20th Century Boy
Encyclopedia
"20th Century Boy" is a song by T. Rex
, written by Marc Bolan
. It was released as a single
in 1973 and reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart
. The song did not feature on an original studio album
but was included as a bonus track on a reissue of 1973 album Tanx
.
It later returned to the UK Top 20 in 1991, fourteen years after Bolan's death, when it was used in a Chris Hartwill-directed commercial for Levi's
starring Brad Pitt
. A slightly different segment of the song, with the addition of a harp, was used in a Jameson Irish Whiskey
television advertisement. It plays a key role on the science fiction
-mystery
manga
20th Century Boys
.
This song appears in the music video games Guitar Hero 5
and Rock Band 3
and in the movies Get Him to the Greek
and Lords of Dogtown
.
, Naked Raygun
, The King
, Kiyoharu
, Adam Ant
, Drain STH
, Chalk Circle
, The Replacements, Girlschool
, Pink Cream 69
, The Three Johns
, Placebo
, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. It has also been covered live by X Japan
, playing the song at several of their earlier performances, one of which was used as the live b-side to their 1989 single "Kurenai
". Count Zero, a Boston-based experimental rock band, has released a live performance of the song for download on their website The song has been covered by Bang Tango
in their live album Ain't No Jive...Live!
. Frankenstein 3000, with guests Shawn Mars, Steve Conte
, and Leif Garrett
, also released a cover on their 2005 America's Hit Remakers album.
Avant-garde metal guitarist Buckethead
also covered it on a 1998 tribute, Great Jewish Music: Marc Bolan
. The English hard-rock
band Def Leppard
covered the song on their 2006 album, Yeah!, which features cover version
s of 1970s rock hits. On 29 September 2007, Moby
joined Richard Barone
onstage for "20th Century Boy" at the T.Rex tribute in Central Park
, NYC, with Tony Visconti
on bass. British Rockabilly
band The Big Six recorded a version for the 1998 movie The Truman Show
.
During their cameo in 1998 film Velvet Goldmine
, Placebo
performed this song as fictitious band The Flaming Creatures. It also appeared as a Double A-Side on their single "You Don't Care About Us
". The band also performed it live at the 1999 BRIT Awards
with David Bowie
.
This song appears on the official soundtrack for the biographical movie Lords of Dogtown.
On August 10, 2010, American Idol Season 8 runner-up, Adam Lambert
performed the song live for the first time at the Warner Theatre in Erie, PA, making headlines with the popular Canadian music website Rockstar Weekly
, which posted a video link to the performance. A performance of the song was also included on Lambert's "Glam Nation Live
" CD/DVD release in 2011.
The song is played on Guitar Hero in a scene in the movie Somewhere
.
Powerman 5000
covered the song on their 2011 album Copies, Clones & Replicants.
Punk band Bad Religion
wrote a song whichs borrows from the title: "21st Century (Digital Boy)" (on the albums Against The Grain
and the re-recoding on Stranger Than Fiction
)
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
, written by Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
. It was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1973 and reached #3 in 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 ...
. The song did not feature on an original studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
but was included as a bonus track on a reissue of 1973 album Tanx
Tanx
Tanx is the eighth album by British rock band T. Rex, released in 1973. Tanx was a hit in UK and Europe but it failed to emulate the success of The Slider in the U.S., reaching only #102 in the album charts...
.
It later returned to the UK Top 20 in 1991, fourteen years after Bolan's death, when it was used in a Chris Hartwill-directed commercial for Levi's
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
starring Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
. A slightly different segment of the song, with the addition of a harp, was used in a Jameson Irish Whiskey
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Jameson is a single distillery Irish whiskey produced by a division of the French distiller Pernod Ricard. Jameson is similar in its adherence to the single distillery principle to the single malt tradition, but Jameson combines malted barley with unmalted or "green" barley...
television advertisement. It plays a key role on the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
20th Century Boys
20th Century Boys
is a science fiction-mystery manga created by Naoki Urasawa. It won the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award in the General category, an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival, and the 2003 Shogakukan Manga Award in the General category. The last two volumes of the story were serialized under...
