"Missing" is a song written and recorded by British pop music

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 duo Everything but the Girl

Everything but the Girl

Everything but the Girl was a two-person English band, formed in Hull during 1981, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, and singer Ben Watt . They are currently inactive although vocalist Tracey Thorn hinted that they may reform someday...

. The song was released as a single from the band's 1994 album Amplified Heart

Amplified Heart

Amplified Heart is the eighth studio album by Everything But The Girl.Primarily an acoustic-driven set, Amplified Heart brought Everything But The Girl to mainstream audiences via the dance-floor remix of "Missing"...

. "Missing" is Everything But The Girl's best-known success and it is credited with revitalising the duo's musical career and changing the team's music to a successful electronic music

Electronica

Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...

 style.

Original release and remix

Prior to "Missing", Everything but the Girl was most known as a folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 and jazz team. They had released eight albums prior to Amplified Heart and had a number-three 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 ...

 success in 1988 ("I Don't Want to Talk About It

I Don't Want to Talk About It

"I Don't Want to Talk About It" is the name of a song written by Danny Whitten. Whitten's band, Crazy Horse released it as a track on their 1971 eponymous album....

"), but were relatively unknown in the United States. "Missing" was recorded as a relaxed-sounding guitar-based popular music song that had earned modest broadcasting airplay on U.S. Adult Contemporary radio. The duo gave the track to house music

House music

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...

 producer Todd Terry

Todd Terry

Todd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....

 to remix

Remix

A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

 for nightclubs. The resulting dance version of "Missing" became a worldwide success, matching Everything But the Girl's UK best chart score of number three in November 1995 and scoring number one on the German singles chart

Media Control Charts

The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...

. The song became the duo's first U.S. 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...

 entry, and after a long climb it peaked at number two during 1996 (in its twenty-eighth chart week), eventually scoring fifty-five weeks on the chart (a record at the time which has since been broken — the single is today the ninth-longest charting song on the U.S. Hot 100). One record it has retained is that "Missing" was the first ever single to spend an uninterrupted year on the U.S. Hot 100. (In addition to this, "Missing" spent over twenty weeks on the UK charts on its way to gaining a platinum disc for the duo - an extremely rare feat for a record that was never a British number one.)

Tracey Thorn

Tracey Thorn

Tracey Anne Thorn is an English pop singer and songwriter. She is best known as being one half of the duo Everything but the Girl, which is currently on extended hiatus.-Personal life:...

 later explained to Rolling Stone that "Missing" was originally intended as a dance-oriented track:
After the global success of "Missing", Everything but the Girl ventured into a more electronic/house/drum and bass

Drum and bass

Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...

 direction with their next albums Walking Wounded

Walking Wounded

Walking Wounded is a 1996 album by Everything but the Girl, their ninth studio release. It is their highest charting album to date, reaching number 4 in the UK and number 37 in the U.S....

and Temperamental.

Even with its success in the mainstream and in nightclubs, "Missing" never entered the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Everything but the Girl would eventually amass four U.S. dance chart number-ones, with singles released after "Missing".

The track also served as the identifying song for 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...

character Mango

Mango (Saturday Night Live)

Mango was a character performed by Chris Kattan on the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. The character was co-created and developed by Kattan and SNL writer Scott Wainio along with initial creative contributions by Roy Jenkins. Mango is a male exotic dancer who performed in a strip...

, played by Chris Kattan

Chris Kattan

Christopher Lee "Chris" Kattan is an American actor/comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California. His father, Kip King, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911! as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E....

. During several of his fans' obsessive daydream sequences, Mango would commonly appear in a "thought cloud" over the person's head, and dance provocatively to this song.

Track listings

CD maxi

1. "Missing" (Todd Terry Club Mix (Blanco/Eternal Radio Edit)) — 3:52
2. "Missing" (Todd Terry Club Mix) — 4:58
3. "Missing" (Rockin' Blue Mix) — 7:47
4. "Missing" (Chris & James Full On Club Mix) — 8:36
5. "Missing" (Amplified Heart Album Mix) — 4:04
6. "Missing" (Todd Terry Tee's Piece) — 4:34

12" maxi

1. "Missing" (Todd Terry club mix) — 4:53
2. "Missing" (Rockin' blue mix) — 7:47
3. "Missing" (Todd Terry lite mix) — 4:05
4. "Missing" (Todd Terry tee's beat) — 2:48
5. "Missing" (Chris & James Full on club mix) — 8:36

CD maxi - Remixes

1. "Missing" (album version) — 4:04
2. "Missing" (Little Joey remix) — 5:03
3. "Missing" (Chris & James full on club mix) — 8:35
4. "Missing" (ultramarine remix) — 5:26

