No Scrubs

"No Scrubs"
Single by TLC
from the album FanMail
B-side	"Silly Ho"
Released	January 23, 1999
Format	CD single cassette single 12" single 7" single
Recorded	December 1998; D.A.R.P. Studios[1] (Atlanta, Georgia)
Genre	R&B electro-hop
Length	3:34 (album version) 4:00 (main mix w/ Left Eye)
Label	LaFace Arista
Writer(s)	Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs Kandi Burruss Tameka "Tiny" Cottle Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes
Producer(s)	She'kspere
TLC singles chronology
"Diggin' on You" (1995) "No Scrubs" (1999) "Unpretty" (1999) Music video "No Scrubs" on YouTube

"No Scrubs" is a song recorded by American girl group TLC for their third studio album FanMail (1999). Released on January 23, 1999 as the album's first single, "No Scrubs" became TLC's third number-one single and eighth top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned them their second Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. The radio mix containing Left Eye's rap as heard in the video was not included on the album FanMail, but could be purchased on the international CD single, and later in a slightly shorter edit on Now and Forever: The Hits and 20.

"No Scrubs" is one of TLC's signature songs and was the second-biggest Hot 100 single of 1999 in the U.S., only behind Cher's "Believe", according to Billboard's Year-End Charts. The single was certified Platinum in the UK and New Zealand. Lead vocals were performed by TLC member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, with background vocals credited to Chilli, Debra Killings, Kandi Burruss, and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle.^[2] Burruss and Cottle, former Xscape members, also co-wrote the song.^[3]

Critical reception

In 1999, the song was listed on The Village Voice's annual poll Pazz & Jop at number one.^[4] The song also came in at number two in the NME Top Tracks of 1999 ^[5] and number 45 in the NME 100 Best Songs Of The 1990s. ^[6]

Chart performance

"No Scrubs" climbed into the U.S. top ten as an airplay only song and jumped to number one upon the single release. The single stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks from April 10, 1999, to May 7, 1999. The single stayed in the top-10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for 24 consecutive weeks.

"No Scrubs" airplay was at the time astonishing; it was the very first song to peak with over 140 million audience impressions and was crowned the Top Airplay Song of 1999. It holds the record for most weeks at number 1 on the Rhythmic Top 40 with 15 weeks.

In Australia, "No Scrubs" was a huge success, spending seven consecutive weeks at the summit of the Australian Singles Chart from May 2, 1999 - June 20, 1999.

In the United Kingdom, "No Scrubs" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming TLC's highest-charting single in Britain. The song was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.

Music video

The futuristic music video, directed by Hype Williams, was shot on March 18, 1999, and also received massive airplay on MTV and BET, and won the group the 1999 MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video, beating out favorites NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. Each member had a set in the video. The video also has a dance sequence where the women dance in front of the "TLC" logo. The Main Mix is used in the video instead of the album version.

The video features the women in three different outfits: white, black, silver and Left Eye in blue. When there are shots of the women together they have two different outfits: black and silver. T-Boz's hair is fuchsia in the video. It also features a scene of Chilli on a swing singing. It also features T-Boz dancing as well as Left Eye. As Left Eye's rap begins, she is in a garage-like place with white clothes on while rapping. It also shows her practicing fighting moves in a futuristic blue outfit. One of the final scenes shows TLC fighting each other, while also dancing and having fun. The video is stylistically similar to Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson's music video "Scream".

Legacy and pop culture fame

After TLC released "No Scrubs" in 1999, Sporty Thievz made an answer song called "No Pigeons" that same year.^[7]

In 2013, DJ and producer Le Youth sampled the song in his single Dance with Me, reaching number 11 in the UK Singles Chart

No Scrubs was played on The Prom episode of Moesha.

Track listing

• US CD single

1. "No Scrubs" (album version) (dirty) – 3:39
2. "No Scrubs" (instrumental) – 3:37

• EU CD single

1. "No Scrubs" (album version) (clean) – 3:37
2. "No Scrubs" (main mix w/ Left Eye) (clean) – 4:00
3. "No Scrubs" (instrumental) – 3:37
4. "Silly Ho" (album version) (dirty) – 4:16

• UK CD 1

1. "No Scrubs" (album version) (clean) – 3:37
2. "No Scrubs" (main mix w/ Left Eye) (clean) – 4:00
3. "Silly Ho" (album version) (dirty) – 4:16

• UK CD 2

1. "No Scrubs" (album version) (clean) – 3:39
2. "Waterfalls" (radio version) – 4:19
3. "Creep" (radio version) – 4:26

• French CD single

1. "No Scrubs" (album version) (clean) – 3:39
2. "Waterfalls" – 4:36

• US vinyl single

1. "No Scrubs" (main mix w/ Left Eye) (clean) – 4:00
2. "No Scrubs" (main mix w/ Left Eye) (dirty) – 4:00