.
This song appears in the music video games Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
and Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
and in the movies Get Him to the Greek
Get Him to the Greek
Get Him to the Greek is a 2010 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand. The film was released on June 4, 2010. Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off sequel of Stoller's 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, reuniting director...
and Lords of Dogtown
Lords of Dogtown
Lords of Dogtown is a 2005 biographical film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Stacy Peralta. The film is based on the story of "The Z-Boys", an influential group of skateboarders who revolutionized the sport...
.
Other versions
Since its release it has been covered by artists such as, Adam LambertAdam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
, Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun is a Chicago-based punk rock group. Initially active from 1980 to about 1992, Naked Raygun had several short-lived reunions afterwards and a full-time reformation in 2006....
, The King
The King
- In gaming :* King Harkinian, a character in The Legend of Zelda video game series* The King, the chess engine in the computer game Chessmaster...
, Kiyoharu
Kiyoharu
, better known by his given and stage name, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter, known for his work with Kuroyume and Sads. In 2003 he began his solo career, performing as both a singer and guitarist.- Independent career and Kuroyume :...
, Adam Ant
Adam Ant
Adam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
, Drain STH
Drain STH
-Biography:Noted today for their Seattle/Grunge sound, Stockholm all female quartet Drain STH have undergone many direction changes in both musical style and image. Guitarist Flavia Canel and drummer Martina Axén have been together in many acts starting with punk band Livin' Sacrifice...
, Chalk Circle
Chalk Circle
Chalk Circle was a Canadian college rock band in the 1980s. The band consisted of lead singer and guitarist Chris Tait, bassist Brad Hopkins, keyboardist Tad Winklarz and drummer Derrick Murphy.-History:...
, The Replacements, Girlschool
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British heavy metal band originating out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band, still active after more than 30 years...
, Pink Cream 69
Pink Cream 69
Pink Cream 69 is a German hard rock band founded in 1987 in Karlsruhe, Germany by Andi Deris, Dennis Ward, Kosta Zafiriou and Alfred Koffler. The band gained their first contract by winning music magazine Metal Hammer 's newcomer competition in Ludwigsburg one year after forming. In 1994, Andi...
, The Three Johns
The Three Johns
The Three Johns were a Post Punk/Indie Rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds originally consisting of The Mekons co-founder, Jon Langford as well as John Hyatt and Phillip "John" Brennan , augmented by a drum machine.-History:...
, Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. It has also been covered live by X Japan
X Japan
is a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
, playing the song at several of their earlier performances, one of which was used as the live b-side to their 1989 single "Kurenai
Kurenai (song)
is the major label debut single released by X Japan on September 1, 1989. Originally featured on the band's debut album Vanishing Vision, this version is more similar to the re-recording for the album Blue Blood, but is still slightly different...
". Count Zero, a Boston-based experimental rock band, has released a live performance of the song for download on their website The song has been covered by Bang Tango
Bang Tango
Bang Tango is an American funk-infused hard rock and glam metal band.-Biography:The band formed in 1987 in Los Angeles, California and were signed to MCA Records that same year. The band's line-up has fluctuated since its inception, with the one mainstay of the group being frontman Joe Lesté...
in their live album Ain't No Jive...Live!
Ain't No Jive...Live!
Ain't No Jive... Live! is a live EP by the band Bang Tango.-Track listing:#"Dancin' On Coals"#"20th Century Boy"#"Someone Like You"#"Midnight Struck"#"Attack Of Life"-Personnel:* Joe Leste: Lead vocals* Mark Knight: Guitar* Kyle Stevens: Guitar...
. Frankenstein 3000, with guests Shawn Mars, Steve Conte
Steve Conte
Steve Conte is an American singer and rock musician and lead singer of the band The Contes, along with his brother John Conte, both formerly members of the band Crown Jewels. He is perhaps more popularly known for his collaborations with composer Yoko Kanno, as well as being former lead guitarist...
, and Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett is an American singer and actor. He became famous in the late 1970s as a teen idol, but received much publicity in later life for his drug abuse and legal troubles.-Early life:...
