Next Year

"Next Year"
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album There Is Nothing Left to Lose
Released	December 4, 2000
Format	CD Vinyl (7")
Recorded	1999
Genre	Alternative rock, soft rock
Length	4:28
Label	Roswell, RCA
Writer(s)	Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel and Taylor Hawkins
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"Breakout" (2000) "Next Year" (2000) "The One" (2002)
Alternative covers CD2 Live in Holland Part Two

"Next Year" is a song released as the last single from the third Foo Fighters' album There Is Nothing Left to Lose. It was released on two main discs in 2000.

History

A shorter version (running at just 3:21 compared to the original's 4:28) was released as a single in 2000 and was used in the music video. Backup vocals were added, and it does not include the outro present in the original album version.

Ed theme song

The opening of "Next Year" was used as the theme song for the NBC television series Ed (2000–2004). The show's creators, Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman (formerly of the Late Show with David Letterman) used the song despite knowledge of production company Viacom's insistence that they own the rights to the show's theme song. "Next Year" was thus ultimately replaced by Clem Snide's "Moment in the Sun" during the second season. As a result of outcries from Burnett and Beckerman, however, Viacom relented and "Next Year" returned as the theme song in the third and fourth seasons.

The show was a production of Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated with Letterman serving as an executive producer. Burnett, Beckerman, and Letterman in particular are all known to be avid Foo Fighters fans. In one episode of the show, a character is seen hanging a poster of the band in her office. The band performed the song on the Late Show in October 2000, with Dave Grohl on keyboard/vocals. At 1:30 in the song, Dave switches to guitar/vocals. At 2:30 in the song there is a short guitar break, Dave switches to drums/vocals for the end of the song, while drummer Taylor Hawkins switches to the keyboard.

Music video

Screen capture of the last shot in the music video for "Next Year".

The video, directed by Phil Harder, shows the band in a remake of the Apollo 11 moon mission and incorporates heavy use of NASA stock footage. They experience zero-gravity in the space capsule (where they conduct experiments and perform the song with instruments), land on the moon, plant a Foo Fighters flag, and return to Earth where they are welcomed back as heroes during a ticker-tape parade. Many moments and images of the Apollo era are re-enacted, such as the band meeting President Richard Nixon, bassist Nate Mendel golfing on the moon (a nod to Alan Shepard during Apollo 14), and depictions of Vietnam war protests. The video ends with a portrait of the band in the style of a traditional astronaut crew photo. This bears a strong resemblance to the cover of Led Zeppelin's Best of Led Zeppelin compilation.

Track listing

CD1 Dark Cover:
(Also comes with the first 6 months of a 2001 poster calendar)

1. "Next Year"
2. "Big Me" (acoustic radio performance, 2 Meter Sessions, Netherlands 22 November 1999)
3. "Next Year" (acoustic radio performance, 2 Meter Sessions, Netherlands 22 November 1999)

CD2 Light Cover:
(Also comes with the second 6 months of a 2001 poster calendar)

1. "Next Year"
2. "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty cover)

Enhanced CD-ROM, includes "Next Year" video

Australia CD:

1. "Next Year"
2. "Next Year" (Dave Way remix)
3. "Monkey Wrench" (Melbourne, Australia on 1st February 2000)

7 inch:

1. "Next Year"
2. "Next Year" (Acoustic Radio Performance, 2 Meter Sessions, Netherlands 22 November 1999)

Japan EP

1. "Next Year"
2. "Have a Cigar" (Pink Floyd cover)
3. "Make a Bet"
4. "Floaty" (Acoustic Radio Performance, 2 Meter Sessions, Netherlands 22 November 1999))
5. "Monkey Wrench" (Melbourne, Australia on 1st February 2000)

Netherlands Live in Holland, Part Two

1. "Next Year" (Dave Way remix)
2. "My Hero" (Live at the Melkweg 29 February 2000)
3. "For All the Cows" (Live at the Melkweg 29 February 2000)
4. "Monkey Wrench" (Live at the Melkweg 29 February 2000)

Chart positions

Chart (2000)	Peak position
Canada RPM Rock Chart[1]	12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[2]	92
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[3]	42
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[4]	17
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[5]	40

References

1. Canadian RPM Alternative Chart - Volume 71, No. 23, October 09 2000 collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 26 May, 2014.
2. "Dutchcharts.nl – Foo Fighters – Next Year" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
3. "Foo Fighters: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
4. "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Foo Fighters.
5. "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Foo Fighters.

External links

• "Next Year" Official music video on YouTube