Barely Breathing

1996 single by Duncan Sheik

"Barely Breathing"

Single by Duncan Sheik
from the album  Duncan Sheik
B-side| "Home"
Released| May 3, 1996 (1996-05-03)
Genre|

* Pop rock[1]
* folk-pop[2]

Length|

* 4:15 (album version)
* 3:56 (radio edit)

Label| Atlantic
Songwriter(s)| Duncan Sheik
Producer(s)| Rupert Hine
Duncan Sheik singles chronology
|  | "Barely Breathing"
(1996)  | "She Runs Away"
(1997)

|
|

Music video
"Barely Breathing" by Duncan Sheik on YouTube

"Barely Breathing" is a song by American singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik from his eponymous debut studio album (1996). It was serviced to US modern rock and triple A radio on May 3, 1996, by Atlantic Records. Sheik is the sole writer of the song, while production was helmed by Rupert Hine. The song became a chart hit in North America in early 1997, receiving several accolades in the years following its release.

## Critical reception

[edit]

Larry Flick of Billboard magazine called the song's hook "breezy and memorable" and its lyrics "intelligent".[2]

## Chart performance

[edit]

"Barely Breathing" peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 10, 1997, and remained on the chart for 55 weeks.[3] At the time, it was the fourth-longest-running single on the Hot 100.[4] It also reached number one on the Billboard Triple-A chart and number two on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart.[5][6] In Canada, the song peaked at number 12 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number 20 on the RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.[7][8] "Barely Breathing" also found success in Iceland, peaking at number 40 on the Íslenski Listinn Topp 40.[9]

## Accolades

[edit]

"Barely Breathing" was ranked number 88 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s".[10][better source needed] and number eight on their 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s list.[citation needed] Additionally, "Barely Breathing" earned Sheik a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance[11] and a BMI Award for Most Played Song of the Year in 1997.[12][better source needed]

## Music video

[edit]

The music video was directed by Tom Oliphant in Brooklyn, New York, in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.[13]

## Track listings and formats

[edit]

* US CD single and cassette[14][15]

1. "Barely Breathing" – 4:15
2. "Home" – 4:48

* European CD single[16]

1. "Barely Breathing" (radio edit) – 3:57
2. "The End of Outside" (live) – 5:02
3. "Rubbed Out" (live) – 5:19

## Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits and personnel are adapted from the Duncan Sheik album liner notes.[17]

* Duncan Sheik – lead vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, E-Bow, piano, sampler
* Pino Palladino – bass
* Jean-Michel Biger – drums
* Rupert Hine – percussion, background vocals
* Fran Banish – slide guitar

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1996–1997)  | Peak
position

|

Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] | 12
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[8] | 20
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[9] | 40
US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 16
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[5] | 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[18] | 19
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[6] | 2
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[19] | 10

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1996)  | Position

|

US Triple-A (Billboard)[20] | 3
Chart (1997)  | Position

|

Canada Top Singles (RPM)[21] | 79
US Billboard Hot 100[22] | 18
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[23] | 1
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[24] | 27
US Triple-A (Billboard)[25] | 32
Chart (1998)  | Position

|

US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[26] | 94

## Release history

[edit]

Region  | Date  | Format(s)  | Label(s)  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

United States  | May 3, 1996  |

* Modern rock
* triple A radio

| Atlantic | [27]
October 29, 1996  | Contemporary hit radio | [28]
November 12, 1996  |

* CD
* cassette

| [citation needed]

## Cover versions

[edit]

"Barely Breathing" was one of the songs covered by the cast of Glee during the October 12, 2012, episode "The Break Up".[29]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Kelly McCartney. "Duncan Sheik – Duncan Sheik". AllMusic. Retrieved October 31, 2019. "the pop/rock hit 'Barely Breathing.'"
2. ^ a b Flick, Larry (November 9, 1996). "Reviews & Previews – Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 45\. p. 68. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
3. ^ a b "Duncan Sheik Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
4. ^ "Hip Online: Artists: Duncan Sheik". Archived from the original on October 31, 2006. Retrieved December 26, 2006.
5. ^ a b "Duncan Sheik Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
6. ^ a b "Duncan Sheik Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
7. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3176." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
8. ^ a b "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3197." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
9. ^ a b "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (20.3. '97 – 26.3. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). March 21, 1997. p. 16. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
10. ^ "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". www.ultimate-guitar.com.
11. ^ "New awakening spurs 2nd Grammy bid for Sheik". DeseretNews.com. February 1, 2008. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019.
12. ^ "Duncan Sheik: CV". Archived from the original on November 29, 2006. Retrieved December 26, 2006.
13. ^ Flinner, Amanda. "Thom Oliphant: Song Writing". Songfacts. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
14. ^ Barely Breathing (US CD single liner notes). Atlantic Records. 1996. 2-87027.
15. ^ Barely Breathing (US cassette single liner notes). Atlantic Records. 1996. 4-87027.
16. ^ Barely Breathing (European CD single liner notes). Atlantic Records. 1996. 7567-85464-2.
17. ^ Duncan Sheik (Inlay cover). Atlantic. 1996. 82879-2.
18. ^ "Duncan Sheik Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
19. ^ "Duncan Sheik Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
20. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Triple A Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53\. December 27, 1996. p. 24.
21. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved August 16, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
22. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
23. ^ "The Year in Music 1997: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52\. December 27, 1997. p. YE-83.
24. ^ "Best of '97: Top 40/Mainstream Singles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52\. December 26, 1997. p. 38.
25. ^ "Best of '97: Triple A Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52\. December 26, 1997. p. 28.
26. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52\. December 25, 1998. p. 55.
27. ^ Reece, Doug (April 5, 1997). "Atlantic's Tireless Efforts Break Sheik". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 14\. p. 9.
28. ^ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1169\. October 25, 1996. p. 41. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
29. ^ "Barely Breathing (Glee Cast Version)". Amazon.com. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Retrieved September 20, 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* "Barely Breathing" (official music video) by Duncan Sheik on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Duncan Sheik

Studio albums|

* Duncan Sheik
* Humming
* Phantom Moon
* Daylight
* White Limousine
* Whisper House
* Covers 80s
* Legerdemain

Compilations|

* Brighter/Later: A Duncan Sheik Anthology
* Brighter: A Duncan Sheik Collection

Singles|

* "Barely Breathing"
* "She Runs Away"
* "Reasons for Living"
* "Wishful Thinking"
* "Bite Your Tongue"
* "On a High"

Musicals|

* Spring Awakening
* Alice by Heart
* American Psycho
* The Secret Life of Bees

Additional Works|

* A Home at the End of the World (soundtrack)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

|

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