We Started Nothing

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title: "We Started Nothing" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2008-debut-albums", "columbia-records-albums", "the-ting-tings-albums", "art-pop-albums", "european-border-breakers-award–winning-albums"] description: "2008 studio album by the Ting Tings" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Started_Nothing" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 2008 studio album by the Ting Tings ::

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

Field	Value
name	We Started Nothing
type	studio
artist	the Ting Tings
cover	The Ting Tings We Started Nothing album cover.png
released
recorded	2007–2008 in Salford
genre	Art pop
length	37:47
label	Columbia
producer	Jules De Martino
next_title	Sounds from Nowheresville
next_year	2012
misc	{{Extra album cover
header	Alternative cover
type	studio
cover	We Started Nothing AUS Cover.jpg
caption	International cover
name	We Started Nothing
type	studio
single1	That's Not My Name" / "Great DJ
single1date	28 May 2007
single2	Fruit Machine
single2date	19 November 2007
single3	Great DJ
single3date	3 March 2008
single4	That's Not My Name
single4date	12 May 2008
single5	Shut Up and Let Me Go
single5date	21 July 2008
single6	Be the One
single6date	13 October 2008
single7	We Walk
single7date	23 February 2009
::

| name = We Started Nothing | type = studio | artist = the Ting Tings | cover = The Ting Tings We Started Nothing album cover.png | alt = | released = | recorded = 2007–2008 in Salford | studio = | genre = Art pop | length = 37:47 | label = Columbia | producer = Jules De Martino | next_title = Sounds from Nowheresville | next_year = 2012 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Alternative cover | type = studio | cover = We Started Nothing AUS Cover.jpg | border = | alt = | caption = International cover | name = We Started Nothing | type = studio | single1 = That's Not My Name" / "Great DJ | single1date = 28 May 2007 | single2 = Fruit Machine | single2date = 19 November 2007 | single3 = Great DJ | single3date = 3 March 2008 | single4 = That's Not My Name | single4date = 12 May 2008 | single5 = Shut Up and Let Me Go | single5date = 21 July 2008 | single6 = Be the One | single6date = 13 October 2008 | single7 = We Walk | single7date = 23 February 2009 | MC = 64/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = | rev2 = The A.V. Club | rev2score = B− | rev3 = Entertainment Weekly | rev3score = B+ | rev4 = The Guardian | rev4score = | rev5 = Mojo | rev5score = | rev6 = NME | rev6score = 6/10 | rev7 = Pitchfork | rev7score = 3.8/10 | rev8 = Q | rev8score = | rev9 = Rolling Stone | rev9score = | rev10 = The Times | rev10score =

We Started Nothing is the debut studio album by English indie pop duo the Ting Tings, released on 16 May 2008 by Columbia Records. The US edition has a different cover image in several background colours. The album was also released in the United Kingdom on red vinyl limited to 2,000 copies. The US vinyl version is a standard black vinyl pressing. As of November 2014, We Started Nothing had sold 639,876 copies in the United Kingdom.

Background

According to vocalist and guitarist of the Ting Tings, Katie White:

::quote The way we write changes with each song. "Keep Your Head" started with Jules [De Martino] on the drums, "We Walk" started with me on piano, "Shut Up and Let Me Go" started with Jules on bass, "That's Not My Name" was me ranting about my frustrations with the record industry. "Great DJ" was me playing a D chord on the guitar for hours, because that's all I could play. And then I put my finger on the wrong string, and got what I discovered was an augmented chord. And that was the riff! The lyrics described the life we were living at the time. It was about getting lost in hedonism, about forgetting that you had bailiffs knocking at your door and just surrendering to the joys of the music in a nightclub for several hours—the boys, the girls, the strings, the drums. ::

Singles

A double A-side single consisting of "That's Not My Name" and "Great DJ" was released as the first single from the album on 28 May 2007 through the independent label Switchflicker Records. The album's second single, "Fruit Machine", was released as a limited 500-copy run, only available for the fans at the duo's concerts. Four covers were made: one for Salford, one for Berlin, one for London and one for New York. The third single, a reissue of "Great DJ", was released on 3 March 2008. The song didn't chart until the re-release of "That's Not My Name", reaching number 33 on the UK singles chart.

