Rehab (song)
Encyclopedia
"Rehab" is a song by English singer-songwriter
Amy Winehouse
. It was released on 23 October 2006 as the first single from her second studio album Back to Black
. It was written by Winehouse and produced by Mark Ronson
. The lyrics are autobiographical, and talk about Winehouse's refusal to enter a rehabilitation clinic
. It peaked at number 7 in the United Kingdom
on the UK Singles Chart
and number 9 in the United States on the Billboard
.
It has since become a critical and commercial success internationally, and has been referred to as Amy Winehouse
's "signature song". It won three Grammy Awards in 2008
, including Record of the Year
, Song of the Year
, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
, and was nominated for two more Grammy Awards. It also won a Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song. Winehouse's subsequent public battle with drug and alcohol addiction
has resulted in some of the song's popularity and appearance in the media. The song has been covered
by a list of artists. Two remixes featuring American rappers Jay-Z
and Pharoahe Monch
were released in 2008. A further remix by the electronic band Hot Chip
was released in the United Kingdom
.
and released as the album's lead single in October 2006 in the UK and January 2007 elsewhere. The song was written about Winehouse's refusal to attend an alcohol rehabilitation centre
after her management team encouraged her to go. "I asked my dad if he thought I needed to go. He said no, but I should give it a try. So I did, for just 15 minutes. I went in said 'hello' and explained that I drink because I am in love and have screwed up the relationship. Then I walked out." Winehouse later changed her management company.
Ronson expanded on the songwriting process when interviewed by DJ Zane Lowe
for the BBC
Radio documentary series Radio 1's Stories in an episode called 'Making It' broadcast on BBC Radio 1
on Monday 18 July 2011. He said, "I was walking down the street with Amy. We were in New York and we'd been working together for about a week and we were walking to some store. She wanted to buy a present for her boyfriend and she was telling me about a specific time in her life that was.... I feel bad, like, talking about a friend like this, but I think I've told this story enough times.... but she hit, like, a certain low and her dad came over to try and talk some sense into her. And she was like, 'He tried to make me go to rehab and I was like, "Pfft, no no no"'. And the first thing I was like, 'ding ding ding ding ding'. Like, I mean I'm supposed to be like, 'How was that for you?' and all I'm like is, 'We've got to go back to the studio.'"
In the lyrics Winehouse mentions "Ray" and "Mr. Hathaway", in reference to Ray Charles
and Donny Hathaway
. However, for some time, she replaced "Ray" with "Blake", referring to her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil.
and later peaked at number one on 7 June.
The music video was also nominated for Video of the Year
at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
, but lost out to Rihanna
's "Umbrella
" music video.
called it a "must hear song" and a "Motown-style winner with a banging beat and a lovesick bad girl testifying like Etta James
." People
magazine called the track "instantly memorable." Billboard remarked that Winehouse's vocals on the song were "Shirley Bassey
-meets-Ella Fitzgerald
" and called the track "a better buzz than a double-gin martini." This song was ranked number seven on Rolling Stone
s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007 and number 194 on the same magazine's updated list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
. This song was also ranked number 92 on MTV Asias list of Top 100 Hits of 2007. TIME magazine named "Rehab" at number one on The 10 Best Songs of 2007. Writer Josh Tyrangiel
praised Winehouse for her confidence, opining, “What she is is mouthy, funny, sultry, and quite possibly crazy” and, "It's impossible not to be seduced by her originality. Combine it with production by Mark Ronson that references four decades worth of soul music without once ripping it off, and you've got the best song of 2007." Entertainment Weekly
put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Soon she'd be making headlines for all the wrong reasons. But back in 2007, we were all saying yes, yes, yes to the British belter's one-of-a-kind voice." In 2011, NME
placed it at number 8 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
The song won the Ivor Novello Award
for Best Contemporary Song for songwriting on 24 May 2007. In July 2007, the track was shortlisted for the Popjustice
£20 Music Prize
. The prize recognises the best British pop singles over the past year. The track competed against singles by Robbie Williams
, Girls Aloud
, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
, and Jamelia
among others. "Rehab" won the award, making Winehouse only the third act to win the award, after Girls Aloud and Rachel Stevens
. The single also won Song of the Year at Village Voice's Pazz & Jop
. On 10 February 2008, "Rehab" won three Grammy Award
s: Record of the Year
, Song of the Year
, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
.
