57 Channels (And Nothin' On) Explained

57 Channels (And Nothin' On)
Cover:57 Channels (And Nothin' On).jpg
Type:single
Artist:Bruce Springsteen
Album:Human Touch
B-Side:
  • "Part Man, Part Monkey" (US)
  • "Stand on It" (UK)
Released:June 1992
Genre:Rockabilly[1]
Length:2:28
Label:Columbia
Producer:
Prev Title:Better Days
Prev Year:1992
Next Title:Lucky Town
Next Year:1992

"57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" is a song written and performed by American musician Bruce Springsteen, appearing on his album Human Touch, released in 1992. The song was released as a single, charting in the top 100 in various countries. A video for the song was also released. The title may be a reference to cable television, which carries more channels than terrestrial television.

Music video

The accompanying music video illustrates the song's narrative, culminating in a recreation of Ant Farm's infamous 1975 "Media Burn" stunt, wherein a speeding car crashes through a pyramid of television sets. The same art collective was also responsible for Cadillac Ranch, immortalized in the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name (from The River). Springsteen also plays a bass, which he also played in the recording.

In a September 2014 post on Facebook discussing the video, Springsteen wrote, "Shot back in the quaint days of only 57 channels and no flat screen TVs, I have no idea what we were aiming for in this one outside of some vague sense of 'hipness' and an attempt at irony. Never my strong suit, it reads now to me as a break from our usual approach and kind of a playful misfire."[2]

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:[3]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)"!Chart (1992)!Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 107
Italy (Musica e dischi)[5] 18

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United StatesJune 1992Columbia
JapanJune 25, 1992Mini-CDSony[6]
United KingdomJuly 13, 1992Columbia[7]
July 20, 1992CD2[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Human Touch & Lucky Town. Springsteen. Bruce. March 31, 2022. classicrockreview.com. August 19, 2024.
  2. Web site: Shot back in the quaint days of only 57 channels.... Facebook. January 8, 2015. Springsteen. Bruce.
  3. Book: Margotin . Philippe . Guesdon . Jean-Michel . Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track . 2020 . . London . 978-1-78472-649-2 . 311.
  4. Web site: Bruce Springsteen chart history, received from ARIA on July 3, 2024. ARIA. Imgur.com. July 4, 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column indicates the release's peak on the national chart.
  5. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. June 1, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, with "57 channels (and nothin' on)" in the "Titolo" field, click "cerca".
  6. Web site: 57チャンネルズ ブルース・スプリングスティーン. 57 Channels Bruce Springsteen. Oricon. ja. September 12, 2023.
  7. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 19. July 11, 1992.
  8. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 19. July 18, 1992.