Pop quiz: what was the biggest single of 2001? Here's a hint: it's one of only three that never actually topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week. That answer would be "Hanging by a Moment," the breakthrough single by Los Angeles pop-rockers Lifehouse. Now, 17 years and four Top 10 albums later, the group is slated to release a greatest-hits compilation through UMe.
Led by smoky-voiced, spiritual-not-religious songwriter Jason Wade, Lifehouse first began its run as Blyss, an alternative quintet produced by Ron Aniello (who'd later produce records for Barenaked Ladies, Guster and Bruce Springsteen) in the late '90s. After paring down to a trio and signing to nascent label DreamWorks Records, the group re-recorded tracks from their independent Diff's Lucky Day and added songs including "Hanging by a Moment" (which reached No. 2) to major-label, double-platinum debut No Name Face in 2000.
Their post-grunge follow-up from 2002 featured one of the worst titles of all time (Stanley Climbfall) and yet one of the most criminally underrated singles of the era (the blissful "Spin"). Three years later, with producer John Alagia at the helm, Lifehouse made an incredible comeback with their self-titled album in 2005; that LP spawned the enormous No. 5 hit and wedding staple "You and Me." For the next few years, they couldn't be counted out, earning minor pop successes with singles "First Time," "Whatever It Takes" and "Halfway Gone," all of which dominated Billboard's adult contemporary chart (among five Top 10 AC singles between 2005 and 2010). In 2015, the group went indie with their seventh album, Out of the Wasteland, co-produced by longtime collaborator Jude Cole.
The 18-track Greatest Hits celebrates the group's entire discography; while no new or rare tracks are included, the disc stands as an incredible reminder of what impactful songs Lifehouse have released, with a good chunk of tracks casual fans may have forgotten or don't even know. It's in stores July 14 and the full specs and pre-order links are below!
Greatest Hits (Geffen/UMe, 2017)
Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.
- Hanging by a Moment
- Sick Cycle Carousel
- Breathing
- Everything
- Spin
- Take Me Away
- You and Me
- Blind
- First Time
- Whatever It Takes
- Broken (Radio Version)
- Halfway Gone
- Falling In
- All In
- From Where You Are
- It Is What It Is
- Between the Raindrops (feat. Natasha Bedingfield)
- Hurricane
Tracks 1-4 from No Name Face (DreamWorks, 2000)
Tracks 5-6 from Stanley Climbfall (DreamWorks, 2002)
Tracks 7-8 from Lifehouse (Geffen, 2005)
Tracks 9-11 from Who We Are (Geffen, 2007)
Tracks 12-16 from Smoke & Mirrors (Geffen, 2010)
Track 17 from Almeria (Geffen, 2012)
Track 18 from Out of the Wasteland (Ironworks, 2015)
regan judson says
You are right on target about "Spin"!!! A forgotten classic fircsure.