Dear Maria, Count Me In Explained

Dear Maria, Count Me In
Cover:File:Dear_Maria,_Count_Me_In_(album_cover).jpg
Type:single
Artist:All Time Low
Album:So Wrong, It's Right
Recorded:2007
Studio:SOMD Studios, Beltsville, Maryland
Genre:
Length:3:02
Label:Hopeless
Prev Title:Six Feet Under the Stars
Prev Year:2007
Next Title:Poppin' Champagne
Next Year:2008

"Dear Maria, Count Me In" is a song by the American rock band All Time Low. The song is from their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right. It was released May 6, 2008, through Hopeless Records as the album's second single.[4] The song became the band's first to chart on a Billboard chart, reaching No. 86 on the Pop 100, and had a music video that aired frequently on MTV. The commercial success of the song contributed to All Time Low's greater success with their follow-up album Nothing Personal in 2009. In 2011, the song was certified Gold by the RIAA for reaching 500,000 sales, and later Platinum in 2015 for reaching 1,000,000 units consumed.

Music video

A music video for "Dear Maria, Count Me In" was released on February 14, 2008. The video was directed by Travis Kopach and features the band at a strip club watching a stripper, portrayed by Gilli Messer,[5] with the members' alter egos, portrayed by the band themselves, on the other side of the club. Over the course of the video, the actions of the alter egos become more nonsensical, like riding a motorcycle on stage and letting a chimpanzee dance on the pole. The video reaches a climax when the band members and the alter egos begin to fight, resulting in the alter egos being arrested.[6]

Legacy

Since its release, it has been considered a pop-punk classic.[7]

The song was featured in the first episode of the TV show Stoked, chosen by show-creators Tom McGillis and Jennifer Pertsch.

In January 2021, the song went viral on TikTok, also appearing on Spotify’s “Viral Hits” playlist. The song first gained major traction on the app when a user posted a video of himself listening to the song in the car and declaring: "Mom, it was never a phase, it’s a lifestyle!" This started the viral "it’s not a phase" trend, which saw users quote the line while listening to "Dear Maria, Count Me In" to emphasize their continued appreciation for the pop punk and emo pop of the 2000s.[8] The song gained further notice when users began to argue that it sounded similar to the songs often used in the title sequences of popular anime.[9]

This song also appeared in Guitar Hero 5 DLC and Rock Band 4 DLC.

Track listings

Digital download[10]

  1. "Dear Maria, Count Me In" - 3:02

UK digital single[11]

  1. "Dear Maria, Count Me In" - 3:02
  2. "Dear Maria, Count Me In" - 3:28

Live single[12]

  1. "Dear Maria, Count Me In" - 6:46
  2. "Dear Maria, Count Me In" - 5:29

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2008)Peak
position
US Billboard Pop 100[13] 86
Chart (2021)Peak
position
UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart[14] 3

Certifications

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
United StatesMay 6, 2008Modern rock radioHopeless Records
United KingdomMay 12, 2008Digital download
North AmericaApril 23, 2010Digital download

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 10 Best Pop-Punk Songs of All Time. Phoenix New Times. Chesler, Josh. August 31, 2015. June 12, 2016.
  2. 20 Essential Pop Punk Tracks Everyone Should Know . . June 2, 2011 . December 9, 2016 .
  3. Web site: 27 SONGS THAT WILL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT BACK TO BEING A '00S EMO. 29 June 2020 . Punkee.
  4. Web site: R&R :: Going For Adds :: Alternative. Week Of: May 6, 2008. Radio & Records. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150205010057/http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=05%2F06%2F2008&Format=6. February 5, 2015.
  5. Web site: THE ACTRESS IN ALL TIME LOW'S "DEAR MARIA, COUNT ME IN" STILL HAS THIS PROP. Alternative Press. 11 August 2020 . 18 February 2021.
  6. Web site: All Time Low - Dear Maria, Count Me In (Official Music Video). https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/GcNiKCmWdYE. 2021-12-12 . live. YouTube. 27 January 2021.
  7. 20 Essential Pop Punk Tracks Everyone Should Know . . June 2, 2011 . December 9, 2016 .
  8. Web site: ALL TIME LOW JUST JOINED IN ON THAT VIRAL "DEAR MARIA" TIKTOK TREND—WATCH. Alternative Press. 28 January 2021.
  9. Web site: Peters . Megan . All Time Low Approves of TikTok's My Hero Academia Crossover . . August 6, 2021 . April 22, 2021.
  10. Web site: So Wrong, It's Right by All Time Low. iTunes Store (CA). Apple Inc. 4 February 2015.
  11. Web site: Dear Maria, Count Me In (Single): All Time Low: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads. Amazon.co.uk. 4 February 2015.
  12. Web site: Dear Maria, Count Me In (Live) - Single by All Time Low. iTunes Store (CA). Apple Inc. 4 February 2015.
  13. Web site: All Time Low Awards. AllMusic. https://web.archive.org/web/20120904113521/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-time-low-mn0000736318/awards. May 3, 2021. September 4, 2012.
  14. Web site: UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. 4 February 2015.