"Island in the Sun" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It is the second single from the band's second self-titled album Weezer, released in 2001. "Island in the Sun" was not originally planned to be on the album, but producer Ric Ocasek fought for its inclusion. It was a successful radio single and perhaps the band's biggest hit ever outside of the United States, reaching No. 31 in the UK and No. 17 in France. In January 2002, the Australian Triple J Hottest 100 ranked the song 7 in its 2001 countdown.[1] "Island in the Sun" is also the most-licensed track in the Weezer catalog.[2] In 2009, Pitchfork named it the 495th greatest song of the 2000s.[3]
| "Island in the Sun" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australian variant of one of standard retail artworks | ||||
| Single by Weezer | ||||
| from the album Weezer (Green Album) | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | July 16, 2001 | |||
| Studio | Cello (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Rivers Cuomo | |||
| Producer(s) | Ric Ocasek | |||
| Weezer singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Island In The Sun" on YouTube | ||||
| "Island In The Sun (Spike Jonze version)" on YouTube | ||||
In late 2001, the band reworked the song's solo for their live show. In 2005, lead singer Rivers Cuomo would often open the band's encore by playing "Island in the Sun" alone on an acoustic guitar in the back of the venue they were playing.
Composition
"Island in the Sun" is an alternative rock[4] and power pop song[5] that is about three minutes and twenty seconds.[6] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Hal Leonard Music, it is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 114 beats per minute.[6] "Island in the Sun" is composed in the key of G major, while Rivers Cuomo's vocal range spans just over an octave, from the low note of F♯3 to the high note of G4.[6] It follows the vi–ii–V–I progression, utilising the chords of E minor, A minor, D major and G major.
Reception
Melissa Bobbitt at About.com ranked "Island in the Sun" as the 12th best Weezer song, saying it "exemplified a relaxed Southern California spirit".[7] It was named as one of the 12 best post-Pinkerton Weezer songs by The A.V. Club, where they refer to it as "...a reminder that Cuomo really does deserve Brian Wilson comparisons for reasons beyond being a hermetic weirdo with a solid grasp of pop songcraft".[8] Emily Tartanella of Magnet considers it the most overrated Weezer song, stating it should be "retired" from commercials and radio stations. Tartanella describes it as "so laid back it's practically catatonic".[9]
Music videos
There are two different videos for "Island in the Sun".
Version 1: Mexican wedding
This video was directed by Marcos Siega. It shows Weezer playing the song at a Mexican couple's wedding reception and features all four then band members. The groom in the video is played by actor/singer Tony Garcia.
Version 2: Animals
This video was directed by Spike Jonze. It features Weezer playing with various wild animals on a supposedly remote hill (though it was actually filmed a short distance outside of Los Angeles, thought to be in the hills near Simi Valley). Only Brian Bell, Rivers Cuomo, and Pat Wilson appear in this video, as bassist Mikey Welsh had left the band shortly before shooting.
Track listings
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Island in the Sun" | 3:20 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Island in the Sun" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Oh, Lisa" | 2:45 |
| 3. | "Always" | 2:05 |
| 4. | "Island in the Sun" (CD-ROM video) |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Island in the Sun" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Sugar Booger" | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Brightening Day" | 2:11 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Island in the Sun" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Always" | 2:05 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Island in the Sun" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Teenage Victory Song" | 3:05 |
| 3. | "Starlight" | 3:19 |
An erroneous short mix of "Always" ended up on the singles, and the correct mix (2:48) was released as an MP3 on the band's website.
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[29] | 57 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[30] | 42 |
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[31] | 17 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2001) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[32] | 43 |
| Chart (2002) | Position |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP)[33] | 95 |
| US Triple-A (Billboard)[34] | 48 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[35] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[36] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | July 16, 2001 | Triple A radio | Geffen | [37] |
| July 17, 2001 | [37] | |||
| Australia | October 22, 2001 | CD | [38] | |
| United Kingdom |
| [39] | ||
| Japan | October 24, 2001 | CD | [40] |