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"The Middle" is a song by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. It was released in October 2001 as the second single of their fourth album Bleed American. It was a number-five hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2002 and reached the top 50 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The song was a breakthrough hit for Jimmy Eat World, who had self-financed the recording of the Bleed American album after being dropped by Capitol Records in 1999. It is considered the band's signature song.[5][6]

"The Middle"
Single by Jimmy Eat World
from the album Bleed American
B-side	"A Praise Chorus" (Radio 1 Session)
Released	October 2001 (2001-10)
Genre	Pop punk[1] alternative rock[2] emo pop[3] power pop[4]
Length	2:46
Label	DreamWorks
Songwriter(s)	Jimmy Eat World
Producer(s)	Jimmy Eat World Mark Trombino
Jimmy Eat World singles chronology
"Bleed American" (2001) "The Middle" (2001) "Last Christmas" (2001)

Background and composition

"The Middle" was written after Jimmy Eat World had been dropped from Capitol Records following the release of Clarity, their previous album. Their second album, Static Prevails, had sold just 10,000 copies in 1996 and Capitol Records decided to drop the band in 1999 due to a change in priorities. Singer and guitarist Jim Adkins explained to the Dallas Observer: "We were just about invisible there and it wasn't going to get any better."[7]

"The Middle" reflects these trying times for the band with lyrics about "Don't write yourself off yet" when feeling "left out or looked down on."[8] The band decided to finance the recording of the album and keep things simple on the new record rather than experiment, as they had done on previous records. "On our new stuff, rather than challenging ourselves [by] getting real experimental, we kind of went in the other direction, challenging ourselves by getting very simple."[7]

Release and reception

When "The Middle" was released, the success of the album and the band was dependent on the single breaking through. By early 2002, the song had reached the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song then crossed over to top 40 radio, resulting in it reaching a peak of number five on the Billboard Hot 100.[9] Although they would have more Top 40 hits on the former chart, "The Middle" remains their sole Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 to date. It was also the band's only appearance on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, peaking at number 39. The song also charted in the UK, reaching a peak of number 26 in 2002.[10] "The Middle" was the most commercially successful single released from Bleed American.[9] The band toured extensively behind the album, touring with Weezer, Tenacious D, Green Day, Blink-182, and the Vans Warped Tour as well as the band's own headlining tour.

"The Middle" was the most played song on radio in Canada in 2002.[11] Pitchfork Media named the track number 165 on its list of the top 500 tracks of the 2000s. Reviewer Mark Richardson wrote of the track: "And if your band delivers that message of hope with the kind of power-pop chorus hook that gives the best couple of Weezer songs a run for their money, you've accomplished something."[12]

In 2012, The A.V. Club published an article entitled, "How Jimmy Eat World's 'The Middle' Became the Best Song for a Bad Time", with Jason Heller noting, "'The Middle' wasn't a sellout. It was a return to form, one made by a band that had a lot more wisdom, scars, and songwriting talent than it did seven years prior—and a band that was in a position where do or die looked like the only options."[13]

Critics compared Kelly Clarkson's single "Heartbeat Song" (2015) to "The Middle" due to a notable similarity between the melodies of the songs' verses, as well as their choruses.[14] In his review for Idolator, Stern observed both songs' similitude.[15] Hunter Hauk of The Dallas Morning News also remarked of the two songs' similarities, but was ambivalent of "Heartbeat Song"'s lack of innovation as compared to Clarkson's previous lead singles.[16]

In July 2022, a bootleg recording of Prince covering the song at an after-party for the 2009 Oscars resurfaced online. Adkins and drummer Zach Lind were played the cover during an interview with Rock Sound, with Adkins describing the cover as "such a trip".[17]

Music video

The song's video (directed by Paul Fedor) featuring young people in underwear received plenty of play on MTV, especially on Total Request Live.

The music video features a fully clothed teenage boy (Josh Keleher) who attends a pool party at which Jimmy Eat World is playing, only to find everyone, except the band, in their underwear. Much of the crowd is making out, but the boy is excluded. Finally, out of frustration, he starts to strip to be like the others, only to bump into a teenage girl doing the same thing in the closet he is in. The kids keep their clothes on and leave the party, arms around each other, as the song concludes.

Track listings

Charts and certifications

Release history

Release dates and formats for "The Middle"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	October 2001	Alternative radio	DreamWorks	[40]
United Kingdom	January 28, 2002	7-inch vinyl CD cassette		[41]
Australia	February 11, 2002	CD		[42]
United States	March 4, 2002	Contemporary hit hot adult contemporary radio		[43]

References

External links

• "The Middle" at Discogs (list of releases)
• The Middle official music video on YouTube

На других языках

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- [en] The Middle (Jimmy Eat World song)

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[es] The Middle (canción de Jimmy Eat World)

«The Middle» es un sencillo extraído del cuarto álbum de Jimmy Eat World, Bleed American, tras el lanzamiento de su single autotitulado unos meses antes. El sencillo fue lanzado el 29 de enero de 2002 por DreamWorks y producido por Mark Trombino.

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[ru] The Middle (песня)

The Middle — сингл американской альт-рок-группы Jimmy Eat World. Он был выпущен в ноябре 2001 года в качестве второго сингла четвёртый альбом Bleed American. 2002 году сингл занял пятое место в Billboard Hot 100. Песня была прорывным ударом для Jimmy Eat World (которая самофинансировала запись Bleed American после их убытка в 1999 году). Трек показан в видеоигре Rock Band 2, а также, в Guitar Hero World Tour.[6]

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