Next Year

"Next Year"
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album There Is Nothing Left to Lose
Released	December 4, 2000
Format	CD
Recorded	1999
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:28
Label	Roswell, RCA
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"Breakout" (2000) "Next Year" (2000) "The One" (2002)

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

Production

Various singles

A shorter version (running at just 3:21) was released as a single in 2000 and was used in the music video. It includes new backup vocals and does not include the outro present in the original album version.

This was the second time the Foo Fighters had created a new version of a song to be used as a single. The first incidence came in 1998 from their second album, The Colour and the Shape, when the last single, "Walking After You", was re-recorded with the entire band (Grohl plays all the instruments on the original album version). This new version is also featured on the The X Files movie soundtrack album and is used in the song's music video.

The third came in 2003 from their fourth album, One by One, when Grohl re-recorded a solo acoustic version of the song "Times Like These". The album and acoustic versions were each released as radio singles and music videos.

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 mellotron/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 mellotron.

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:
(Also comes with the first 6 months of a 2001 calendar. Part two comes in the second single.)

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:

1. "Next Year"
2. "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty cover)
3. Enhanced CD-ROM, includes "Next Year" video

Australian CD:

1. "Next Year"
2. "Next Year" (remix)
3. "Monkey Wrench" (live in Australia)

7 inch:

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

EP

1. "Next Year"
2. "Have a Cigar" (Pink Floyd cover)
3. "Make a Bet"
4. "Floaty" (acoustic - 2 Meter Sessions)
5. "Monkey Wrench" (live in Australia)

Live in Holland Disc 2

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

Chart positions

Chart (2000)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Rock Chart	12
Dutch Singles Chart	92
UK Singles Chart	42
U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks	17
U.S. Adult Top 40[1]	40

Reception

Dave Grohl himself criticized this song by saying "That song is so stupid!".^[2]

References

1. ^ "Foo Fighters Music News & Info". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/artist/foo-fighters/121501#/artist/foo-fighters/chart-history/121501?f=343&g=Singles. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 
2. ^ "There Is Nothing Left To Lose : Dave Grohl's Guide To Every Song". Foo Archive. http://www.fooarchive.com/headwires/tnltl.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 

External links

• "Next Year" Official music video on YouTube