Aerials (song)
2002 single by System of a Down
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"Aerials" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released in 2002 as the third single from their second album Toxicity (2001), which earned the band its second Grammy Award nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards in 2003.
| "Aerials" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by System of a Down | ||||
| from the album Toxicity | ||||
| B-side | "Snowblind" | |||
| Released | June 11, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Studio | Cello (Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | Alternative metal[1] | |||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | ||||
| Composer | Daron Malakian | |||
| Lyricists |
| |||
| Producers |
| |||
| System of a Down singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Aerials" on YouTube | ||||
The song hit number one on both the Billboard's Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock charts. It was System of a Down's first number-one hit.[2] The song was played at the funeral of Keith Flint, frontman of the Prodigy.[3]
"Aerials" is widely considered one of the band's best songs. Loudwire and Kerrang both ranked the song number three on their lists of the greatest System of a Down songs.[4][5] In 2013, the staff of Loudwire included the song's main riff in their list of "the 10 Best Metal Riffs of the 2000s".[6]
Music video
The music video was directed by Shavo Odadjian and David Slade. The video features an alien-like, disfigured boy who is accompanied by people in various settings in which he is adored and pampered like a celebrity. The video was shot in Hollywood, Los Angeles.[citation needed]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aerials" | Daron Malakian | 3:57 | |
| 2. | "Toxicity" (Live) | Serj Tankian |
| 3:38 |
| 3. | "Sugar" (Live) | Serj Tankian |
| 4:10 |
| 4. | "P.L.U.C.K." (Live) | Serj Tankian | Daron Malakian | 4:09 |
| 5. | "Aerials" (Live Video/DVD Version) |
| Daron Malakian |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aerials" |
| Daron Malakian | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Toxicity" (Live Version) | Serj Tankian |
| 3:38 |
| 3. | "P.L.U.C.K." (Live) | Serj Tankian | Daron Malakian | 4:09 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aerials" |
| Daron Malakian | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Toxicity" (Live) | Serj Tankian |
| 3:38 |
| 3. | "P.L.U.C.K." (Live) | Serj Tankian | Daron Malakian | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Aerials" (Video) |
| Daron Malakian |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aerials" |
| Daron Malakian | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Streamline" (Alternate Version [from The Scorpion King soundtrack]) | Serj Tankian |
| 3:38 |
| 3. | "Sugar" (Live) | Serj Tankian |
| 4:10 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aerials" |
| Daron Malakian | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Snowblind" (Album Version) |
| 4:40 |
Personnel
System of a Down
- Serj Tankian – vocals, keyboards, co-production
- Daron Malakian – guitars, vocals, production
- Shavo Odadjian – bass
- John Dolmayan – drums
Additional Personnel
- Rick Rubin – piano, production
- Greg Collins – engineering
- Darren Mora – assistant engineering
- Al Sanderson – assistant engineering
- Ryan McCormick – assistant engineering
- Jim Champagne – assistant engineering
- Andy Wallace – mixing engineering
- Rich Balmer – mixing engineering
- David Schiffman – recording engineering
Charts
| Chart (2002–03) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[8] | 36 |
| Canada (Billboard)[9] | 61 |
| Germany (GfK)[10] | 80 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 35 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[12] | 35 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[13] | 34 |
| UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[14] | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 55 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[16] | 1 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[17] | 1 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[18] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[19] | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| Spain (Promusicae)[20] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[22] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
