Good Life (OneRepublic song)

"Good Life"
Single by OneRepublic
from the album Waking Up
Released November 19, 2010
Format CD single
Length 4:13 (album version)
4:05 (new mix version)
4:12 (Demolition Crew remix)
3:50 (remix featuring B.o.B)
Label Mosley, Interscope
Writer(s) Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle, Noel Zancanella, Eddie Fisher
Producer(s) Tedder, Kutzle, Zancanella
OneRepublic singles chronology
"Marchin On"
(2010)		 "Good Life"
(2010)		 "Feel Again"
(2012)

"Good Life" is a song by American pop rock band OneRepublic, taken from their second studio album, Waking Up (2009). The song was written by group members Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle, and Eddie Fisher along with group associate Noel Zancanella. It was produced by Tedder, with co-production by Kutzle and Zancanella.

The song was released on November 19, 2010 as the album's third single in the United States, and as its overall fourth single. Its popularity was increased by its use in various films, television series and advertisements. The single was a commercial success, peaking at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eventually being certified multi-platinum, as well as reaching the top twenty of other music charts across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The song has sold over 3 million copies in the US as of January 2014.[1]

Critical reception of "Good Life" was generally positive. This song is unique in that the band recorded various radio versions of this song for different cities and states. The line changed in the lyrics is "my friends in [city/state] they don't know, where I've been."

A remix of the song, featuring American rapper B.o.B, was released to radio stations in June 2011.

Cable company UPC used the song in 2013 to promote their Horizon TV product in Ireland.

Promotion

Initially released as a single in November 2010, the song's popularity was increased after its use in various media. Google used the song in its 2010 "in review" video.[2] The song is featured in the trailers for the films Eat Pray Love and One Day, the film Easy A, and used in closing credits of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader[3] and in the television series Cougar Town, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Rookie Blue, America's Got Talent, and '90210. The group performed the song at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards, 2011 Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards of 2011, Live with Regis and Kelly, Dancing with the Stars, and recently at the 2011 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. The background music of this song was played on various Walt Disney World television and radio commercials. In August 2012, "Good Life" was featured in a Honda Summer Clearance Event commercial.

Critical reception

Giving the song five stars, About.com wrote, "Not only does "Good Life" have lyrics that anyone can relate to -"what the hell is there to complain about-," it also has a unique musical delivery that allows the song to stand out on a radio full of same-sounding songs."[4] Rolling Stone put the song on its list of the 15 Best Whistling Songs of All Time.[5]

Music video

The music video for "Good Life" was premiered on February 14, 2011. The video shows the band performing the song in a field, shot through a vintage lens. It shows many different symbols and is a bit different from their previous videos. The original video was filmed in a mountain valley located in West Hills, California.

In December 2011, a second music video, filmed entirely at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World was released. It features the band performing at Cinderella Castle as well as riding on several attractions.[6]

Track listing

  1. "Good Life" (new mix version) – 4:05
  2. "Good Life" (Demolition Crew remix) – 4:12
  1. "Good Life" (featuring B.o.B.) – 3:50

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2010–12) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[10] 62
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 9
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] 5
Denmark (Tracklisten)[13] 19
Germany (Media Control Charts)[14] 19
Ireland (IRMA)[15] 41
Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[16] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 22
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 41
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 8
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 2
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[23] 1
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[24] 48
US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard)[25] 17
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[26] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (2011) Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[27] 71
US Billboard Hot 100[28] 25

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
New Zealand (RMNZ)[29] Gold 7,500*
United States (RIAA)[30] 3× Platinum 3,309,000[1]
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[31] Gold 900,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Country Date Format
United States May 3, 2010[32] Contemporary hit radio airplay
Germany December 3, 2010[33] CD single
United States June 21, 2011[34] Digital download (remix)

Parody versions

The Maccabeats, an all-male college a cappella group from Yeshiva University, paid homage to the song with their September 22, 2011 music video titled Book of Good Life. The parody is about dedicating oneself to being a better person on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Paul Grein (January 8, 2013). "Chart Watch: Pitbull & Kesha & Eminem & RiRi". Yahoo Music.
  2. ↑ "Zeitgeist 2010: Year in Review" (ADOBE FLASH). YouTube. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
  3. ↑ IMDB
  4. ↑ Hill, John (2011). "OneRepublic - "Good Life"". About.com. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  5. ↑ Murphy, Kate (September 30, 2011). "The 15 Best Whistling Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  6. ↑ "One Republic Recreates 'Good Life' At Disney - Theme Parks News Story - WESH Orlando". Wesh.com. 2011-12-19. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  7. ↑ OneRepublic (2010). Good Life (CD single). Mosley Music Group, Interscope Records. 00602527580616.
  8. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/good-life-single/id400986804
  9. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/good-life-remix-feat.-b.o.b./id444207158
  10. ↑ "The ARIA Report - Week Commencing ~ 14 November 2011 ~ Issue #1133" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association / Pandora.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  11. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – OneRepublic – Good Life" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. ↑ "OneRepublic Album & Song Chart History" Canadian Hot 100 for OneRepublic.
  13. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – OneRepublic – Good Life". Tracklisten.
  14. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > OneRepublic > Good Life – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  15. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 32, 2011". Irish Singles Chart.
  16. ↑ "Chart Search Results - Luxembourg Digital Songs 2011-02-26". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  17. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – OneRepublic search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  18. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – OneRepublic – Good Life". Top 40 Singles.
  19. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – OneRepublic – Good Life". Singles Top 60.
  20. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – OneRepublic – Good Life". Swiss Singles Chart.
  21. ↑ "OneRepublic Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for OneRepublic.
  22. ↑ "OneRepublic Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Adult Contemporary for OneRepublic.
  23. ↑ "OneRepublic Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for OneRepublic.
  24. ↑ "OneRepublic Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Latin Songs for OneRepublic.
  25. ↑ "OneRepublic Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Latin Pop Songs for OneRepublic.
  26. ↑ "OneRepublic Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Pop Songs for OneRepublic.
  27. ↑ "Ö3 Austria Top40 - Single Charts 2011". oe3.ORF.at. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  28. ↑ "Best of 2011: Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  29. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – OneRepublic – Good Life". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.
  30. ↑ "American single certifications – OneRepublic – Good Life". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  31. ↑ "Certificeringer - OneRepublic - Good Life" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  32. ↑ "CHR Airplay Archive". FMQB. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  33. ↑ "Good Life (2-Track)" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Good Life (Remix) [feat. B.O.B.] – Single by OneRepublic". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved November 27, 2013.

External links