sales, the Ronson-produced "Rehab" entered the UK Singles Chart
at number nineteen and when the physical single was released the following week, it climbed to number seven, at the time making it Winehouse's highest chart position by more than fifty places. By 25 October the album was approaching five-time platinum
in the UK, making it the best-selling record of 2007.
The song entered the Billboard Hot 100
at number ninety-one on the chart dated 31 March 2007 without an official single release. Winehouse's current single at the time, "You Know I'm No Good
", entered one spot above, at number ninety, in the same week. After lingering in the bottom portions of the Hot 100 for several months, the song suddenly jumped thirty-eight spots to number ten on the 23 June chart, mainly due to digital sales following Winehouse's live performance of the song on the MTV Movie Awards
on 3 June 2007; sales of the official remix featuring rapper Jay-Z
also had a small effect on the chart position, peaking in the 70s on the iTunes Top 100 in the United States. After a change of rules in the UK allowing all digital downloads to be counted for the singles chart, "Rehab" re-entered the chart at number twenty for the week ending 13 January 2007, whilst "You Know I'm No Good" occupied the number forty spot as a new entry on downloads alone.
In mainland Europe the song peaked in Norway and Hungary and reached the top twenty in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Finland, attaining a peak position of number twenty-three on the European Hot 100 Singles.
As of March 2008, the single had sold 357,943 copies commercially and on downloads in the UK. Between October 2006 and June 2007, the single spent thirty-four consecutive weeks in the official UK top seventy-five and has re-entered several times since, most recently at number 29 on 31 July 2011 in the wake of Winehouse's tragic death, giving it a current total of fifty-nine weeks in the top seventy-five, making it the joint 10th longest runner of all time, and seventy-six in the top 100.
It also became her first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number nine. The Recording Industry Association of America
certified "Rehab" gold on 13 December 2007 with sales of over 500,000 copies.
The song, despite an October 2006 release date, was an enduring hit throughout 2007; with UK sales of 131,415 in 2007 alone, it finished the year as the UK's fifth-sixth biggest-selling single. It is Winehouse's longest-running UK chart hit, but her Ronson collaboration "Valerie" has proven to be her biggest seller to date.
.
As a result of the song's popularity and acclaim, it made several appearances in the popular media in 2007 and 2008. During the fourth season of House M.D., episode trailers featured the song, as the theme tied into a plotline. During Australian Idol 2007, the judges heavily criticised the eventual winner, Natalie Gauci
, for performing this song, saying she sang it in "Disney style". On the 6 October 2007 episode of Saturday Night Live
, Seth Rogen
and Kristen Wiig
performed a nearly unrecognisable version of the song during a sketch. The song was also performed by a show choir
in the pilot episode of the Fox
musical comedy series Glee
, which first aired 19 May 2009. The song appeared somewhat unexpectedly after choral chants of "Ohio", and was sung in a satirically upbeat manner. The song was released as an on disc song with Rock Band 3.
The song was also used in the original UK pilot of gothic drama Being Human
. WWE wrestler Santino Marella parodied this song while attacking "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for his appearance in the movie The Condemned
on a 2007 episode of WWE Raw
.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
. It was released on 23 October 2006 as the first single from her second studio album Back to Black
Back to Black
Back to Black is the second studio album by English recording artist Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. It is the last album released in her lifetime. The album incorporates 1960s soul music styles and modern R&B production, with subjective lyrics that concern...
