Big Empty
title: "Big Empty" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1994-singles", "1994-songs", "atlantic-records-singles", "american-blues-rock-songs", "stone-temple-pilots-songs", "songs-written-by-scott-weiland", "songs-written-by-robert-deleo", "song-recordings-produced-by-brendan-o'brien-(record-producer)"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Empty" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Big Empty |
| cover | Bigempty.jpg |
| caption | Australian CD picture sleeve |
| type | single |
| artist | Stone Temple Pilots |
| album | The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Purple |
| B-side | Lounge Fly |
| released | March 20, 1995 |
| studio | The Record Plant |
| genre | * Grunge |
| * hard rock{{cite web | url |
| *{{cite web | last |
| *{{cite web | url |
| *{{cite web | url |
| length | 4:55 |
| label | Atlantic |
| composer | Dean DeLeo |
| lyricist | Scott Weiland |
| producer | Brendan O'Brien |
| prev_title | Interstate Love Song |
| prev_year | 1994 |
| next_title | Big Bang Baby |
| next_year | 1996 |
| misc | {{Audio sample |
| type | single |
| file | stone temple pilots big empty sample.ogg |
| :: |
| name = Big Empty | cover = Bigempty.jpg | alt = | caption = Australian CD picture sleeve | type = single | artist = Stone Temple Pilots | album = The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Purple | B-side = Lounge Fly | released = March 20, 1995 | recorded = | studio = The Record Plant | genre = * Grunge
- hard rock
- blues rockMultiple sources:
| length = 4:55 | label = Atlantic | composer = Dean DeLeo | lyricist = Scott Weiland | producer = Brendan O'Brien | prev_title = Interstate Love Song | prev_year = 1994 | next_title = Big Bang Baby | next_year = 1996 | misc = {{Audio sample | type = single | file = stone temple pilots big empty sample.ogg
"Big Empty" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots that first appeared in 1994 on the soundtrack of the film The Crow. The band later included the song on their second album, Purple (1994), and was released as the album's final single only in Australia. The song reached No. 3 and No. 7 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts, respectively. The song won an MTV Movie Award for best song featured in a movie in 1995.
Musically, the song has a similar format to one of the band's previous single "Creep", beginning with a slow, soft acoustic verse that leads into a loud and distorted chorus with a heavy guitar similar to "Plush". "Big Empty" appears on the greatest hits compilation albums Thank You and Buy This.
Critical reception
AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "'Big Empty' is a perfect encapsulation of mainstream alienation" and praised it as a highlight on Purple.
Live performances
The song was performed live for the first time during a taping of MTV Unplugged on November 17, 1993, seven months before Purple was released. "Big Empty" was not included when their Unplugged episode debuted in January 1994. However, in May to help promote The Crow soundtrack, MTV placed the Unplugged performance of "Big Empty" into their heavy video rotation, as there was never an official promo video for the song. On STP's 2008 reunion tour, "Big Empty" was the opening song for every show except for the band's performance at the Virgin Mobile Festival in Baltimore on August 10.
Charts
Weekly charts
::data[format=table] | Chart (1994–1995) | Peak position | Australia (ARIA) | |---|---|---| | 63 | | | ::
Year-end charts
::data[format=table]
| Chart (1994) | Position | US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard) | US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | |||
| 36 | |||
| :: |
Release history
::data[format=table title="Release dates and formats for "Big Empty""]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20, 1995 | Atlantic | ||||
| :: |
References
References
- Michael, Danaher. (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs".
- Reed, Ryan. (September 12, 2022). "Stone Temple Pilots Albums Ranked".
- "1995 Movie Awards | Past Movie Awards | Awards Show Highlights and Winners | MTV".
- True, Chris. "Big Empty - Stone Temple Pilots".
- Deville, Chris. (June 6, 2014). "Purple Turns 20".
- Tucker, Kara. (June 7, 2024). "Still Remains: Stone Temple Pilots’ Purple at 30".
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Stone Temple Pilots: ''Purple''{{snd}}". AllMusic.
- "See Stone Temple Pilots Play "Big Empty" During MTV 'Unplugged' Session".
- "Search for setlists: stone temple pilots (page 3) {{!}} setlist.fm".
- "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 21 May 1995". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
- (December 24, 1994). "The Year in Music".
- (March 19, 1995). "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 20/03/95: Singles".
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