Official versions

• "Missing" (Album Version) / (Amplified Heart Album Mix) — 4:04
• "Missing" (Chris & James Full On Club Mix) — 8:35
• "Missing" (Little Joey Remix) — 5:03
• "Missing" (Rockin' Blue Mix) — 7:47
• "Missing" (Todd Terry Club Mix) / (Todd Terry Remix) — 4:58
• "Missing" (Todd Terry Club Mix - Blanco/Eternal Radio Edit) — 3:52
• "Missing" (Todd Terry Lite Mix) — 4:05
• "Missing" (Todd Terry Remix) 4:08 [Amplified Heart Bonus Track Version] [has an alternate intro with fade out ending]
• "Missing" (Todd Terry Remix) 3:55 [Like The Deserts Miss The Rain Version] [new edit by Ben Watt]
• "Missing" (Todd Terry Tee's Beat) — 2:48
• "Missing" (Todd Terry Tee's Piece) — 4:34
• "Missing" (Ultramarine Remix) — 5:26

Peak positions

Chart (1994)	Peak position
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 ...	69
Chart (1995/96)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...	2
Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...	6
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...	10
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization...	2
Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....	1
Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl...	2
Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...	3
Finnish Singles Chart	11
French SNEP Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...	2
German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	1
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	3
Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy....	1
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 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...	14
Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...	5
Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...	2
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 ...	3
U.S. 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...	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary	6
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	70

End of year charts

End of year chart (1995)	Position
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart	58
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart	73
Dutch Top 40	9
French Singles Chart	76
End of year chart (1996)	Position
Australian Singles Chart	7
Austrian Singles Chart	39
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart	72
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart	17
French Singles Chart	29
Swiss Singles Chart	24
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	12

Certifications

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified
France	Gold	1996	250,000
Germany	Gold	1996	150,000
Norway	Gold	1996	5,000
UK	Platinum	1 January 1996	600,000
U.S.	Gold	24 January 1996	500,000

Chart successions

Cover versions

• No Mercy
  No Mercy (band)
  No Mercy is an American pop and dance music group formed by Frank Farian in Florida in 1995, consisting of Marty Cintron , and twin brothers, Ariel and Gabriel Hernández , from Miami, Florida.-Career:In 1996, No Mercy released their debut album titled No Mercy, later re-released in Europe retitled My...
  
  , 1997
• Discovery, 2001
• Mario Lopez vs DJ Headhunter, 2002
• Night Shift
  Night Shift (band)
  - Underground years :The band was formed in 1991, by the Šćepanović brothers, Milan and Danijel , with their friend Marko Dacić . The official date of the band formation was chosen to be January 11, 1991, when the trio had their first live performance...
  
  , 2002
• Paradise Lost
  Paradise Lost (band)
  Paradise Lost are a heavy metal band that formed in 1988 in Halifax, England.-History:Their first three full-length albums are examples of the death/doom style, although the latter two incorporated some melodic and gothic elements...
  
  , 2007
• Expatriate
  Expatriate (band)
  Expatriate is an indie rock band based in Australia. The band formed in Sydney, Australia, in 2005 and currently consists of vocalist Ben King, drummer Cristo, keyboardist Damian Press and bassist David Molland....
  
  , 2007
• ATB
  ATB
  ATB may refer to:*The US Reorder tone is often referred to as an ATB, for All Trunks Busy*Active Time Battle system is a feature of role-playing games*Mountain bike is an off-road bicycle...
  
  , 2009
• Expatriate
  Expatriate (band)
  Expatriate is an indie rock band based in Australia. The band formed in Sydney, Australia, in 2005 and currently consists of vocalist Ben King, drummer Cristo, keyboardist Damian Press and bassist David Molland....
  
  , recorded for the Dew Process
  Dew Process
  Dew Process is an Australian independent record label based in Brisbane, Queensland founded by Paul Piticco. The label essentially develops talent from Australia as well as provide promotional, marketing and distribution services for foreign artists looking for a home for their music in Australia...
  
   compilation No Man's Woman
  No Man's Woman
  No Man's Woman is a compilation tribute album to female musicians, created by Australian male musicians performing various covers, to recognise the contributions female artists and musicians have made to the international music industry...
  
  . The band shot a video for "Missing" in October 2007, and was aired in January 2008. It made its debut on YouTube. The video was directed by vocalist Ben King's girlfriend Danielle Zorbas, who also directed the "Killer Kat" video. The video was shot at The Vanguard in Sydney
  Sydney
  Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
  
  .