. It was written by Winehouse and produced by Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
. The lyrics are autobiographical, and talk about Winehouse's refusal to enter a rehabilitation clinic
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
. It peaked at number 7 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number 9 in the United States on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
.
It has since become a critical and commercial success internationally, and has been referred to as Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
's "signature song". It won three Grammy Awards in 2008
50th Grammy Awards
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,...
, including Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
, Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
, and was nominated for two more Grammy Awards. It also won a Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song. Winehouse's subsequent public battle with drug and alcohol addiction
Addiction
Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.Addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity...
has resulted in some of the song's popularity and appearance in the media. The song has been covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by a list of artists. Two remixes featuring American rappers Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch is an American hip hop artist. He is known for his complex lyrics, complex delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.-Biography:...
were released in 2008. A further remix by the electronic band Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
was released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Background
"Rehab" was produced by Mark RonsonMark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
and released as the album's lead single in October 2006 in the UK and January 2007 elsewhere. The song was written about Winehouse's refusal to attend an alcohol rehabilitation centre
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
after her management team encouraged her to go. "I asked my dad if he thought I needed to go. He said no, but I should give it a try. So I did, for just 15 minutes. I went in said 'hello' and explained that I drink because I am in love and have screwed up the relationship. Then I walked out." Winehouse later changed her management company.
Ronson expanded on the songwriting process when interviewed by DJ Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Radio documentary series Radio 1's Stories in an episode called 'Making It' broadcast on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on Monday 18 July 2011. He said, "I was walking down the street with Amy. We were in New York and we'd been working together for about a week and we were walking to some store. She wanted to buy a present for her boyfriend and she was telling me about a specific time in her life that was.... I feel bad, like, talking about a friend like this, but I think I've told this story enough times.... but she hit, like, a certain low and her dad came over to try and talk some sense into her. And she was like, 'He tried to make me go to rehab and I was like, "Pfft, no no no"'. And the first thing I was like, 'ding ding ding ding ding'. Like, I mean I'm supposed to be like, 'How was that for you?' and all I'm like is, 'We've got to go back to the studio.'"
In the lyrics Winehouse mentions "Ray" and "Mr. Hathaway", in reference to Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
and Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
. However, for some time, she replaced "Ray" with "Blake", referring to her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil.
Music video
The music video was directed by Phil Griffin and released in September 2006. It features Winehouse's band playing their instruments while she sings to the camera. The band members are dressed in gowns throughout the video. It begins with Winehouse rising from bed and then moving to the bathroom. For the second verse, Winehouse is on a chair in a psychiatrist's office, presumably explaining herself to an unseen psychiatrist. In contrast to the lyrics, the video ends with Winehouse in rehab, sitting on a bed in a white-tiled clinical ward room with her band around her. On 31 May 2007, "Rehab" debuted on Total Request LiveTotal Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
and later peaked at number one on 7 June.
The music video was also nominated for Video of the Year
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
The MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the main award handed out at the yearly MTV Video Music Awards. It was first awarded in , when The Cars won it, and has been given out since. Eminem has been the most nominated solo artist, male solo artist, and act in this category, having been...
at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
2007 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year, took place on September 9, in Las Vegas at The Palms. The 2007 VMAs were the smallest VMAs ever held in MTV history, eliminating 13 awards, re-naming many of the remaining awards, and having only four...
, but lost out to Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
" music video.
