Yourself or Someone Like You

Yourself or Someone Like You
Studio album by Matchbox 20
Released	October 1, 1996
Recorded	June 1996, Atlanta, Georgia
Genre	Alternative rock post-grunge
Length	46:43
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Matt Serletic
Matchbox 20 chronology
Yourself or Someone Like You (1996) Mad Season (2000)
Singles from Yourself or Someone Like You
"Long Day" Released: October 8, 1996 "Push" Released: May 27, 1997 "3 A.M." Released: November 23, 1997 "Real World" Released: June 23, 1998 "Girl Like That" Released: September 22, 1998 "Back 2 Good" Released: October 6, 1998 (US), 1999 (WW)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
AbsolutePunk	[2]

Yourself or Someone Like You is the debut album by American rock band Matchbox Twenty, released in 1996. The album features a sound similar to traditional rock sound and post-grunge.^[3] The album features themes of adolescence, loneliness, psychological abuse, humiliation, depression, anger, and alcoholism, the album sold several million copies in the U.S and was certified Diamond. It was also certified multi-platinum in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. To date, the album has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.^[4]

Controversy

In 2005, almost a decade after the album's release, the band was sued by the subject of the cover, Frank Torres. Torres claimed the band never asked for his permission to use his image on the album's cover. In the litigation, Torres claimed the photo was taken as he was walking down the street after being asked to pose. He also claimed the photo had caused him mental anguish. Torres justified the delay in suing Matchbox Twenty by claiming he had only seen the album photo within the last two years.^[5]

Track listing

• All tracks were written by Rob Thomas unless otherwise stated.

1. "Real World" – 3:50
2. "Long Day" – 3:45
3. "3 A.M." (Thomas, John Leslie Goff, John Joseph Stanley, Brian Yale) – 3:46
4. "Push" (Thomas, Matt Serletic) – 3:59
5. "Girl Like That" – 3:45
6. "Back 2 Good" (Thomas, Serletic) – 5:40
7. "Damn" – 3:20
8. "Argue" – 2:58
9. "Kody" – 4:03
10. "Busted" – 4:15
11. "Shame" – 3:35
12. "Hang" – 3:47

Australian limited edition bonus CD

1. "Girl Like That" (MTV's Live from the 10 Spot)
2. "Kody" (MTV's Live from the 10 Spot)
3. "Damn" (MTV's Live from the 10 Spot)
4. "Mercy, Mercy Me" (MTV's Live from the 10 Spot)
5. "Push" (acoustic)
6. "3 am" (acoustic)

Personnel

• Rob Thomas – lead vocals, acoustic guitar on "Hang"
• Kyle Cook – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals in chorus on "Hang"
• Adam Gaynor – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Brian Yale – bass guitar
• Paul Doucette – drums

Additional musicians

• Matt Serletic – keyboards, percussion
• Elizabeth Burkhardt – bassoon (on "Back 2 Good"), woodwind leader (on "Back 2 Good")
• Amy Porter – flute (on "Back 2 Good")
• Yvonne Powers – oboe (on "Back 2 Good")
• Ted Gurch – clarinet (on "Back 2 Good")
• Douglas Smith – bass clarinet (on "Back 2 Good")

Production

The album was reportedly recorded in just an hour and a half^[6]

• Matt Serletic – producer
• Jeff Tomei – engineer
• Travis McGehee - engineer/mixing engineer
• John Neilson – assistant engineer
• Greg Archilla – mixing engineer
• Matt Serletic – mixing engineer
• Malcolm Springer – assistant mixing engineer
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering engineer
• Don C. Tyler – digital editing
• Tony Adams – drum tech
• Craig Poole – guitar tech
• Jan Smith – vocal coach
• Valerie Wagner – art direction
• Valerie Wagner – graphic design
• Katrin Thomas – photography
• Chris Cuffaro – band photo

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Charts (1997–98)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart	1
Canadian Albums Chart	11
Dutch Albums Chart	50
German Albums Chart	21
New Zealand Albums Chart	3
Swiss Albums Chart	46
UK Albums Chart	50
US Billboard 200	5

End-of-decade charts

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
U.S. Billboard 200[7]	28

Certifications

Country	Providers	Certification	Sales or Shipments
Australia	ARIA	10× Platinum[8]	700,000[9]
Canada	CRIA	8× Platinum[10]	800,000[9]
New Zealand	RIANZ	5× Platinum[11]	75,000[9]
United Kingdom	BPI	Silver[12]	60,000[9]
United States	RIAA	12× Platinum (Diamond)[13]	12,000,000[13]

Singles

Year	Song	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. Modern Rock	U.S. Main- stream Rock	U.S. Adult Top 40	U.S. Top 40 Main- stream	U.S. Pop 100	UK	AUS	CAN	CAN Alt.
1996	"Long Day"	—	—	8	—	—	—	—	83	43	18
1997	"Push"	5*	1	4	6	3	—	38	8	6	4
	"3 A.M."	3*	3	2	1	2	—	64	31	1	1
1998	"Real World"	38	13	17	3	4	—	119	40	5	8
	"Back 2 Good"	24	—	—	4	8	—	—	—	11	—
	"Girl Like That"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

See also

• List of best-selling albums in the United States

References

1. Allmusic review
3. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/matchbox-twenty-mn0000383889
4. "Bio". Matchbox Twenty. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
5. "Matchbox Twenty sued over album cover". Archived from the original on 2005-05-27.
6. http://mtmatchbox.tripod.com/mtmatchboxmtlastellastributetomatchboxtwenty/id7.html
7. Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
8. "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2000 Albums". Aria.com.au. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
9. Various (2005). "Standard for Certifying Awards of Countries" (PDF). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Archived from the original on 2009-08-02. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
10. "Gold and Platinum". Cria.ca. 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
11. "Press Releases- Newsroom". Time Warner. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
12. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx
13. "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved 2011-12-03.