Underclass Hero
Encyclopedia
Underclass Hero is Sum 41
's fourth studio album and the only record that was released with only three members in the band, since Dave Baksh
left a year early to focus on Brown Brigade
. The album was first released July 18, 2007 in Japan. It was released under the Island Records
label and distributed worldwide by Universal Records
, and in Canada by Aquarius Records. This album features more alternative rock songs than their previous albums. Despite mixed reviews, the album gained success on the Canadian and the United States album charts, peaking at #1 on the Canadian Albums Chart
and at #7 on the U.S. Billboard 200
.
. The album title's similarity to John Lennon
's hit "Working Class Hero
" is not a coincidence, according to the band's front man Deryck Whibley, who in an interview with Sun Media claimed Lennon as his favorite songwriter.
, making it their highest chart positioning to date in the U.S. It has sold 183,638 copies as of March 2011, making it their lowest selling album to date.
The album spawned three singles, "Underclass Hero
", "Walking Disaster
", and "With Me". Another song called "March of the Dogs" had also been released as an album preview. The only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
was "Underclass Hero" which peaked at number 86.
Additional personnel
Singles
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
's fourth studio album and the only record that was released with only three members in the band, since Dave Baksh
Dave Baksh
David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...
left a year early to focus on Brown Brigade
Brown Brigade
Brown Brigade is a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by former Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, after leaving Sum 41 in May 2006...
. The album was first released July 18, 2007 in Japan. It was released under the Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
label and distributed worldwide by Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
, and in Canada by Aquarius Records. This album features more alternative rock songs than their previous albums. Despite mixed reviews, the album gained success on the Canadian and the United States album charts, peaking at #1 on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
and at #7 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Background
It was the first new material to be released without former guitarist Dave BakshDave Baksh
David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...
. The album title's similarity to John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's hit "Working Class Hero
Working Class Hero
"Working Class Hero" is a song from John Lennon's first post-Beatles solo album, 1970's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.-Theme:The song is a take on the class split of the 1940s and 1950s, and of the 1960s in which he was famous. The song appears to tell the story of someone growing up in the working...
" is not a coincidence, according to the band's front man Deryck Whibley, who in an interview with Sun Media claimed Lennon as his favorite songwriter.
Commercial Performance
In Canada, Underclass Hero debuted at #1 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling just over 9,000 copies in its first week. In the United States, the album sold 44,601 copies in its first week and debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, making it their highest chart positioning to date in the U.S. It has sold 183,638 copies as of March 2011, making it their lowest selling album to date.
The album spawned three singles, "Underclass Hero
Underclass Hero (song)
"Underclass Hero" is the first single from Sum 41's fourth studio album Underclass Hero. It was officially released on May 15, 2007. The song in its entirety was leaked on April 23 from a 91X podcast interview with Deryck Whibley....
", "Walking Disaster
Walking Disaster
"Walking Disaster" is the second single from Sum 41's 2007 studio album, Underclass Hero. The song has been released as the second single from the album, and was released on July 23, 2007...
", and "With Me". Another song called "March of the Dogs" had also been released as an album preview. The only single to chart on 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...
was "Underclass Hero" which peaked at number 86.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Deryck Whibley, except where noted.Personnel
Sum 41- Deryck WhibleyDeryck WhibleyDeryck Jason Whibley is a Canadian musician and producer, best known for his work as the guitarist, lead vocalist, songwriter and producer of the Juno Award-winning rock band Sum 41. Whibley married fellow singer Avril Lavigne in 2006. The couple occasionally performed together, and they have...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, lead vocals, keyboards, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Cone McCaslin - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Steve JoczSteve JoczStephen Martin "Steve" Jocz was born on July 23, 1981, and is best known as the drummer for Canadian punk band Sum 41.-Early life:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Additional personnel
- David Campbell - string arrangement
- Jamie MuhoberacJamie MuhoberacJamie Muhoberac is a session keyboardist with numerous credits, including The All-American Rejects, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones , Backstreet Boys, Aly & AJ, Bob Dylan, Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Cornell , My Chemical Romance, Paradise Lost, Girlfriend, Carmen Rizzo and Pet Shop Boys...
- keyboards - Dan Chase - percussion
- Michael Railton - piano
Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
July 18, 2007 |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... /Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
July 23, 2007 |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
July 24, 2007 |
Charts
Album| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
7 |
| U.S. Alternative Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Rock Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Digital Albums | 7 |
| U.S. Tastemaker Albums | 10 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 8 |
| Australian Albums 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... |
22 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 9 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
46 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Underclass Hero Underclass Hero (song) "Underclass Hero" is the first single from Sum 41's fourth studio album Underclass Hero. It was officially released on May 15, 2007. The song in its entirety was leaked on April 23 from a 91X podcast interview with Deryck Whibley.... " |
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... |
116 |
| U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 34 | ||
| U.S. Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
86 | ||
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
33 | ||
| 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 ... |
188 | ||
| "Walking Disaster Walking Disaster "Walking Disaster" is the second single from Sum 41's 2007 studio album, Underclass Hero. The song has been released as the second single from the album, and was released on July 23, 2007... " |
U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 26 | |
| 2008 | "With Me With Me (Sum 41 song) "With Me" is the third single from Sum 41's 2007 studio album Underclass Hero. The first live performance of "With Me" was on January 26, 2008 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. On February 4, Sum 41 announced that they had filmed the video for "With Me", and the song... " |
Canadian Hot 100 | 37 |
| U.S. Pop 100 | 91 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Recording Industry Association | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Gold | CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
50,000 Units+ |
| Japan | Gold | RIAJ Recording Industry Association of Japan The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry... |
100,000 Units+ |