Critical
Critical response to "Rehab" was glowing. Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called it a "must hear song" and a "Motown-style winner with a banging beat and a lovesick bad girl testifying like Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
." People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine called the track "instantly memorable." Billboard remarked that Winehouse's vocals on the song were "Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
-meets-Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
" and called the track "a better buzz than a double-gin martini." This song was ranked number seven on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007 and number 194 on the same magazine's updated list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
. This song was also ranked number 92 on MTV Asias list of Top 100 Hits of 2007. TIME magazine named "Rehab" at number one on The 10 Best Songs of 2007. Writer Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel is a journalist, and editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. He joined the magazine following its acquisition by Bloomberg L.P. in December 2009. Prior to joining Bloomberg Businessweek, Tyrangiel was deputy managing editor of TIME magazine and managing editor of TIME.com...
praised Winehouse for her confidence, opining, “What she is is mouthy, funny, sultry, and quite possibly crazy” and, "It's impossible not to be seduced by her originality. Combine it with production by Mark Ronson that references four decades worth of soul music without once ripping it off, and you've got the best song of 2007." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Soon she'd be making headlines for all the wrong reasons. But back in 2007, we were all saying yes, yes, yes to the British belter's one-of-a-kind voice." In 2011, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
placed it at number 8 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
The song won the Ivor Novello Award
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
for Best Contemporary Song for songwriting on 24 May 2007. In July 2007, the track was shortlisted for the Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
£20 Music Prize
Popjustice £20 Music Prize
The Popjustice £20 Music Prize is an annual prize awarded by a panel of judges organised by music website Popjustice to the singer of the best British pop single of the past year....
. The prize recognises the best British pop singles over the past year. The track competed against singles by Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer, songwriter, model and occasional DJ. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s...
, and Jamelia
Jamelia
Jamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...
among others. "Rehab" won the award, making Winehouse only the third act to win the award, after Girls Aloud and Rachel Stevens
Rachel Stevens
Rachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
. The single also won Song of the Year at Village Voice's Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
. On 10 February 2008, "Rehab" won three Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s: Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
, Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
.
Commercial
On 22 October 2006, based solely on downloadMusic download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
sales, the Ronson-produced "Rehab" entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number nineteen and when the physical single was released the following week, it climbed to number seven, at the time making it Winehouse's highest chart position by more than fifty places. By 25 October the album was approaching five-time platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in the UK, making it the best-selling record of 2007.
The song entered the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number ninety-one on the chart dated 31 March 2007 without an official single release. Winehouse's current single at the time, "You Know I'm No Good
You Know I'm No Good
"You Know I'm No Good" a song by English recording artist Amy Winehouse, released as the second single from her second studio album, Back to Black. The track follows in the footsteps of Winehouse's previous singles of a mix of jazz and R&B with her soulful, raspy vocals and this time hip...
", entered one spot above, at number ninety, in the same week. After lingering in the bottom portions of the Hot 100 for several months, the song suddenly jumped thirty-eight spots to number ten on the 23 June chart, mainly due to digital sales following Winehouse's live performance of the song on the MTV Movie Awards
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
on 3 June 2007; sales of the official remix featuring rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
also had a small effect on the chart position, peaking in the 70s on the iTunes Top 100 in the United States. After a change of rules in the UK allowing all digital downloads to be counted for the singles chart, "Rehab" re-entered the chart at number twenty for the week ending 13 January 2007, whilst "You Know I'm No Good" occupied the number forty spot as a new entry on downloads alone.
In mainland Europe the song peaked in Norway and Hungary and reached the top twenty in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Finland, attaining a peak position of number twenty-three on the European Hot 100 Singles.
As of March 2008, the single had sold 357,943 copies commercially and on downloads in the UK. Between October 2006 and June 2007, the single spent thirty-four consecutive weeks in the official UK top seventy-five and has re-entered several times since, most recently at number 29 on 31 July 2011 in the wake of Winehouse's tragic death, giving it a current total of fifty-nine weeks in the top seventy-five, making it the joint 10th longest runner of all time, and seventy-six in the top 100.
It also became her first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number nine. The Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certified "Rehab" gold on 13 December 2007 with sales of over 500,000 copies.
The song, despite an October 2006 release date, was an enduring hit throughout 2007; with UK sales of 131,415 in 2007 alone, it finished the year as the UK's fifth-sixth biggest-selling single. It is Winehouse's longest-running UK chart hit, but her Ronson collaboration "Valerie" has proven to be her biggest seller to date.
