How Far We've Come

"How Far We've Come" is a song by American alternative rock group Matchbox Twenty. It was released in September 2007 as the lead single from their retrospective collection, Exile on Mainstream, which was released on October 2, 2007. The music video premiered on VH1's Top 20 Countdown on September 1, 2007. The CD single comes with two live covers as B-sides; "Remedy" by The Black Crowes and "Modern Love" by David Bowie.[1] These two songs are also on the Best Buy version of Exile on Mainstream.

"How Far We've Come"
Single by Matchbox Twenty
from the album Exile on Mainstream
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2007
Recorded2007
GenreAlternative rock
Length3:29
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Kyle Cook, Brian Yale
Producer(s)Steve Lillywhite
Matchbox Twenty singles chronology
"All I Need"
(2004)		 "How Far We've Come"
(2007)		 "These Hard Times"
(2008)
Matchbox Twenty Australian singles chronology
"All I Need"
(2004)		 "How Far We've Come"
(2007)		 "All Your Reasons"
(2008)

The Phonographic Performance Company of Australia announced that "How Far We've Come" was the most played recording in Australia in 2008. The PPCA also announced that Matchbox Twenty was the third most played artist in 2008.[2]

Track listing
EP version
  1. "How Far We've Come" (radio edit) – 3:31
  2. "Remedy" (live) – 4:31
  3. "Modern Love" (live) – 3:51

Personnel

Chart performance

The single debuted at #93 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but after being released digitally, it jumped to #12, making it the second-biggest jump of 2007 behind Beyoncé and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar" (which jumped 91 spots).[3] It peaked at #11 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100. It also reached #3 on the U.S. Adult Top 40. On the Australian ARIA Singles Chart it debuted at #8, becoming their most successful single in Australia since the band's 1997 breakout hit "Push". It later rose to #7 there, becoming the band's highest charting single there. In Canada it reached the top five, and it peaked at #11 in New Zealand.

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[20] Platinum 70,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[21] Gold 7,500*
United States (RIAA)[22] 2xPlatinum 2,000,000[23]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Music video

The music video is a three-minute and twenty-six second montage of many historical events around the world during the late 20th Century, tying in with the lyrics on human affairs and its role in cultural development. The video debuted on VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown on September 1, 2007. It contains many important events that changed the world in a roughly chronological order. The events are:

The video ends with many of the clips flashing quickly across the screen in reverse order at the end of the song.

In Australia a different video was released, featuring the band performing in a neighbourhood filled with children. Around the middle of the song a girl with a piece of chalk walks out into the middle of the street and begins to draw a large circle. As she draws that circle a solar eclipse begins. The moment the girl finishes the circle the eclipse becomes complete, and everyone vanishes from the neighbourhood. The clip ends with pictures of the toys the children were playing falling to the ground.

  • In December 2007, the title track was used in promotions for the 2008 programs on The Discovery Channel, TNT, History Channel and the Sci Fi Channel, and also by NASCAR for their 60th Anniversary promotions, complete with videos of notable races.
  • The song was used prior to New York Mets games at Shea Stadium in 2008 to commemorate the final year for the venue, was replaced by Citi Field at the end of the season; the song is also played prior to announcing the starting lineup at San Diego Padres home games, with the scoreboard showing a montage of highlights of that franchises 40-year history. The song was used in a promo for season 2 of The Riches, a trailer for Role Models and at rallies for Barack Obama in Seattle, Washington and Madison, Wisconsin.
  • The song was made available for download on September 11, 2012 to play in Rock Band 3 Basic and PRO mode utilizing real guitar / bass guitar, and MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards.
  • In March 2015, Content Creator Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug uploaded his "History of Power Rangers RPM" video, a part of his retrospective on the history of Power Rangers. The song was used in a montage about how far the franchise had come by that point, and was later referenced in his video on Power Rangers Super Megaforce, and on how Megaforce felt like the franchise went backwards with its two seasons as well as with Power Rangers Samurai.[24][25]

References
  1. Cashmere, Paul, (August 21, 2007). "Matchbox Twenty Do Black Crowes and Bowie" Archived 2007-08-29 at the Wayback Machine. Undercover Media Pty Ltd. Retrieved on August 7, 2012.
  2. "News". Matchbox Twenty. 2011-07-09. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
  3. Katie Hasty, "Soulja Boy Remains No. 1 Amid Static Top Four", Billboard.com, September 13, 2007.
  4. "Australian-charts.com – Matchbox Twenty – How Far We've Come". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. "Offiziellecharts.de – Matchbox Twenty – How Far We've Come". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  7. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  8. "Charts.nz – Matchbox Twenty – How Far We've Come". Top 40 Singles.
  9. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  10. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  11. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  12. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  13. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  14. "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  15. "ARIA End of Year Singles Chart 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  16. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  17. "ARIA End of Year Singles Chart 2008". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  18. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  19. "Éves összesített listák - MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 (súlyozott)". Mahasz. Mahasz.
  20. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  21. "Latest Gold / Platinum Singles". Radioscope. 17 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  22. "American single certifications – Matchbox Twenty – How Far We've Come". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 14, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  23. Paul Grein (July 27, 2010). "Week Ending July 25, 2010: It's Every Rapper For Himself". Yahoo Music (Chart Watch). Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  24. http://atopthefourthwall.com/history-of-power-rangers-power-rangers-rpm/
  25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsArfFqFVU0
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