The fourth single released from the album was the re-release of "That's Not My Name". It is so far the duo's most successful on the UK singles chart, reaching the top spot for one week. The single's popularity caused "Great DJ" to finally chart (two months after its release), and also caused "Shut Up and Let Me Go" to chart early (two months before its release). The song became the UK's 22nd best-selling single of 2008, selling 300,000 copies. In the United States, "That's Not My Name" reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Shut Up and Let Me Go" served as the fifth single from the album. Due to the popularity of "That's Not My Name", it entered the top 75 two months before its release, based on downloads. The song was officially released on 21 July 2008. It is the duo's second highest-peaking single in the UK, charting at number six, while reaching number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Be the One" was released on 13 October 2008 as the sixth single from the album, peaking at number 28 on the UK chart. The re-release of "Fruit Machine" was originally planned to be released on 9 February 2009 as the album's seventh single, but was cancelled a week before the release. "We Walk" was ultimately released as the seventh and final single on 23 February 2009, reaching number 58 in the UK. It was the band's first single not to have a 7-inch vinyl release, instead coming out on CD and 12-inch vinyl only.

Release

The album's original release featured limited red vinyl and CD/DVD editions.

In 2023 the album was re-released as 15th anniversary pink & purple marbled vinyl edition.

Track listing

| all_writing = Jules De Martino and Katie White. | title1 = Great DJ | length1 = 3:23 | title2 = That's Not My Name | length2 = 5:11 | title3 = Fruit Machine | length3 = 2:54 | title4 = Traffic Light | length4 = 2:59 | title5 = Shut Up and Let Me Go | length5 = 2:52 | title6 = Keep Your Head | length6 = 3:23 | title7 = Be the One | length7 = 2:58 | title8 = We Walk | length8 = 4:04 | title9 = Impacilla Carpisung | length9 = 3:41 | title10 = We Started Nothing | length10 = 6:22 | total_length = 37:47 | headline = Digital edition bonus tracks | title11 = Be the One | note11 = acoustic version | length11 = 3:16 | title12 = Shut Up and Let Me Go | note12 = acoustic version | length12 = 2:46 | title13 = Great DJ | note13 = acoustic version | length13 = 3:33 | title14 = That's Not My Name | note14 = acoustic version | length14 = 4:26 | headline = Japanese edition bonus tracks | title11 = Great DJ | note11 = acoustic version | length11 = 3:33 | title12 = Shut Up and Let Me Go | note12 = acoustic version | length12 = 2:46 | title13 = Great DJ | note13 = 7th Heaven Radio Remix | length13 = 3:31 | title14 = That's Not My Name | note14 = Soul Seekerz Radio Mix | length14 = 3:23 | title15 = That's Not My Name | note15 = Taku Takahashi Mix | length15 = 5:14 | headline = Deluxe edition bonus DVD | title1 = Great DJ | note1 = music video | length1 = 3:21 | title2 = That's Not My Name | note2 = music video | length2 = 3:44 | title3 = Shut Up and Let Me Go | note3 = music video | length3 = 2:55 | title4 = Be the One | note4 = music video | length4 = 2:53 | title5 = Making of Shut Up and Let Me Go | length5 = 4:07 | title6 = Making of Be the One | length6 = 4:30 | title7 = Salford/Berlin/London/New York Documentary | length7 = 3:01 | title8 = Be the One | note8 = acoustic version; audio | length8 = 3:14 | title9 = Shut Up and Let Me Go | note9 = acoustic version; audio | length9 = 2:46 | title10 = Great DJ | note10 = acoustic version; audio | length10 = 3:34 | title11 = That's Not My Name | note11 = acoustic version; audio | length11 = 4:26

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of We Started Nothing.