Appearances in the media
On 12 March 2007, Winehouse performed the song live for her American television debut on the Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
.
As a result of the song's popularity and acclaim, it made several appearances in the popular media in 2007 and 2008. During the fourth season of House M.D., episode trailers featured the song, as the theme tied into a plotline. During Australian Idol 2007, the judges heavily criticised the eventual winner, Natalie Gauci
Natalie Gauci
Natalie Gauci is an Australian singer of Italian and Maltese descent. Gauci undertook music tuition at the Victorian College of the Arts, formed her own band that played gigs in Melbourne, while also working as a music teacher...
, for performing this song, saying she sang it in "Disney style". On the 6 October 2007 episode of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
and Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
performed a nearly unrecognisable version of the song during a sketch. The song was also performed by a show choir
Show choir
A show choir is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story.-History:...
in the pilot episode of the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
musical comedy series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, which first aired 19 May 2009. The song appeared somewhat unexpectedly after choral chants of "Ohio", and was sung in a satirically upbeat manner. The song was released as an on disc song with Rock Band 3.
The song was also used in the original UK pilot of gothic drama Being Human
Being Human (TV series)
Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama...
. WWE wrestler Santino Marella parodied this song while attacking "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for his appearance in the movie The Condemned
The Condemned
The Condemned is a 2007 action film, co-written and directed by Scott Wiper, and starring "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Vinnie Jones, Robert Mammone, Madeleine West and Rick Hoffman....
on a 2007 episode of WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
.
Covers
Several musicians have released covers and alternate versions of the song.- English girl group Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
performed their version of the song on Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Live LoungeLive LoungeThe Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
(with Jo WhileyJo WhileyJohanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
) on 10 November 2006, and a studio version later appeared as the B-side to their single "Call the ShotsCall the Shots"Call the Shots" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fourth studio album Tangled Up . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
". - In October 2007, SeetherSeetherSeether is a post-grunge/alternative metal band from Pretoria, South Africa, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records...
covered the song for Yahoo! MusicYahoo! MusicYahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
with an alternative rock arrangement. - Canadian indie rockIndie rockIndie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Hot Hot HeatHot Hot HeatHot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one...
also made a cover of the song, which they released for free download to their MySpace page. - FrankmusikFrankmusikVincent Frank born Vincent James Turner is known professionally as Frankmusik is an English electropop musician. The name "Frank" is derived from the surname of his grandfather, whose name he took in tribute.-Early life:...
has also covered the song. - The Jolly BoysThe Jolly BoysThe Jolly Boys is a mento band from Port Antonio, Jamaica. It was formed in 1955 and had great commercial success in the late 1980s and 1990s among reggae and world music fans...
, a Jamaican Mento band, covered the song on their 2011 album, Great Expectation. - During live performances, Taking Back SundayTaking Back SundayTaking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
often includes the chorus of a popular song in "A Decade Under the InfluenceA Decade Under the Influence"A Decade Under the Influence" is a maxi single released by American rock band Taking Back Sunday. First single to be released from Where You Want to Be with former members Fred Mascherino and Matthew Rubano . Tracks 2 and 3 of the single were produced by Long Island producer and friend Mike...
" and the breakdown of "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team)", and, beginning in 2007, "Rehab" has been used. - During his world tour in ZürichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland, in August 2007, pop singer Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
sang the song's chorus in the third-personGrammatical personGrammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
feminine after performing "Cry Me a RiverCry Me a River (Justin Timberlake song)"Cry Me a River" is the second single from Justin Timberlake's solo debut album Justified. Released on December 17, 2002, the single, which features guest vocals and production by Timbaland & Scott Storch, won Timberlake a Grammy Award for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" in 2004.-Background...
