Break the Cycle

Break the Cycle
Studio album by Staind
Released May 22, 2001
Recorded October 2000 – February 2001
Genre Alternative metal, post-grunge, nu metal
Length 50:50
Label Flip, Elektra
Producer Josh Abraham
Staind chronology
Dysfunction (1999) Break the Cycle
(2001)		 14 Shades of Grey
(2003)
Singles from Break the Cycle
  1. "Outside"
    Released: 2001
  2. "It's Been Awhile"
    Released: 2001
  3. "Fade"
    Released: 2001
  4. "For You"
    Released: 2002
  5. "Epiphany"
    Released: 2002
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Rolling Stone [2]
Sputnikmusic [3]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Break the Cycle is the third studio album of the American alternative metal band Staind, released through Elektra Entertainment and Flip Records in 2001. It is Staind's most successful album to date, and was the album that broke them into the mainstream. It was a huge international success for the band, as it spent 3 weeks at number 1 position in the U.S. album charts and many weeks in the top 10 album charts of The Billboard 200, the UK and New Zealand. It sold 4 million copies in 2001.

A total of 5 singles were released from this album, "It's Been Awhile", "Fade", "Outside", "For You" and "Epiphany", all of which did reasonably well. There were videos made for each of these songs (some of which can be found on Staind's MTV Unplugged DVD). The first four singles had varying degrees of success in the UK, "It's Been Awhile" charting the highest of the four released in both countries. The album also includes a track called "Waste" dedicated to two teenage fans who committed suicide. While a heavy metal album, the album begins to show the bands future post-grunge style which is very evident in the album's hit "It's Been Awhile".

There is also a bonus track on the album. In the U.S., the bonus track is an acoustic version of "It's Been Awhile". However on the Australian and European editions, the bonus track is a live acoustic version of "Outside", performed with Fred Durst in Biloxi, Mississippi on the Family Values Tour 1999.

Contents

Sales

Break the Cycle was a best-selling album. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot Charts with first week sales of 716,003 copies. It remained at top the follow week with 329,299 copies. In the third week it was #1 again with 244,698 copies. In the forth dropped at #2 with 221,179 copies. It sold over 1,000,000 copies in the first 3 weeks. At June 2006 it sold 5,467,000 in the USA alone. Break the Cycle also topped the UK charts, where it was certified platinum, in New Zealand and in Canada, where it had the multi-platinum status. The world sales are around 8 million copies.

Reception

Initial critical response ranged from mixed to average. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 55, based on 9 reviews.[4]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Aaron Lewis, all music by Staind, except where noted.

No. Title Music Length
1. "Open Your Eyes"     3:52
2. "Pressure"   Staind, Josh Abraham 3:22
3. "Fade"     4:03
4. "It's Been Awhile"     4:25
5. "Change"     3:35
6. "Can't Believe"     2:48
7. "Epiphany"   Lewis 4:19
8. "Suffer"     3:59
9. "Safe Place"     4:35
10. "For You"     3:26
11. "Outside"   Lewis 4:52
12. "Waste"     3:56
13. "Take It"     3:37
Total length:
 50:50
US version bonus track
No. Title Length
14. "It's Been Awhile" (acoustic) 4:30
Australian and European version bonus track
No. Title Length
14. "Outside" (live acoustic) 5:40

Personnel

Chart positions

Album

Chart (2001) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart 18
Austrian Albums Chart 6
Canadian Albums Chart[5] 1
French Album Chart 48
German Albums Chart 5
Netherlands Albums Chart 36
New Zealand Albums Chart 1
Swedish Albums Chart 9
Swiss Music Charts 18
U.S. Billboard 200[5] 1
UK Albums Chart[6] 1

Certifications

Country Certification Sales
Australia Platinum 35,000+
Canada 2x Platinum 200,000+
United Kingdom Platinum 300,000+
United States 5x Platinum 5,000,000+
Preceded by
Lateralus by Tool		 Billboard 200 number-one album
June 9–29, 2001		 Succeeded by
Take Off Your Pants and Jacket by Blink-182
Preceded by
White Ladder by David Gray		 UK number one album
September 1, 2001 – September 7, 2001		 Succeeded by
Iowa by Slipknot

References

  1. ^ Gallucci, Michael. Break the Cycle at Allmusic. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  2. ^ Walters, Barry (June 7, 2001). "Staind: Break The Cycle: Music Review". Rolling Stone (RS 870). Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080416123253/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/staind/albums/album/259150/review/6067362. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  3. ^ "Staind - Break The Cycle (album review)". Sputnikmusic. September 26, 2005. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/3744/Staind-Break-the-Cycle/. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  4. ^ "Break The Cycle (2001): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/staind/breakthecycle. Retrieved 2009-03-13. 
  5. ^ a b "Staind - Break the Cycle - charts & awards". AllMusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/break-the-cycle-r529315/charts-awards. Retrieved June 22, 2011. 
  6. ^ "Staind - Break the Cycle - UK chart history". Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=1409. Retrieved June 22, 2011. 
Staind
  • Jon Wysocki
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