, also released a cover on their 2005 America's Hit Remakers album.
Avant-garde metal guitarist Buckethead
Buckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
also covered it on a 1998 tribute, Great Jewish Music: Marc Bolan
Great Jewish Music: Marc Bolan
Great Jewish Music: Marc Bolan is a tribute album featuring the music of English singer/songwriter Marc Bolan of the band T.Rex. Produced by Danny Cohen, it was released on John Zorn's label Tzadik Records in 1998 as part of their series on "Radical Jewish Culture", following similar prior tributes...
. The English hard-rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
covered the song on their 2006 album, Yeah!, which features cover version
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...
s of 1970s rock hits. On 29 September 2007, Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
joined Richard Barone
Richard Barone
Richard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida who gained attention as frontman for The Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created major concert events at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl and New York's...
onstage for "20th Century Boy" at the T.Rex tribute in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, NYC, with Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
on bass. British Rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band The Big Six recorded a version for the 1998 movie The Truman Show
The Truman Show
The Truman Show is a 1998 American satirical comedy-drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The cast includes Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, as well as Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone...
.
During their cameo in 1998 film Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine is a 1998 British/American drama film directed and co-written by Todd Haynes. The film tells the story of a pop star based mainly on David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' character and is set in Britain during the days of glam rock in the early 1970s.Sandy Powell received another Academy...
, Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
performed this song as fictitious band The Flaming Creatures. It also appeared as a Double A-Side on their single "You Don't Care About Us
You Don't Care About Us
"You Don't Care About Us" is a single by British alternative rock band Placebo, taken from their second album, Without You I'm Nothing. It reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart. The video portrays the band being thrown one by one into a tank full of sharks while a group of children stand by and watch...
". The band also performed it live at the 1999 BRIT Awards
1999 BRIT Awards
The 1999 BRIT Awards were the 19th edition of the biggest annual pop music awards in the United Kingdom. They are run by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 16th February 1999 at the London Arena in London.-Live performers:...
with David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
.
This song appears on the official soundtrack for the biographical movie Lords of Dogtown.
On August 10, 2010, American Idol Season 8 runner-up, Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
performed the song live for the first time at the Warner Theatre in Erie, PA, making headlines with the popular Canadian music website Rockstar Weekly
Rockstar Weekly
Rockstar Weekly is a Canadian music website, operated out of Surrey, British Columbia, that reports on music, film, fashion, and popular culture.-History:...
, which posted a video link to the performance. A performance of the song was also included on Lambert's "Glam Nation Live
Glam Nation Live
Glam Nation Live is the first live album by American recording artist, Adam Lambert which was released on March 22, 2011 on DVD and CD formats. The concert was filmed at Clowes Hall in Indianapolis, Indiana during the North American leg of his Glam Nation Tour.-Track listing:17...
" CD/DVD release in 2011.
The song is played on Guitar Hero in a scene in the movie Somewhere
Somewhere (film)
Somewhere is a 2010 American drama film that was written and directed by Sofia Coppola. The film follows Johnny Marco, a newly famous actor, as he recuperates from a minor injury at the Chateau Marmont, a well-known Hollywood retreat. Despite money, fame and professional success, Marco is trapped...
.
Powerman 5000
Powerman 5000
Powerman 5000 is an American Metal band formed in 1991. Through the span of over two decades, the group has released several albums and gained their highest commercial success with 1999's science fiction themed Tonight the Stars Revolt!...
covered the song on their 2011 album Copies, Clones & Replicants.
Punk band Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
wrote a song whichs borrows from the title: "21st Century (Digital Boy)" (on the albums Against The Grain
Against the Grain (Bad Religion album)
-Release history:-Personnel:* Greg Graffin – vocals* Brett Gurewitz – guitar, backing vocals* Greg Hetson – guitar* Jay Bentley – bass guitar, backing vocals* Pete Finestone – drums* The Legendary Starbolt – mixing...
and the re-recoding on Stranger Than Fiction
Stranger than Fiction (Bad Religion album)
Stranger than Fiction is the eighth full-length studio album by Bad Religion, released in 1994...
)