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1999) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[8] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 26 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 5 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11] 3 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 1 Canada Dance (RPM) 1 Denmark (IFPI)[13] 4 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 2 France (SNEP)[14] 5 Germany (Media Control Charts)[15] 4 Ireland (IRMA)[16] 1 Italy (FIMI)[17] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[20] 7 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[21] 11 Spain (AFYVE)[22] 7 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 5 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 16 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[25] 3 UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[26] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[27] 1 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[28] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[29] 1 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[30] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Australia (ARIA)[31] 12 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[32] 5 UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 7 US Billboard Hot 100[33] 2 Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments Australia (ARIA)[34] Platinum 70,000 Belgium (BEA)[35] Platinum 50,000 France (SNEP)[36] Gold 275,000[37] New Zealand (RMNZ)[38] Platinum 15,000 Sweden (GLF)[39] Gold 15,000 United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Platinum 618,000[41] United States (RIAA)[42] Gold 800,000[43] ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Chart successions

Covers

During live performances, Blink-182 commonly used the "No Scrubs" chorus during the bridge of the 1998 hit "Dammit". UK band Kids in Glass Houses covered this song at an acoustic night of the Full Ponty festival. Swing Out Sister also covered the "No Scrubs" chorus in their version of "Now You're Not Here" registered live on Live in Tokyo (2005). Marjorie Dawes sang part of the song on the UK comedy show Shooting Stars. Incubus covered part of "No Scrubs" during their MTV Acoustic performance Lisa Loeb performed an acoustic cover of part of the song when she appeared on a late-night talk show in 2000. Lizette Carter recorded a cover for the animated film Happy Feet (2006). UK band The Saturdays covered the track in 2010, but their version remains unreleased, Only a live version exists. Philadelphia singer/songwriter Avi Wisnia covered the song on his 2010 album "Something New"[44] Karmin covered "No Scrubs" in 2011 shortly before releasing "Crash Your Party", connecting the "throwback cover" of the song to the "old school sample" in "Crash Your Party" The group Sporty Thievz released a response song from the male perspective called "No Pigeons" off their 1999 album Street Cinema. Kelly Clarkson covered the song during her 2012 Summer Tour on August 23, 2012. The cast of Glee covered the song in the "Sadie Hawkins" episode of the show's fourth season. It was performed by Kevin McHale, Chord Overstreet, Blake Jenner, Samuel Larsen and Darren Criss. Bastille covered the song alongside The xx's "Angels" in a mash-up entitled "No Angels", which features on their 2012 mixtape Other People's Heartache, Pt. 2.[45] Xxyyxx sampled the song in his "Good Enough" track on the album XXYYXX. Scout Niblett covered the song on the album 'It's up to Emma'. Le Youth sampled the song in the track "Dance With Me" Kacey Musgraves covered the song during her tour "Same Tour, Different Trailer" on 2014. Set It Off sampled the song in their cover of "Problem" originally by Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea which is featured in the sixth album in the long running Punk Goes... series. References "Images for TLC - No Scrubs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-04-10. TLC - Fanmail (CD, Album) on Discogs UK Charts Search 'No Scrubs' Answer Records / Sequels. "Australian-charts.com – TLC – No Scrubs". ARIA Top 50 Singles. "Austriancharts.at – TLC – No Scrubs" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. "Ultratop.be – TLC – No Scrubs" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. "Ultratop.be – TLC – No Scrubs" (in French). Ultratop 50. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.8125.pdf Danish peak "Lescharts.com – TLC – No Scrubs" (in French). Les classement single. German Charts - TLC Irish Charts Search 'No Scrubs' Italian Top Singles of 1999 "Dutchcharts.nl – TLC – No Scrubs" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. "Charts.org.nz – TLC – No Scrubs". Top 40 Singles. "Norwegiancharts.com – TLC – No Scrubs". VG-lista. "Archive Chart: 1999-05-09". Scottish Singles Top 40. Billboard: Hits of the World, June 5, 1999 "Swisscharts.com – TLC – No Scrubs". Swiss Singles Chart. "Swedishcharts.com – TLC – No Scrubs". Singles Top 100. "TLC: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. "Archive Chart: 1999-05-08" UK R&B Chart. "TLC – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for TLC. "TLC – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for TLC. "TLC – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for TLC. "TLC – Chart history" Billboard Rhythmic Songs for TLC. "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 1999". Aria.com.au. Retrieved 2012-04-10. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.9952&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062 "Billboard Top 100 - 1999". Retrieved 2010-08-28. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. "Ultratop 50 Albums Wallonie 1999". Ultratop. Retrieved 2014-01-05. "French single certifications – TLC – No Scrubs" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 2011-09-28. "InfoDisc : Les Certifications (Singles) du SNEP (les Disques d'Or)". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2014-03-31. "New Zealand Top 50 Singles > 29 August 1999". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2012-01-05. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Sweden (1999). "Swedish Certification". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-08-15. Retrieved July 14, 2009. "British single certifications – TLC – No Scrubs". British Phonographic Industry. Enter No Scrubs in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search Myers, Justin (28 March 2014). "Official Charts Flashback 1999: TLC – No Scrubs". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2014. "American single certifications – TLC – No Scrubs". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH "Best-Selling Records of 1999". Billboard (BPI Communications Inc.) 112 (4): 63. January 22, 2000. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 4, 2015. "Music « Avi Wisnia". Aviwisnia.com. Retrieved 2012-04-10. "Download: Bastille - Other People's Heartbreak, Pt. 2". Faded Glamour. 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2013-01-06. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics