Music Metrics Vault

Fountains Of Wayne

Data updated on 2024-12-01 19:40:48 UTC
Although Fountains of Wayne didn't enjoy mainstream attention until the release of "Stacy's Mom" in 2003, the band had already established itself as one of America's strongest power pop acts. Based in New Jersey, the group first appeared in 1996 with a mix of British-influenced pop songs, lo-fi production, and wry lyrics about dead-end jobs and biker boyfriends. Fountains of Wayne expanded their lineup and polished up their sound during the following years, eventually hitting gold with 2003's Welcome Interstate Managers. While that album proved to be something of a fluke success, the band continued releasing well-crafted records throughout the subsequent years. Meanwhile, co-founder Adam Schlesinger enjoyed a separate career as a producer and ghostwriter for other artists.

Schlesinger first crossed paths with Chris Collingwood in 1986, while both were studying at Massachusetts' Williams College. Sharing a mutual affection for melodic British pop, the two formed a series of short-lived bands before recording an LP under the name Pinwheel. The duo split up after legal hassles blocked the album's release, with Schlesinger resurfacing as part of the indie pop band Ivy and Collingwood joining a Boston-based country group named the Mercy Buckets. The two musicians eventually reunited in 1995 as Fountains of Wayne, christening their band after a lawn ornament store in Wayne, New Jersey. Atlantic Records released the duo's self-titled LP in 1996, and Schlesinger helped create some more buzz by authoring the title song to the movie That Thing You Do!

Schlesinger's contributions to the film's soundtrack garnered a Grammy nomination and an RIAA gold certification in 1997. Fountains of Wayne's own album only enjoyed a sliver of that success, though, selling roughly 125,000 copies in America. Despite a lack of mainstream attention, the band toured the world alongside the Lemonheads and the Smashing Pumpkins. The addition of two touring musicians -- guitarist Jody Porter and former Posies drummer Brian Young -- helped round out the group's sound, and both became official members during the recording of Utopia Parkway. Released in 1999, the album expanded the band's catalog with slicker production, beefier harmonies, and Porter's muscled guitar work. Despite the popularity of "Denise" at college radio, Utopia Parkway sold poorly. Frustrations grew between Fountains of Wayne and Atlantic Records, who neglected to promote the song "Trouble Times" as a single, and the band was dropped from Atlantic's roster in late 1999. A long hiatus followed, during which Schlesinger co-wrote several songs for the Josie and the Pussycats film, released a third album with Ivy, and produced albums for the Verve Pipe, David Mead, and They Might Be Giants.

The musicians reconvened four years later, funneling their own money into the creation of Welcome Interstate Managers. Released in 2003 on the newly minted S-Curve label, the album gave Fountains of Wayne their first taste of Billboard-certified success with "Stacy's Mom," a hit across several charts and the band's first Top 40 entry. The accompanying music video featured Rachel Hunter as the song's voluptuous title character; perhaps predictably so, it became a staple at MTV. The subsequent singles "Mexican Wine" and "Hey Julie" fared less well, but Welcome Interstate Managers nevertheless went gold, whetting the public's appetite for future Fountains of Wayne releases.

The double-disc compilation album Out-of-State Plates arrived in 2005, sporting two new songs (including the single "Maureen"), several live cuts, and a wealth of rarities. Fountains of Wayne launched a limited tour before returning home, where Schlesinger kept up his songwriting chops by penning four tracks for the soundtrack to the 2007 film Music and Lyrics. That same year also saw the release of another FOW album, Traffic and Weather, which continued the band's tradition of fusing power pop with lyrics about travel, relationships, and workplace boredom. While working on a follow-up album, Schlesinger found time to play alongside Taylor Hanson, James Iha, and Bun E. Carlos in the pop supergroup Tinted Windows, whose debut album appeared in 2009. Later that year, Schlesinger joined Fountains of Wayne on a full-band acoustic tour, using the opportunity to play a handful of new songs in front of a live audience. Most of the new material found its way onto the band's next album, Sky Full of Holes, which doubled as their first release for Yep Roc in 2011. Adam Schlesinger died on April 1, 2020; the cause of death was complications related to the COVID-19 virus. ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi

Total plays

611.2 million
Updated on 2024-12-01

Country

United States

Monthly listeners

3,430,594

Followers

201,818

Top Cities

  1. United Kingdom
    62,844 listeners
  2. Australia
    78,311 listeners
  3. Australia
    70,210 listeners
  4. Australia
    62,296 listeners
  5. United States
    41,474 listeners

Most popular tracks

Track Plays Duration Release date
Stacy's Mom
Stacy's Mom
497,311,209 3:19 2003-01-01
Hey Julie
Hey Julie
28,107,137 2:38 2003-01-01
Sink to the Bottom
Sink to the Bottom
10,850,411 3:12 1996-01-01
Hackensack
Hackensack
9,228,198 3:00 2003-01-01
All Kinds Of Time
All Kinds Of Time
5,990,279 4:22 2003-01-01
Mexican Wine
Mexican Wine
5,812,368 3:22 2003-01-01
Radiation Vibe
Radiation Vibe
5,468,024 3:41 1996-01-01
Valley Winter Song
Valley Winter Song
4,134,659 3:35 2003-01-01
Bright Future In Sales
Bright Future In Sales
3,527,781 3:06 2003-01-01
I Want An Alien For Christmas
I Want An Alien For Christmas
3,028,722 2:19 2005-01-01
Someone To Love
Someone To Love
2,193,967 3:53 2007-01-01
Denise
Denise
1,456,451 2:34 1999-01-01
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
1,386,352 3:21 2005-06-28
Red Dragon Tattoo
Red Dragon Tattoo
1,205,254 3:32 1999-01-01
No Better Place
No Better Place
1,126,569 4:06 2003-01-01
Planet Of Weed
Planet Of Weed
1,005,861 2:46 2007-01-01
Little Red Light
Little Red Light
934,122 3:35 2003-01-01
Maureen
Maureen
921,227 3:14 2005-01-01
Leave the Biker
Leave the Biker
920,738 2:42 1996-01-01
The Girl I Can't Forget
The Girl I Can't Forget
904,072 3:24 2005-06-28
The Summer Place
The Summer Place
895,375 3:31 2011-08-01
Fire Island
Fire Island
838,125 2:57 2003-01-01
Hung Up On You
Hung Up On You
802,499 3:59 2003-01-01
Halley's Waitress
Halley's Waitress
708,095 3:35 2003-01-01
Utopia Parkway
Utopia Parkway
666,811 3:07 1999-01-01
Troubled Times
Troubled Times
664,761 3:40 1999-01-01
Prom Theme
Prom Theme
647,940 3:09 1999-01-01
Peace And Love
Peace And Love
614,894 3:26 2003-01-01
Survival Car
Survival Car
608,192 2:05 1996-01-01
Yours And Mine
Yours And Mine
606,508 1:02 2003-01-01
Supercollider
Supercollider
577,104 5:06 2003-01-01
Elevator Up
Elevator Up
566,584 4:03 2003-01-01
Traffic And Weather
Traffic And Weather
564,162 3:37 2007-01-01
Richie and Ruben
Richie and Ruben
557,181 3:32 2011-07-25
She's Got a Problem
She's Got a Problem
548,065 3:28 1996-01-01
Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart
Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart
537,521 3:54 2011-08-01
I-95
I-95
522,449 3:08 2007-01-01
'92 Subaru
'92 Subaru
515,409 3:13 2007-01-01
Bought For A Song
Bought For A Song
510,166 4:02 2003-01-01
Joe Rey
Joe Rey
492,805 2:40 1996-01-01
A Dip in the Ocean
A Dip in the Ocean
468,476 3:35 2011-08-01
Sick Day
Sick Day
462,652 4:33 1996-01-01
Barbara H.
Barbara H.
444,918 3:24 1996-01-01
A Road Song
A Road Song
428,311 3:04 2011-08-01
It Must Be Summer
It Must Be Summer
418,944 3:19 1999-01-01
New Routine
New Routine
401,786 4:14 2007-01-01
Action Hero
Action Hero
398,712 4:00 2011-08-01
Strapped For Cash
Strapped For Cash
374,269 3:31 2007-01-01
Fire In The Canyon
Fire In The Canyon
364,088 2:47 2007-01-01
Acela
Acela
357,989 3:13 2011-08-01
Please Don't Rock Me Tonight
Please Don't Rock Me Tonight
354,395 2:51 1996-01-01
I've Got a Flair
I've Got a Flair
337,829 2:52 1996-01-01
Yolanda Hayes
Yolanda Hayes
332,654 4:01 2007-01-01
Trains And Boats And Planes
Trains And Boats And Planes
318,135 3:02 2003-10-07
Trucks
Trucks
315,109 3:07 2013-10-03
This Better Be Good
This Better Be Good
283,531 3:04 2007-01-01
Amity Gardens
Amity Gardens
281,333 3:11 1999-01-01
Hat and Feet
Hat and Feet
269,777 3:02 1999-01-01
Radio Bar
Radio Bar
268,373 2:56 2011-08-01
Baby I've Changed
Baby I've Changed
267,380 2:05 2004-01-01
Cold Comfort Flowers
Cold Comfort Flowers
266,726 4:26 2011-08-01
Everything's Ruined
Everything's Ruined
261,891 2:44 1996-01-01
The Valley of Malls
The Valley of Malls
244,268 3:24 1999-01-01
Cemetery Guns
Cemetery Guns
243,657 2:54 2011-08-01
Michael And Heather At The Baggage Claim
Michael And Heather At The Baggage Claim
239,075 3:42 2007-01-01
You Curse at Girls
You Curse at Girls
237,946 2:05 1996-01-01
Hotel Majestic
Hotel Majestic
227,833 3:28 2007-01-01
Workingman's Hands
Workingman's Hands
225,898 2:39 2011-08-01
A Fine Day for a Parade
A Fine Day for a Parade
213,972 4:14 1999-01-01
Hate to See You Like This
Hate to See You Like This
211,632 4:14 2011-08-01
Go, Hippie
Go, Hippie
208,932 3:58 1999-01-01
Firelight Waltz
Firelight Waltz
202,727 3:14 2011-08-01
I Know You Well
I Know You Well
197,889 3:25 2005-06-28
Lost in Space
Lost in Space
190,175 2:20 1999-01-01
California Sex Lawyer
California Sex Lawyer
189,951 2:59 2005-06-28
The Man In The Santa Suit
The Man In The Santa Suit
180,568 2:40 2005-06-28
Revolving Dora
Revolving Dora
172,234 2:42 2007-01-01
Better Things
Better Things
158,110 3:10 2002-05-03
The Senator's Daughter
The Senator's Daughter
149,903 3:45 1999-01-01
Seatbacks And Traytables
Seatbacks And Traytables
149,180 3:31 2007-01-01
Laser Show
Laser Show
146,934 2:25 1999-01-01
I'll Do The Driving
I'll Do The Driving
126,782 3:23 2005-06-28
Janice's Party
Janice's Party
113,677 2:46 2005-06-28
Can't Get It Out Of My Head - Live At The Jacksonville Coliseum, Florida/1997
Can't Get It Out Of My Head - Live At The Jacksonville Coliseum, Florida/1997
102,154 3:54 2005-06-28
You're Just Never Satisfied
You're Just Never Satisfied
100,994 3:07 2005-06-28
Karpet King
Karpet King
100,869 4:05 2005-06-28
These Days
These Days
96,090 2:35 2005-06-28
Places
Places
94,738 1:40 2005-06-28
I Want You Around
I Want You Around
93,238 2:39 2005-06-28
Today's Teardrops
Today's Teardrops
83,893 2:07 2005-06-28
You Gotta Go
You Gotta Go
80,393 2:07 2007-01-01
Nightlight
Nightlight
80,194 3:03 2005-06-28
Killermont Street
Killermont Street
78,514 3:11 2004-01-01
Comedienne
Comedienne
77,217 3:39 2005-06-28
Kid Gloves
Kid Gloves
68,041 3:31 2005-06-28
She's Got A Problem - Live At The Reading Festival, UK/1997
She's Got A Problem - Live At The Reading Festival, UK/1997
61,620 3:09 2005-06-28
Small Favors
Small Favors
59,986 2:60 2005-06-28
Half A Woman
Half A Woman
54,006 2:50 2005-06-28
The Story in Your Eyes - Bonus
The Story in Your Eyes - Bonus
53,236 3:04 2011-08-01
Song of the Passaic - Bonus
Song of the Passaic - Bonus
51,638 2:51 2011-08-01
Imperia
Imperia
49,329 1:58 2005-06-28
Hackensack - Live
Hackensack - Live
30,458 3:15 2007-01-01
Barbara H. - Live
Barbara H. - Live
25,884 3:37 2007-01-01
Red Dragon Tattoo - Live
Red Dragon Tattoo - Live
25,254 3:60 2007-01-01
Fire In The Canyon - Live
Fire In The Canyon - Live
19,814 2:56 2007-01-01
Joe Rey - Live
Joe Rey - Live
18,832 2:51 2007-01-01
I-95 - Live
I-95 - Live
18,484 3:17 2007-01-01
Celebrity Booze Endorser (feat. Fountains of Wayne)
Celebrity Booze Endorser (feat. Fountains of Wayne)
14,340 3:00 2012-08-27
Traffic & Weather
Traffic & Weather
11,583 4:01 2008-07-22
Chanukah Under The Stars
Chanukah Under The Stars
1,370 0:16 2005-06-28
Number 45 Sunblock
Number 45 Sunblock
< 1000 0:21 2005-06-28
City Folk Morning
City Folk Morning
< 1000 0:14 2005-06-28

New releases

Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart
Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart
2011-09-19
[Lojinx]
Sky Full of Holes
Sky Full of Holes
2011-08-02
[Yep Roc Records]
Sky Full of Holes
Sky Full of Holes
2011-08-01
[Lojinx]
Richie & Ruben
Richie & Ruben
2011-07-25
[Lojinx]
Traffic And Weather
Traffic And Weather
2007-01-01
[Virgin Records]
Traffic And Weather
Traffic And Weather
2007-01-01
[Virgin Records]
Live From SoHo
Live From SoHo
2007-01-01
[Virgin Records]
Out-Of-State Plates
Out-Of-State Plates
2005-06-28
[Virgin Records]
Maureen
Maureen
2005-01-01
[Virgin Records]
Hey Julie
Hey Julie
2004-01-01
[S-Curve Records]
Stacy's Mom
Stacy's Mom
2003-10-07
[S-Curve Records]
Welcome Interstate Managers
Welcome Interstate Managers
2003-01-01
[S-Curve Records]
Utopia Parkway
Utopia Parkway
1999-01-01
[Atlantic Records]
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
1996-01-01
[Rhino Atlantic]