Number One Crush

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The correct title of this article is #1 Crush. The substitution or omission of a # sign is because of technical restrictions.
"#1 Crush"
"#1 Crush" cover
Single by Garbage
from the album 'Romeo + Juliet OST
Released 1996
Length 4:56
Label Capitol
Producer(s) Garbage
Chart positions
Garbage singles chronology
"Milk"
1996
"#1 Crush"
1996
"Push It"
1998

"#1 Crush" was originally the B-side to Garbage's debut singles "Vow" and "Subhuman". A year after its original release it was remixed and included on the multi-platinum soundtrack to the movie Romeo + Juliet.

It became the band's first Modern Rock Tracks chart #1 hit single, eclipsing debut album cut "Milk" at the same time. It is argued that if the band had released a proper commercial single, it would have launched the song to the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100.

Contents

[edit] Song profile

"#1 Crush" was written and recorded at Smart Studios during the 1994 sessions for Garbage's debut album. The lyrics are written from the point of view of an obsessive stalker, and are sung over a hard industrial beat. In 1996, the song was remixed by producer Nellee Hooper for the soundtrack to the 1996 Baz Luhrmann movie William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. In this remix, most of the guitars were removed and the song took on a more polished, electronic feel. Hooper also added a distorted vocal sample from Madonna's single "Bedtime Story" at the beginning of the song.

"#1 Crush" is published by Deadarm Music/Almo Music Corp (ASCAP) and Vibecrusher Music/Irving Music, Inc (BMI).

The song's full legal title is "1 Crush", and is registered as having the alternate titles of "Crush", "Number One Crush" and "No. 1 Crush". It is registered at ASCAP under 'Title Code: 440237683' and at BMI as 'BMI Work #2051046'.

"#1 Crush" is sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Die For You" or "I Would Die For You".

[edit] Single release

Although no commercial single was released in any territory for the single, a one-track single was included with European pressings of the debut album Garbage.

"#1 Crush" appears on some Japanese pressings of album Garbage and on the "Vow" and "Subhuman" single and promo releases.

"#1 Crush (Nellee Hooper remix)" can be found on several 'Garbage' releases, on the special "#1 Crush" singles and on the Capitol Records original soundtrack album Romeo + Juliet: Music From The Motion Picture.

The Romeo + Juliet OST has sold over 3 million copies worldwide.

[edit] Music video

There was no promotional video clip filmed for the single.

[edit] Live performances

"#1 Crush" was first performed live at the band's show in Albuquerque, New Mexico on 5th December 1996. The song was also performed throughout most of the 'Version 2.0' and 'beautifulgarbage' tour dates. "#1 Crush" was also the opening track during the band's sets for the MTV Campus Invasion Tour of the US in late 1999.

On some live performances Shirley ad-libs the line "I'd go down on you, if you asked me to" during the outro.

"#1 Crush" has also been performed acoustically, most notably on 'shock-jock' Howard Stern's breakfast radio show in October 1998.

"#1 Crush" has been performed only a handful of times on the current 'Bleed Like Me' tour. Whether or not it will become a permanent fixture of the tour's setlist remains to be seen.

[edit] Awards

"#1 Crush" was nominated for 'Best Song' at the 1997 MTV Movie Awards.

[edit] Trivia

"#1 Crush" was the theme tune to the 2004 UK Sky One TV series "Hex".

"#1 Crush" came in at #24 in the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1996 and the following year at #40 in the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1997.

[edit] "#1 Crush" quotes

Shirley Manson (speaking about "#1 Crush"): "All real love is a form of obsession, if you love someone more than anything else, that degree of exclusivity requires an abnormal amount of passion and care. And that can be positive. It's just that keeping it short of unhealthy, short of violence, really requires a bit of moderation. You can't let something like that take over all of your thought processes."

[edit] Comprehensive charts

Year Single Chart Position
1996/7 "#1 Crush" US Modern Rock Tracks #1
1996/7 "#1 Crush" US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay #29
US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay
Week 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Position
49
40
39
36
31
29
34
35
32
32
39
41
47
60
71
74


Garbage
Butch Vig | Shirley Manson | Duke Erikson | Steve Marker
Discography
Albums and extended plays: Garbage | Version 2.0 | beautifulgarbage | Bleed Like Me | Absolute Garbage
Singles: "Vow" | "Subhuman" | "Only Happy When It Rains" | "Queer" | "Stupid Girl" | "Milk" | "#1 Crush" | "Push It" | "I Think I'm Paranoid" | "Special" | "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" | "When I Grow Up" | "You Look So Fine" | "The World Is Not Enough" | "Androgyny" | "Cherry Lips" | "Breaking Up the Girl" | "Shut Your Mouth" | "Why Do You Love Me" | "Bleed Like Me" | "Sex Is Not the Enemy" | "Run Baby Run"
Videography
Videos and DVDs: Garbage Video | Live at Eagles Ballroom 2002
Related articles
Alternative rock | Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie | Angelfish | The World Is Not Enough | Mushroom Records | Almo Sounds | Interscope Records