• Jules De Martino – production
• Dave Sardy – mixing
• Greg Gordon – mix engineering
• Matt Irwin – band photography
• Denis Kleiman – band photography

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (2008–2009) | Peak position | European Albums (Billboard) | Japanese Albums (Oricon) | |---|---|---|---| | 5 | | | | | 50 | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (2008)	Position	Australian Albums (ARIA)	European Albums (Billboard)	French Albums (SNEP)	Japanese Albums (Oricon)	UK Albums (OCC)	US Independent Albums (Billboard)
76
58
137
41
23
26
::

::data[format=table]

Chart (2009)	Position	French Albums (SNEP)	UK Albums (OCC)
140
61
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table]

Region	Date	Edition	Label	Ref.	Ireland	United Kingdom	Australia	Germany	United States	France	United Kingdom	Japan	France
16 May 2008	Standard	Columbia
19 May 2008
23 May 2008	Sony
30 May 2008
3 June 2008
16 June 2008	Sony
24 November 2008	Deluxe	Columbia
21 January 2009		Sony
8 June 2009	Deluxe
::

References

References

1. Gill, Andy. (2 March 2012). "The Ting Tings: "We don't keep songs for a rainy day"".
2. "Reviews for We Started Nothing by The Ting Tings". [[Metacritic]].
3. Phares, Heather. "We Started Nothing – The Ting Tings". [[AllMusic]].
4. Koski, Genevieve. (16 June 2008). "The Ting Tings: ''We Started Nothing''". [[The A.V. Club]].
5. Vozick-Levinson, Simon. (30 May 2008). "We Started Nothing".
6. Petridis, Alexis. (16 May 2008). "The Ting Tings, We Started Nothing". [[The Guardian]].
7. (June 2008). "The Ting Tings: We Started Nothing".
8. Fullerton, Jamie. (15 May 2008). "The Ting Tings: We Started Nothing". [[NME]].
9. Moerder, Adam. (19 June 2008). "The Ting Tings: We Started Nothing".
10. (June 2008). "The Ting Tings: We Started Nothing".
11. Endelman, Michael. (12 June 2008). "We Started Nothing : The Ting Tings".
12. Elan, Priya. (17 May 2008). "The Ting Tings: We Started Nothing". [[The Times]].
13. ''[[The Guardian]]'': 1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear – Party Songs, Writing Party Songs, pg. 7
14. "The Ting Tings We Started Nothing - Red Vinyl UK Vinyl LP". rarevinyl.com.
15. "We Started Nothing: 15th Anniversary [Colored Vinyl] [Limited Edition]". recordstoreday.com.
16. "We Started Nothing (Bonus Version) – The Ting Tings". music.apple.com.
17. "We Started Nothing: Ting Tings". [[HMV Japan]].
18. (2008). "We Started Nothing". [[Columbia Records]].
19. (7 June 2008). "Hits of the World".
20. link. [[Oricon]]
21. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2008". [[Australian Recording Industry Association]].
22. (2008). "Year End Charts – European Top 100 Albums".
23. "Classement Albums – année 2008". [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique]].
24. "TOP YEAR END (JAPAN) Hot 100 - 2008". billboard-japan.com.
25. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company.
26. (2008). "Year End Charts – Independent Albums".
27. "Classement Albums – année 2009". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
28. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2009". Official Charts Company.
29. Jones, Alan. (3 November 2014). "Official Charts Analysis: Taylor Swift tops albums with 90,336 sales of 1989". [[Music Week]].
30. "Ting Tings – We Started Nothing". [[Tower Records.
31. "The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing". [[Columbia Records]] UK.
32. "We Started Nothing – Ting Tings, The". [[JB Hi-Fi]].
33. "The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing". [[Sony Music.
34. "We Started Nothing: Ting Tings". Amazon.
35. "We started nothing – The Ting Tings". [[Fnac]].
36. "Ting Tings: We Started Nothing: Deluxe Edition: Includes Dvd". HMV.
37. link. [[Sony Music Entertainment Japan]]
38. link. Sony Music Entertainment Japan
39. "We started nothing – Inclus DVD bonus : The Ting Tings". Fnac.

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