When the Lights Go Out

"When the Lights Go Out" is the second single released from British group Five's debut studio album, Five. It was released in early 1998. The song was co-written by the group alongside Eliot Kennedy, Tim Lever and Mike Percy (from the band Dead or Alive), and John McLaughlin. It was co-produced by Eliot Kennedy, Tim Lever and Mike Percy.

This article is about the song by Five. For the EP by Havana Brown, see When the Lights Go Out (EP).
Not to be confused with When the Lights Went Out.

"When the Lights Go Out"
The band members are in a white room and contrast it by wearing black and do poses. The band's logo are above their heads.
Single by Five
from the album Five
B-side
Released2 March 1998 (1998-03-02)[1]
StudioSteelworks (Sheffield, England)
GenrePop
Length4:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Eliot Kennedy
  • Tim Lever
  • Mike Percy
Five singles chronology
"Slam Dunk (Da Funk)"
(1997)		 "When the Lights Go Out"
(1998)		 "Got the Feelin'"
(1998)
Music videos
"When the Lights Go Out" on YouTube
"When the Lights Go Out" (US version) on YouTube

"When the Lights Go Out" is the band's only top ten hit in the United States. An alternate version of the song, in which J's rap is replaced by Abz's rap, was made exclusively for the US release; there are separate videos for each version. Five's biggest hit to date internationally, "When the Lights Go Out" is considered somewhat to be their debut single in most countries (except in the UK), peaking at number two in Australia, reaching the Top 30 in the US on 23 June 1998 and eventually spending seven nonconsecutive weeks at its peak of number 10, starting 21 July 1998. The song also spent six months on the US Billboard Hot 100, and sold 800,000 copies in the US alone.[2]

Critical reception

Billboard wrote, "Does pop radio need yet another clique of young, videogenic harmonizers? The answer was a resounding no ... until the onset of Five, a U.K. quintet of cuties who swagger with undeniably sharp vocal precision and an appealing degree of soul. 'When The Lights Go Out' chugs with faux-funk authority and a crackling pop chorus. You will be irreversibly hooked on this tasty guilty pleasure long before the track reaches its conclusion. Voted best new act of 1997 by the teenybopper readers of Smash Hits in the U.K., Five are the first real reason the Backstreet Boys have had to look over their shoulders in a serious sweat."[3] Can't Stop the Pop said that with the song, "Five demonstrated a sense of personality, identity and charisma far beyond that of just good marketing."[4]

Rolling Stone ranked it number 67 in their list of 75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time in 2020.[5]

Music videos

The UK version (directed by duo Liam & Grant) starts with a woman using a VR machine and sees the members as they dance together and in separate rooms with each getting a distinct color: Abs in teal, Scott in orange, Ritchie in purple, Sean in blue and J in red. Through the woman's perspective, the viewers sees the members with a given number and their horoscope sign respectively.

The US version (directed by Nigel Dick) takes place at night in a closed bowling alley, where Abs takes control of the place and allows the other members and himself to hang out with a couple girls they brought along with them. One of the girls is played by Bethany Joy Lenz of Guiding Light and One Tree Hill fame.[6]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Five album booklet.[17]

Studio

  • Recorded at Steelworks Studios (Sheffield, England)

Personnel

  • Eliot Kennedy – writing, production, mixing
  • Tim Lever – writing, production, mixing
  • Mike Percy – writing, production, mixing
  • John McLaughlin – writing
  • Five – writing

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[42] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[43] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[45] Gold 800,000[2]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 28 February 1998. p. 27. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  2. Jeffrey, Don (31 January 1999) (30 January 1999). "Best-selling Records of 1998". Billboard. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  3. Flick, Larry (2 May 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles - New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. p. 22. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  4. "Five – When The Lights Go Out". Can't Stop the Pop. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  5. "75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  6. Inc, Fanpop. "Bethany Joy Lenz Image: 'When The Lights Go Out' Videoclip". www.fanpop.com. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. When the Lights Go Out (UK CD1 liner notes). Five. RCA Records, BMG. 1998. 74321 562312.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. When the Lights Go Out (UK CD2 liner notes). Five. RCA Records, BMG. 1998. 74321 562322.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. When the Lights Go Out (UK cassette single sleeve). Five. RCA Records, BMG. 1998. 74321 562314.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. When the Lights Go Out (European CD single liner notes). Five. RCA Records, BMG. 1998. 74321 570272.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. When the Lights Go Out (US CD single liner notes). Five. Arista Records. 1998. 07822-13495-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. When the Lights Go Out (US cassette single sleeve). Five. Arista Records. 1998. 07822-13495-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. When the Lights Go Out (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Five. Arista Records. 1998. 07822-13496-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. When the Lights Go Out (US 12-inch single sleeve). Five. Arista Records. 1998. 07822-13496-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. When the Lights Go Out (Australian CD single liner notes). Five. RCA Records, BMG. 1998. 74321 569262.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. When the Lights Go Out (Japanese CD single liner notes). Five. RCA Records, BMG. 1998. BVCP-4905.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. Five (UK CD album booklet). Five. RCA Records, BMG. 1998. 74321589762.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. "Five – When the Lights Go Out". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  19. "Five – When the Lights Go Out" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  20. "Five – When the Lights Go Out" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  21. "Five Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  22. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7907." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  23. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7049." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  24. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 13. 28 March 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  25. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 271 Vikuna 7.5. – 14.5. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  26. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – When the Lights Go Out". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  27. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Five" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  28. "Five – When The Lights Go Out" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  29. "Five – When the Lights Go Out". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  30. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  31. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  32. "Five – When the Lights Go Out". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  33. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  34. "Five Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  35. "Five Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  36. "Five Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  37. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1998". ARIA. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  38. "Jaaroverzichten 1998" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  39. "Rapports Annuels 1998" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  40. "Årslista Singlar, 1998" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  41. "Billboard Top 100 – 1998 – Longbored Surfer – Charts". Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  42. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  43. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  44. "British single certifications – Five – When the Lights Go Out". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  45. "American single certifications – Five – When the Lights Go Out". Recording Industry Association of America.
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