second album Something Like Human (2000). It was released as the album's third single in May 2001 and peaked at number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart that August. Immediately following the September 11 attacks, Clear Channel deemed the song inappropriate for radio airplay due to its subject matter.

Background and composition

Written by guitarist Carl Bell, "Bad Day" was written before the band was signed to a major label. The band tried to record a version for their major label debut, but according to lead singer Brett Scallions, "We tried recording 'Bad Day' back when we did the Sunburn album and just didn’t get it right. It was a song that was with us way before we signed on with Sony and Epic." According to the song's sheet music, the track is written in the key of A major, possessing a medium rock tempo that proceeds at common time.

Release

"Bad Day" first appeared as the fifth track on Something Like Human, which was released in the United States on September 19, 2000. The song was released as the album's third single on May 29, 2001, when Epic Records serviced the track to US mainstream rock, active rock, and alternative radio. The following week, on June 5, it was sent to contemporary hit radio. Epic Records issued the single commercially in Australia, where a maxi-CD was released on September 10, 2001. This CD contains a rehearsal demo of album track "Down", a rehearsal demo of "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)", and an acoustic version of "Bad Day".

Commercial performance

In the United States, "Bad Day" made its first chart appearance on June 16, 2001, when it debuted at number 34 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 38 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. On the former chart, the song peaked at number 12 on August 18, 2001, while on the latter, it reached number 14 the following week. The single remained on both listings for 18 weeks. "Bad Day" crossed over to adult pop radio, debuting on the Billboard Adult Top 40 in late June 2001 and climbing to its peak of number 21 on September 15, 2001, spending 26 weeks on the ranking; it was the chart's 40th-most-successful hit of 2001. It also charted on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 ranking, spending 13 weeks on the chart and peaking at number 28 on September 22. On the Billboard Hot 100, "Bad Day" debuted at number 73 on July 28, 2001, reaching its peak of number 64 three weeks later to give Fuel their third top-75 hit. It spent 20 weeks on the Hot 100, making it the band's second-longest-charting single, after "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)".

Music video

A music video was made for the song. At the beginning, lead vocalist Brett Scallions sits across a man with a cane and starts singing. The scene then changes to a woman who suffers various misfortunes, including spilling her coffee, breaking a heel on the sidewalk, and getting into a car accident. Throughout these scenes, Scallions becomes more emotional as he sings to the man, who writes in a book. At the video's conclusion, the woman walks into the room Scallions is in but fades away after she sits down beside him. As Scallions walks out, the man discovers the woman's now-fixed heels on the floor. The video was added to VH1's playlist on the week ending June 3, 2001, and to the playlists of MTV and MTV2 the following week.

Track listing

All songs were written by Bell except where noted.

Australian maxi-CD single

1. "Bad Day" – 3:15
2. "Down" (rehearsal demo) (Bell, Brett Scallions) – 3:24
3. "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" (rehearsal demo) – 3:58
4. "Bad Day" (acoustic) – 3:08

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the US promo CD liner notes and the Something Like Human album booklet.

Studios

• Recorded at Right Track Recording, Sear Sound (New York City), and The Mix Room (Los Angeles)
• Mixed at The Mix Room (Los Angeles)
• Mastered at Precision Mastering (Los Angeles)

Personnel

• Carl Bell – writing, guitar, vocals, co-production
• Brett Scallions – lead vocals, guitar
• Jeff Abercrombie – bass guitar
• Kevin Miller – drums
• Ben Grosse – production, recording, mixing, programming
• John Parthum – recording
• Lloyd Puckitt – recording
• Jason Stasium – additional recording
• Lumpy – programming
• Tom Baker – mastering

Charts

Release history

References

1. "It's the End of the World as Clear Channel Knows It". Slate. September 17, 2001. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
2. Eakin, Marah (September 11, 2015). "Every Single Song Clear Channel Suggested Its Stations Skip Post-9/11". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
3. Hummel, Lisa. "On the Road with Brett Scallions". Mode Weekly. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
4. "Bad Day by Fuel – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. March 12, 2012. MN0101297. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
5. "Something Like Human: Fuel". AllMusic. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
6. Pesselnick, Jill (September 16, 2000). "Album Forecast: Something Sound for Everyone". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 38. p. 60. Fuel challenges the chain of evolution with 'Something Like Human' (Sept. 19 on 550 Music)...
7. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1403. May 25, 2001. pp. 125, 129, 140. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
8. ^ "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1404. June 1, 2001. p. 44. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
9. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 10th September 2001" (PDF). ARIA. September 10, 2001. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2002. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
10. ^ Bad Day (Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Fuel. Epic Records. 2001. 671832 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. June 16, 2001. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
12. "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. June 16, 2001. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
13. ^ "Fuel Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
14. ^ "Fuel Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
15. ^ "Fuel Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
16. ^ "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 52. December 29, 2001. p. YE-82. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
17. ^ "Fuel Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
18. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. July 28, 2001. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
19. ^ "Fuel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
20. "Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 24. June 16, 2001. p. 85.
21. "Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 25. June 23, 2001. p. 96.
22. Bad Day (US promo CD liner notes). Fuel. Epic Records. 2001. ESK 16686.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
23. Something Like Human (US CD album booklet). Fuel. Epic Records, 550 Music. 2000. BK 69436.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
24. "America's Best: 2001 – Most-Played Mainstream Rock". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 45.
25. "Most-Played Modern Rock Songs of 2001". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 40.
26. "Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2001". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 60.

• Fuel (band) songs
• 2000 songs
• 2001 singles
• Epic Records singles
• Songs written by Carl Bell (musician)
• Songs about heartache