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100 Years (song)

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"100 Years"
Single by Five for Fighting
from the album The Battle for Everything
B-side
  • "Sister Sunshine"
  • "Maybe I" (acoustic)
ReleasedNovember 17, 2003 (2003-11-17)
GenreSoft rock[1]
Length4:05
Label
Songwriter(s)John Ondrasik
Producer(s)Gregg Wattenberg
Five for Fighting singles chronology
"Something About You"
(2003) 		"100 Years"
(2003) 		"The Devil in the Wishing Well"
(2004)
Music video
"100 Years" on YouTube

"100 Years" is a song by American singer Five for Fighting. It was released on November 17, 2003, as the first single from his third studio album, The Battle for Everything (2004). A piano-driven soft rock ballad, the song explores life in different ages during a 100-year lifespan.

The single reached number one on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Critical reception was generally positive. In 2007, the song earned a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for more than 1,000,000 copies sold. It also charted in Australia and New Zealand, peaking at number 32 in both countries.

Background and composition

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Written and composed by John Ondrasik, "100 Years" is in the key of G major, with a 4
4 time signature and vocal range of D4 to B5.[2] The lyrics tell the perspective of a man recollecting his life through ages from 15 to 99, including romance, fatherhood, and midlife crisis.[3]

In a 2004 interview with VH1, Ondrasik summarized the message he wanted to convey in "100 Years": "You can't enjoy every moment. Obviously, life is not good all the time, but it's all we have."[4]

In 2021, Ondrasik reflected on the songwriting of "100 Years" to American Songwriter:

...“100 Years” was a little post-it note saying, “Dude, just chill and appreciate the moment, recognize the moment.” Once I had the lyric, “There’s never a wish better than this,” and I had the piano theme, I had this concept of let’s let this song be a lifetime. Let’s have each verse be the stages of our lives, let’s move through the song.[5]

Critical reception

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People magazine praised "100 Years" as a "poignant piano-based tune" with a "well-crafted message", in a review rating The Battle for Everything 3.5 out of four stars.[6] For Billboard, Chuck Taylor commented: "The innate vulnerability of Ondrasik's voice ideally suits the message, making this among the most intelligent, poignant songs of the year."[7] Elysa Gardner of USA Today noticed "self-conscious sensitivity and bleating tenor" by Five for Fighting in "100 Years" and some other tracks on The Battle for Everything.[8]

Todd Goldstein of PopMatters had a more mixed review, calling the song "catchy" but criticizing the lyrical themes as "obvious, painfully overdone".[9]

Chart performance

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"100 Years" peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles charts at number 28, for the week ending May 24, 2004.[10] In December 2004, on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2004 chart, "100 Years" was ranked at number 77 overall for the year.[11]

"100 Years" peaked at number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for the week ending May 7, 2004.[12] It went on to be the longest-running number-one single of 2004 on the Adult Contemporary chart, staying at number one for 12 non-consecutive weeks.[13] The song spent a total of 52 weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart.[12]

Music video

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The music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy.[14] VH1 began playing the "100 Years" video around January 12, 2004.[15] For the week ending January 25, 2004, "100 Years" ranked ninth among VH1's 40 most played music videos.[16]

In the video, images of Ondrasik singing and playing the song at the piano are intercut with fictional versions of himself as a 15-year-old boy, a 22-year-old, a 33-year-old, a man in his middle 40s, and finally a 99-year-old version of himself, reflecting the song's lyrics. At the end of the song, Ondrasik meets his older self. Los Angeles singer-songwriter Matthew Jordan appeared in the video as 15-year-old Ondrasik.[17]

Track listing

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Australian CD single[18]

  1. "100 Years"
  2. "Sister Sunshine"
  3. "Maybe I" (acoustic version)
  4. "100 Years" (acoustic version)

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[26] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States November 17, 2003
[27]
January 12, 2004 Adult contemporary radio [28]
February 2, 2004 Contemporary hit radio [29]
Australia May 10, 2004 CD [30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Varias, Chris (April 6, 2018). "Cincinnati Pops gets Five for Fighting". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved October 24, 2020. But things have changed industry-wide not only since the last decade when Ondrasik was cranking out soft-rock hits like 'Superman (It's Not Easy),' '100 Years' and 'The Riddle' under his stage name Five for Fighting.
  2. ^ "100 Years". MusicNotes. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  3. ^ "100 Years Lyrics". MetroLyrics. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  4. ^ Stas, Heather; Bottomley, C (March 11, 2004). "Five for Fighting: Put 'Em Up". VH1. Archived from the original on April 15, 2004. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  5. ^ Uitti, Jacob (October 18, 2021). "Behind the Song: "100 Years" by Five for Fighting". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  6. ^ Arnold, Chuck; Novak, Ralph (February 16, 2004). "Picks and Pans: Music". People. Vol. 61, no. 6. Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  7. ^ Taylor, Chuck (December 6, 2003). "Five For Fighting, 100 Years". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 49. p. 36. Archived from the original on December 6, 2003. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  8. ^ "Twista resonates, Connick impersonates". USA Today. February 2, 2004. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  9. ^ "Five for Fighting: The Battle for Everything". PopMatters. June 24, 2004. Archived from the original on August 16, 2004. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Five for Fighting Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Billboard Top 100 – 2004". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c "Five for Fighting Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  13. ^ Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart info Billboard.com. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  14. ^ "100 Years, Five For Fighting". TreyFanjoy.com. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  15. ^ "Billboard Video Monitor" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 5. January 31, 2004. p. 57. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via World Radio History.
  16. ^ "Billboard Video Monitor" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 6. February 7, 2004. p. 56. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via World Radio History.
  17. ^ "Congratulations". Burbank Leader. June 2, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  18. ^ 100 Years (Australian CD single liner notes). Five for Fighting. Columbia Records, Aware Records. 2004. 674575 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ "Five for Fighting – 100 Years". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  20. ^ "Five for Fighting – 100 Years". Top 40 Singles.
  21. ^ "Five for Fighting Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  22. ^ "Five for Fighting Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  23. ^ "Five for Fighting Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  24. ^ a b "Year in Music & Touring". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 52. December 25, 2004. p. YE-74. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  25. ^ "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Triple-A Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 54.
  26. ^ "American single certifications – Five for Fighting – 100 Years". Recording Industry Association of America.
  27. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1530. November 14, 2003. p. 27. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  28. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1537. January 9, 2004. p. 24. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  29. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1540. January 30, 2004. p. 23. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  30. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 10th May 2004" (PDF). ARIA. May 10, 2004. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 6, 2004. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
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