"The Reason" is a song by American rock band Hoobastank. Released on January 26, 2004, as the second single from their second studio album of the same name, the power ballad is Hoobastank's most commercially successful single, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. In 2005, it was nominated for two categories at the 47th Grammy Awards: Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Internationally, "The Reason" reached number one in Canada and Italy and peaked within the top 10 in 10 other countries.

Background and release

Following Hoobastank's tour in support of their self-titled debut album, the band began writing songs again for a follow-up album. Upon playing the opening riff of "The Reason", guitarist Dan Estrin began to flesh out the song and sent a completed instrumental demo to lead singer Douglas Robb. Using pieces of old lyrics and stream-of-thought ideas written in his journal, Robb quickly constructed the song's lyrics. "The Reason" was first released as part of the band's second studio album The Reason on December 9, 2003. Robb noted how "Out of Control" was chosen as the album's first single due to its more heavy sound, despite their record label's insistence that "The Reason" be released. However, the band eventually decided to release the song as a single, and it was serviced to radio stations starting January 26, 2004.

Chart performance

On March 20, 2004, the song debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 62, becoming that week's "Hot Shot Debut". It reached its peak of number two after 13 more weeks on the listing, giving the band their highest-charting US single. Though it remained on the chart for 38 issues, it was their last Hot 100 hit. The single peaked atop the Billboard Adult Top 40, Modern Rock Tracks, and Mainstream Top 40 charts. In Canada, it topped Radio & Records' CHR/Pop, Hot AC, and Rock charts. In Europe, "The Reason" reached number one on the Italian Singles Chart and the UK Rock & Metal Chart for two weeks each. On the UK Singles Chart, it debuted and peaked at number 12. Across the rest of Europe, the track entered the top 10 in Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wallonia. It was also successful in Oceania, reaching number seven in Australia and number five in New Zealand.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Brett Simon. In it, the band members stage a diversion so they can carry out the elaborate theft of "The Chiara Ruby #2" gem from a pawnshop, but those facts are only clear after enough of the action unfolds: nothing is as it seems. At the beginning of the video, a woman (played by Serbian model Nevena Milicevic) gets hit by a car driven by vocalist Doug Robb. After the "accident", while everyone's attention is diverted, Chris Hesse and Dan Estrin execute the heist. The viewer then realizes that she was in on the operation, as she gets up and rides off with an accomplice on a motorcycle at the end. The presumed owner of the pawnshop displays a look of realization, and the song ends with the band admiring their new acquisition, holding it up to the light and projecting red light-rays onto the ceiling. The accident's "victim" is also present. They then hear police sirens from above, and the video fades out. Their music video "Same Direction" is intended as both a sequel and a prequel to the video for "The Reason" and further details the band members' roles, as well as showing the trouble they bring down on themselves from law enforcement. On August 21, 2023, the music video reached one billion views on YouTube.

Legacy

2021 TikTok trend

In February 2021, the song became the subject of a viral trend on the app TikTok, where users, under the hashtag "#NotAPerfectPerson", would post videos featuring the song alongside text describing their embarrassing moments and personal flaws. Ellise Shafer of Variety suggested that the song's sudden resurgence was due to a combination of nostalgia and the song's lyrical relatability. As a result of the trend, Hoobastank created a TikTok account, with lead singer Doug Robb partaking in the challenge by making fun of the band's nonsensical name.

Usage in media

"The Reason" has been included in various television episodes. On May 6, 2004, the song appeared in "The Last One", the series finale of the sitcom Friends. The song later appeared on the first episode of the 2023 Netflix show Beef, with lead actor Steven Yeun saying that the band was a "perfect analogy" for the show's theme of "excavating the cringe of our childhood". "The Reason" was also covered in the second season of the British sitcom We Are Lady Parts, with creator Nida Manzoor opting to cover the song instead of writing an original one. The song has also appeared in video games, such as the 2007 singing game SingStar Pop and as a 2019 DLC song for Rock Band 4.

Track listings

UK CD1 UK CD2 UK 7-inch single European CD single Australian CD single

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the US promo CD liner notes and The Reason booklet. Studios Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history