American Life (2003)

FORMATS: Digital Download, 7" Vinyl, Double 12" Vinyl, CD Single, CD Maxi-Single


HISTORY AND NOTES: 
"American Life" was the first official single released from 2003's American Life album (her previous soundtrack single, "Die Another Day", was also included on the album as well but is not usually considered its first single).

The song was her first-ever to be released as an official for-sale download, available through her own web site. In addition, CD singles (both standard and maxi) and 12" Vinyl singles were released which featured remixes by Missy Elliott, Paul Oakenfold, Felix Da Housecat and Peter Rauhofer. A couple of previously unreleased mixes of "Die Another Day" were also included. "American Life" was Madonna's final 2-track CD single released in the USA (this 2-track also featured different artwork than the maxi single). A 7" vinyl was also released which would be Madonna's last until 2008 when "4 Minutes" and "Give It 2 Me" were released as a special collector's edition set.

"American Life" was a big disappointment for Madonna on the charts. Never had a debut single from one of her albums had such a cold response from radio. The song also received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, and the controversial war-themed video was pulled by Madonna at the last minute because of the war in Iraq. “American Life” peaked at #37 on the Hot 100 and spent only 8 weeks on the chart. It did, however, hit #2 on the Singles Sales chart and #1 on the Dance Singles Sales chart. The remixes also helped the song hit the #1 spot on Club Play, possibly the one category that would never turn its back on her. "American Life" was not included in Madonna's 2009 career-spanning hits package, Celebration.


TRACKLISTINGS:

7" Vinyl
A American Life (Radio Edit)
B Die Another Day (Richard Humpty Vission Radio Edit)

CD Single
1. American Life (Radio Edit)
2. Die Another Day (Calderone & Quayle Afterlife Mix)

CD Maxi-Single
1. American Life (Missy Elliott American Dream Remix)
2. American Life (Oakenfold Downtempo Remix)
3. American Life (Felix Da Housecat's Devin Dazzle Club Mix)
4. American Life (Peter Rauhofer's American Anthem Part 1)
5. American Life (Peter Rauhofer's American Anthem Part 2)
6. Die Another Day (Richard Humpty Vission Electrofried Mix)

Promo CD
1. American Life (Missy Elliott American Dream Clean Edit)
2. American Life (Missy Elliott American Dream Remix)
3. American Life (Missy Elliott American Dream Instrumental Remix)

Double 12" Vinyl
A1 American Life (Missy Elliott American Dream Remix)
A2 American Life (Oakenfold Downtempo Remix)
B1 American Life (Peter Rauhofer's American Anthem Part 1)
C1 American Life (Felix Da Housecat's Devin Dazzle Club Mix)
C2 Die Another Day (Calderone & Quayle Afterlife Mix)
D1 American Life (Peter Rauhofer's American Anthem Part 2)


CHARTS:

THE BILLBOARD HOT 100
Debut Date: April 5, 2003
Peak Date: April 26, 2003
Peak Position: #37
Week-by-week Rundown: 90-74-67-37-52-71-71-86-// (8 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: May 24, 2003

The Hot 100 Top 10: April 26, 2003 (the week that “American Life” peaked at #37)
1. 50 Cent “In Da Club”
2. R. Kelly “Ignition”
3. Sean Paul “Get Busy”
4. 3 Doors Down “When I’m Gone”
5. 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg “21 Questions”
6. Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson “Beautiful”
7. Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow or Allison Moorer “Picture”
8. Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey featuring The Flipmode Squad “I Know What You Want”
9. Aaliyah “Miss You”
10. Fabolous featuring Mike Shorey & Lil’ Mo “Can’t Let You Go”

HOT 100 SINGLES SALES
Debut Date: April 5, 2003
Peak Date: April 26, 2003
Peak Position: #2
Week-by-week Rundown: 4-6-30-2-3-4-3-4-6-7-9-10-17-20-19-21-24-32-39-45-54-50-64-62-57-66-63-// (27 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: October 4, 2003

Note: The week the single shot to #2 was the week the commercial 2-track cd single was released. Previously, only the digital download was available.

HOT 100 AIRPLAY
Debut Date: April 19, 2003
Peak Date: April 26, 2003
Peak Position: #61
Week-by-week Rundown: 70-61-67-// (3 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: May 3, 2003

HOT DANCE MUSIC / CLUB PLAY
Debut Date: April 26, 2003
Peak Date: May 31, 2005
Peak Position: #1 (1 week)
Week-by-week Rundown: 37-22-11-5-3-1-2-8-13-20-34-46-// (12 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: July 12, 2003

Note: Charted as “American Life” (Remixes).

HOT DANCE MUSIC / CLUB PLAY BREAKOUTS
Debut Date: April 19, 2003
Peak Date: April 19, 2003
Peak Position: #3
Week-by-week Rundown: 3-// (1 week total)
Final Week on Chart: April 19, 2003

Note: The Hot Dance Music Breakouts is a sort of "bubbling under" chart for the main Club Play chart.

HOT DANCE MUSIC / MAXI-SINGLES SALES & HOT DANCE SINGLES SALES
Debut Date: May 10, 2003
Peak Date: May 17, 2003
Peak Position: #1 (1 week)
Week-by-week Rundown: 23-1-2-2-3-4-5-4-6-6-7-9-11-12-12-14-12-15-17-16-17-18-22-NC-NC-24-// (24 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: November 1, 2003

Notes: Charted as “American Life” (Remixes).

After “American Life” ‘s fourth week on the Maxi-Singles Sales chart, the name of the chart was changed to Hot Dance Singles Sales. Basically what this meant was that a single no longer had to be a maxi-single to chart, it only had to have at least one dance version/remix on the single.

NC=Did not chart that week

TOP 40 MAINSTREAM
Debut Date: April 12, 2003
Peak Date: April 26, 2003
Peak Position: #27
Week-by-week Rundown: 37-31-27-27-36-// (5 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: May 10, 2003

TOP 40 TRACKS
Debut Date: April 19, 2003
Peak Date: April 26, 2003
Peak Position: #32
Week-by-week Rundown: 38-32-34-// (3 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: May 3, 2003

HOT LATIN TRACKS
Debut Date: June 7, 2003
Peak Date: June 7, 2003
Peak Position: #43
Week-by-week Rundown: 43-46-// (2 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: June 7, 2003

LATIN POP AIRPLAY
Debut Date: May 24, 2003
Peak Date: May 31, 2003
Peak Position: #28
Week-by-week Rundown: 32-28-28-35-// (4 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: June 14, 2003

LATIN TROPICAL SALSA AIRPLAY
Debut Date: May 17, 2003
Peak Date: May 31, 2003
Peak Position: #13
Week-by-week Rundown: 22-19-13-38-// (4 weeks total)
Final Week on Chart: June 7, 2003