"Countdown" is a song by Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1992 from his third solo album Out of the Cradle. In the UK, "Countdown" was released in July as the album's first single,[1] although in North America, "Wrong" was released as the first single instead.[2] While the song did not appear on the UK Singles Chart or the US Billboard Hot 100,[3] it did reach the top 40 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Adult Contemporary charts. Elsewhere, "Countdown" charted in Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.
| "Countdown" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lindsey Buckingham | ||||
| from the album Out of the Cradle | ||||
| B-side | "This Nearly Was Mine" | |||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
| Label | Reprise (North America), Mercury (Europe) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Lindsey Buckingham | |||
| Producer(s) | Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut | |||
| Lindsey Buckingham US singles chronology | ||||
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| Lindsey Buckingham UK singles chronology | ||||
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Buckingham recorded his guitar parts on a Fender Telecaster with fuzz and a variable speed oscillator (VSO). He used the VSO to slow down the speed of the tape recorder, which in Buckingham's estimation provided a "crystalline" quality to the guitar. During the mixing process, producer Tom Lord-Alge attempted to thicken the sound of the guitar, although Buckingham convinced him to abandon the idea, insisting that the instrument should "sting like a bee."[4]
Critical reception
editMike DeGagne of AllMusic commented that "Countdown" possesses the "pop-catchy appeal of past hits like "Trouble" and "Go Insane" at one level, yet it maintains an enriched, dynamic feel, as if Buckingham has progressed and bettered himself as a solo artist. "Countdown" is an excellent delegate to the kind of music Buckingham is capable of, and it contains a lot of the same constituents that made him such an integral part of the second wave of Fleetwood Mac."[5] Jean Rosenbluth of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "hard not to be swayed by the singer’s practically palpable optimism" on "Countdown".[6]
Personnel
edit- Lindsey Buckingham – guitars, keyboards, drum programming, vocals
- Larry Klein – bass guitar
- Alex Acuña – percussion
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[7] | 131 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] | 29 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[9] | 20 |
| Germany (GfK)[10] | 66 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] | 64 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[12] | 32 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[13] | 38 |
References
edit- ^ "Lindsey Buckingham Interview on BBC Radio One with Johnny Walker". Fleetwood Mac UK. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ White, Timothy (May 23, 1992). "Out of the Cradle (Billboard) Lindsey Rocks the Cradle". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ Morris, Chris (March 13, 1993). "Buckingham's Out of the Cradle Again Lines Up Dates With 10-Piece Tour Band" (PDF). Billboard. p. 16.
- ^ di Perna, Alan (August 1992). "Musician Magazine (08/1992), The Speed of Sound: Lindsey Buckingham Gets Tight with Tone". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ DeGagne, Mikef. "Countdown by Lindsey Buckingham". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- ^ "Album Review: Lindsey Buckingham "Out of the Cradle" Reprise". Los Angeles Times. June 14, 1992.
- ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing October 19, 1992". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1890." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1916." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
- ^ "Lindsey Buckingham – Countdown" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ "Lindsey Buckingham – Countdown" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ "Lindsey Buckingham Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ "Lindsey Buckingham Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
