One Headlight

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1997 single by the Wallflowers

title: "One Headlight" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1996-songs", "1997-singles", "american-alternative-rock-songs", "grammy-award-for-best-rock-performance-by-a-duo-or-group-with-vocal", "grammy-award-for-best-rock-song", "interscope-records-singles", "rpm-top-singles-number-one-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-t-bone-burnett", "songs-written-by-jakob-dylan", "the-wallflowers-songs"] description: "1997 single by the Wallflowers" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Headlight" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1997 single by the Wallflowers ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameOne Headlight
coverOne Headlight.jpg
typesingle
artistthe Wallflowers
albumBringing Down the Horse
released
* Alternative rock{{cite weburl
* pop rock{{cite weblast
labelInterscope
writerJakob Dylan
producerT Bone Burnett
prev_title6th Avenue Heartache
prev_year1996
next_titleThe Difference
next_year1997
misc
::

| name = One Headlight | cover = One Headlight.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = the Wallflowers | album = Bringing Down the Horse | B-side =

The song was the first single to reach No. 1 on all three of Billboards rock airplay charts: the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, and the Triple-A chart. "One Headlight" also stayed at No. 1 in Canada for five weeks. In 2000, the song was listed at No. 58 on Rolling Stone and MTV's list of the "100 Greatest Pop Songs of All Time", and Billboard ranked it as No. 1 on its 2021 list of the "Greatest Adult Alternative Songs".

Background

The song was written by lead vocalist Jakob Dylan, and is the second to be written during the recording of Bringing Down the Horse in Los Angeles. Dylan has stated that the song is about "the death of ideas". Dylan did not intend to write a hit song, but wrote it with the intention of wanting to impress and work with a producer. He was able to share the song with him, and thought the producer enjoyed the song, but Dylan did not hear back from the producer after he left. He began writing this song after a recent record with Virgin Records was considered a disappointment. Feeling the band deserved a second chance, he wrote the song at a kitchen table in Los Angeles. He was inspired by Leon Russell, Dr. John, and Al Green, and felt there was a "place for that type of feeling and mood on the radio." Some lyrics were inspired by that of Bruce Springsteen, with references to "Independence Day" (1981) and "One Step Up" (1988).

Music video

The music video was filmed in New York City in February 1997 and features the band performing. They had made a previous version of the video, which Dylan described as a "murky representation", which he did not enjoy watching as he was reviewing the footage. They had eventually filmed the video in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

Chart performance

Although the song did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 due to the chart rules at the time, it was a significant radio hit. It spent five weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and a total of 70 weeks on the chart. In March 1997, it became the first song to top all three of Billboards rock airplay charts—the Modern Rock Tracks, Mainstream Rock Tracks, and Triple-A charts. In Canada, the song reached No. 1 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, staying there for five weeks and was also the third-most-successful song of the year. Outside North America, the song reached No. 14 in Australia and became a moderate hit in Germany and the United Kingdom.

Accolades

The song won two Grammy Awards at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. The song was performed live at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards with Bruce Springsteen, where the music video was nominated four times, including for Viewer's Choice. ::data[format=table]

YearAssociationCategoryResultGrammy Awards
1998Best Rock Song
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
::

Track listings

Australian CD single; UK 7-inch and CD single

  1. "One Headlight" (radio edit) – 4:38
  2. "6th Avenue Heartache" (acoustic) – 4:47
  3. "Angel on My Bike" (live) – 4:46

European CD single

  1. "One Headlight" (radio edit)
  2. "Angel on My Bike" (live)

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1997) | Peak position | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | Italy Airplay (Music & Media) | |---|---|---|---| | 29 | | | | | 6 | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1997)PositionAustralia (ARIA)Canada Top Singles (RPM)US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)US Triple-A (Billboard)
60
3
5
2
3
6
8
1
::

::data[format=table]

Chart (1998)PositionUS Adult Top 40 (Billboard)
58
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table]

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.United StatesAustraliaUnited KingdomJapan
January 21, 1997Contemporary hit radioInterscope
April 28, 1997CD
June 30, 1997
September 22, 1997CD
::

References

References

  1. (March 28, 2016). "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit From Worst to Best".
  2. Waldman, Scott. (April 3, 2020). "10 Best Pop-Rock Songs of the '90s".
  3. [http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2000/rsmtv100a.htm Rolling Stone & MTV: '100 Greatest Pop Songs': 51-100 (compiled by VH1 in 2000)]
  4. Bain, Katie. (February 19, 2021). "Jakob Dylan on 25 Years of 'One Headlight': 'I Can Still Listen to It & Say "Damn, That Was Pretty F–king Good"'".
  5. "Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs".
  6. "One Headlight by The Wallflowers - Songfacts".
  7. Chelin, Pamela. (July 13, 2021). "Jakob Dylan, Locked and Loaded".
  8. Melchior, Al. (April 6, 2024). "The Weighty Meaning Behind The Wallflowers' "One Headlight" and Its Many Connections to Bruce Springsteen".
  9. (February 22, 1997). "Billboard".
  10. "Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Dark Necessities' Only 4th Song to Top Mainstream Rock, Alternative & Adult Alternative Charts".
  11. "Winners: Best Rock Song".
  12. "Winners: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal".
  13. (1997). "One Headlight". [[Interscope Records]].
  14. (1997). "One Headlight". Interscope Records.
  15. (1997). "One Headlight". Interscope Records.
  16. (1997). "One Headlight". Interscope Records.
  17. (April 25, 1997). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (24.4. '97 – 30.4. '97)". [[DV (newspaper).
  18. (June 28, 1997). "Major Market Airplay: Italy".
  19. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1997". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
  20. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks".
  21. (December 27, 1997). "The Year in Music 1997: Hot 100 Airplay".
  22. (December 27, 1997). "The Year in Music 1997: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks".
  23. (December 27, 1997). "The Year in Music 1997".
  24. (December 26, 1997). "Best of '97: Top 40/Mainstream Singles".
  25. (December 26, 1997). "Best of '97: Triple A Tracks".
  26. (December 25, 1998). "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998".
  27. (January 17, 1997). "New Releases".
  28. (June 28, 1997). "New Releases: Singles".
  29. "ワン・ヘッドライト {{!}} ザ・ウォールフラワーズ". [[Oricon]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1996-songs1997-singlesamerican-alternative-rock-songsgrammy-award-for-best-rock-performance-by-a-duo-or-group-with-vocalgrammy-award-for-best-rock-songinterscope-records-singlesrpm-top-singles-number-one-singlessong-recordings-produced-by-t-bone-burnettsongs-written-by-jakob-dylanthe-wallflowers-songs