"6th Avenue Heartache"
Single by The Wallflowers
from the album Bringing Down the Horse
B-side
  • "Used to Be Lucky"
  • "Angel on My Bike"
ReleasedApril 23, 1996[1]
Recorded1996
Genre
Length5:37
LabelInterscope Records
Songwriter(s)Jakob Dylan
Producer(s)T-Bone Burnett
The Wallflowers singles chronology
"6th Avenue Heartache"
(1996)		 "One Headlight"
(1997)

"6th Avenue Heartache" is a song by the American rock band The Wallflowers. It was released in April 1996 as the lead single from their second album Bringing Down the Horse. The song became their first hit, peaking at No. 8 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, No. 10 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and No. 33 on the US Hot 100 Airplay chart. The background vocals in this song are by Adam Duritz from Counting Crows. Though the song was a hit on rock radio, it was overshadowed by its follow-up single, "One Headlight". It was the most played song on Adult alternative radio stations in the United States in 1996.[3]

Background and writing

Jakob Dylan, the band's lead singer, wrote the song when he was 18 years old and considers it the first real song he had written. It was meant to go on their self-titled first album, but the record company would not allow it. The lyrics are based on Dylan's own experiences while living in New York City, in particular the story of a homeless man who would sit outside Dylan's window and play the same songs every day. One day, the man was gone, but his things were still there, until gradually people started taking them. Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers played the slide guitar on the song, though he recorded the track in his own studio and never even met the band members.

Music video

The video, shot in New York, was directed by movie director David Fincher, known for such films as Se7en and Fight Club. There is a slight error in the video: Rama's Cafe, portrayed as a meeting place for the band, was actually on 281 5th Avenue, not 6th Avenue. The building was eventually demolished, and a new apartment building is in the process of being constructed on the site.[4]

It was featured during the Friends season 4 episode "The One with the Fake Party".[5]

It was featured in the Cold Case season 2 episode "Revenge".[6]

The Wallflowers performed "6th Avenue Heartache" on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1996.[7]

In 2012, the Wallflowers reunited to perform the song as part of Letterman's online concert series "Live on Letterman".[8]

Track listing

  1. "6th Avenue Heartache" (Edit) – 4:22
  2. "Used to Be Lucky" – 6:35
  3. "Angel on My Bike" – 4:22
  4. "6th Avenue Heartache" – 5:37

Charts

Chart (1996–97) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[9] 8
US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay[10] 33
US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[11] 25
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[12] 10
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[13] 8
US Billboard Adult Top 40[14] 26

All-time charts

All-time chart performance for "6th Avenue Heartache"
Chart Position
US Adult Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[15] 37

References

  1. ↑ Reece, Douglas (August 31, 1996). "Wallflowers Are Getting Attention on Interscope". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 20.
  2. ↑ "The 96 Best Alternative Rock Songs Of 1996". SPIN. August 31, 2016. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Adult Alternative Tracks: 96 of 1996" (PDF). Radio & Records. December 13, 1996. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  4. ↑ Fedak, Nikolai (June 1, 2015). "Revealed: 281 Fifth Avenue, 52-Story NoMad Condo Tower Designed By Viñoly". New York YIMBY.
  5. ↑ ""Friends" The One with the Fake Party (TV Episode 1998) soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  6. ↑ ""Cold Case" Revenge (TV Episode 2005) soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  7. ↑ Vintagetubelug (2011-08-01). "The Wallflowers live 1996 "6th Avenue Heartache"". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  8. ↑ TheWallflowersVEVO (2012-11-14). "The Wallflowers - 6th Avenue Heartache (Live on Letterman)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  9. ↑ "Top Singles". RPM. Vol. 64, no. 2. August 26, 1996. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  10. ↑ "The Wallflowers Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Pop Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  12. ↑ "Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  13. ↑ "Alternative Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  14. ↑ "Adult Pop Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  15. ↑ "Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
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