", an action that was widely reported to allude to Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. - Besides, on 18 July 2007, pop-R&BContemporary R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Fergie performed the song during a concert at AnaheimAnaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
's House of BluesHouse of BluesHouse of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
. Maxx Factor covered it of The Sing-OffThe Sing-OffThe Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television.... - Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone AgeQueens of the Stone AgeQueens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
often incorporates lyrics from "Rehab" into "Feel Good Hit of the SummerFeel Good Hit of the Summer"Feel Good Hit of the Summer" is a song by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age and written by band members Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri. It is the opening track of their second album, Rated R and in 2000 became the second single to be released from it. The song also accompanied the UK release...
". - American punk rap band zebraheadZebraheadZebrahead is an American punk rock band from Orange County, California, which fuses elements of Rapcore, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, and Funk Metal.-1996–98: Formation:...
covered this song on their album "Panty RaidPanty raidA panty raid is a prank in which male students steal the panties of female students by intruding into their living quarters. The term dates to February 1949...
". - American jazz pianist Jeff LorberJeff LorberJeff Lorber is an American Grammy Award-nominated keyboardist, composer, and record producer.After leading his own group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, he went on to pioneer the smooth jazz genre....
covered the song on his album "Heard That" in 2008. - Filipino Broadway performer, Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winner Lea SalongaLea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
performed a cover of the song during her concert entitled "Your Songs" in December 2009. - In 2010, American artist Keller WilliamsKeller WilliamsKeller Williams is an American musician from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who began performing in the early 1990s. He is also known by the names K-Dub or just Keller, when performing. Williams' music combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, and...
covered the song in a bluegrass style for his album Thief with musician couple Larry and Jenny Keel of The Keels. He also performed the song live during solo venues, including SummercampSummer Camp Music FestivalSummer Camp Music Festival is a jam music festival held each Memorial Day weekend at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois. Developed by concert producer Ian Goldberg of Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment, the first year of the festival was 2001...
. - Terra NaomiTerra NaomiTerra Naomi is an alternative, rock, and pop artist, who rose to fame through a performance of her song "Say It's Possible" on the video sharing site YouTube...
performed the song acoustically on YouTube in March 2008. - Industrial metal band MinistryMinistry (band)Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
covered "Rehab" on their compilation album, Every Day Is Halloween: The AnthologyEvery Day is Halloween: The AnthologyEvery Day Is Halloween: The Anthology is a compilation/remix album by Ministry, released on October 5, 2010. It features songs originally recorded by AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse. It was also released under the names Every Day Is Halloween: Greatest Tricks and Undercover...
. - In 2010 BBC's Over The Rainbow, a talent search hosted by Andrew Lloyd Webber, 4th runner up Jessica Robinson performed this in the first week.
- This song was covered in the Pilot episode of GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. - Chris MartinChris MartinChristopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
of ColdplayColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
performed a snippet as a tribute after her death at Splendour in the GrassSplendour in the GrassSplendour in the Grass is an annual Australian music festival held in July at Woodford, Queensland, and previously held at Belongil Fields, outside Byron Bay...
in 2011 and has since performed this tribute at two other festivals. - Paolo NutiniPaolo NutiniPaolo Giovanni Nutini is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley. His father is of Italian descent, from Barga, Tuscany, although both his parents are Scottish, his family having been in Scotland for three generations....
covered the song in a compilation CD.
Track listings and formats
Peak positions
| Chart (2006–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Czech Airplay Chart (Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální is the name of the Czech national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis.Besides the main Top 100 record chart, also two component charts are effective. While the Rádio CZ 50 Oficiální features songs released exclusively by Czech and/or Slovak... ) |
49 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
1 |
| Slovak Airplay Chart (Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna is the name of the Slovakian national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis since the cancellation of the Slovakian national section on December 31, 2009.... ) |
77 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Belgium | Gold |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| Italy | Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| Spain | 2× Platinum |
| Switzerland IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Platinum |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |