Little Miss Can't Be Wrong Explained

Little Miss Can't Be Wrong
Cover:	SDrsLittleMissCantBeWrong.jpg
Border:	yes
Type:	single
Artist:	Spin Doctors
Album:	Pocket Full of Kryptonite
B-Side:	"What Time Is It?" (live) "Freeway of Plains" (live)^[1]
Released:	October 1992
Genre:	Alternative rock^[2]
Length:	3:50
Label:	Epic
Producer:	Peter Denenberg Frankie LaRocka Spin Doctors
Next Title:	Two Princes
Next Year:	1993

"Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" is a song by American rock group Spin Doctors, released in October 1992 by Epic Records as the lead single from their debut album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite (1991). The song reached number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. It also reached number five in New Zealand and ended 1993 as the country's 41st-best-selling single. Live versions of "What Time Is It?" and "Freeway of the Plains" (mistakenly titled "Freeway of Plains" on the single) were included as its B-side.^[1]

Background and writing

Lead singer Chris Barron has stated that the song was inspired by his relationship with his stepmother, despite popular belief that it was written about an ex-girlfriend. He described his stepmother as a "malignant narcissist".^[3] Barron had a viral tweet in August 2019 about the song's creation, writing: "My stepmom told me I'd be a janitor [nothing wrong with that] and live in the basement of a school and play guitar for the rats. I wrote a song about her. It's called Little Miss Can't Be Wrong. It's been played on the radio three million times."^{[3] [4]}

Critical reception

An editor from AllMusic retrospectively described the song as "incessantly catchy".^[5] Alan Jones from Music Week rated it three out of five, writing, "This driving, economical song — vaguely reminiscent in execution to some of Steve Miller's material — should win support of rock radio. It may not be a Top 20 hit, but should nibble at the lower end of the chart, and tee up their album A Pocket Full of Kryptonite."^[6] Sylvia Patterson from Smash Hits gave the song four out of five, viewing it as "feisty stuff."^[7]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" premiered in August 1992.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1992–1993)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[8]	65
Europe (European Hit Radio)^[9]	22
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[10]	10
UK Airplay (Music Week)^[11]	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1993)	Position
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[12]	70
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[13]	41

Notes and References

1. Web site: Spin Doctors Single Releases. March 25, 2018.
2. Web site: So... the fucking Spin Doctors are playing a free show at City Hall Plaza this week. Marotta. Michael. Vanyaland. July 7, 2014. January 3, 2018.
3. Web site: Behind the Song: "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," by The Spin Doctors. Uitti. Jacob. American Songwriter. November 25, 2020.
4. Web site: 'Little Miss' Spin Doctors' Tweet Strikes A Chord. Dave. Benson. WKFR. August 10, 2019.
5. Web site: Spin Doctors - Pocket Full of Kryptonite. AllMusic. March 25, 2018.
6. Alan. Jones. Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles. Music Week. February 27, 1993. 6. January 29, 2023.
7. Sylvia. Patterson. New Singles. Smash Hits. June 23, 1993. 51. December 9, 2022. Sylvia Patterson.
8. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 10. 35. August 28, 1993. 23. January 22, 2020.
9. EHR Top 40. Music & Media. 10. 37. September 11, 1993. 22. April 10, 2024.
10. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (26. mars–1. apríl). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 29. March 25, 1993. October 7, 2019.
11. The Airplay Chart. Music Week. August 28, 1993. 32. May 1, 2024.
12. News: Árslistinn 1993. Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 17. January 4, 1994. June 1, 2020.
13. Web site: End of Year Charts 1993. Recorded Music NZ. June 1, 2020.