Torn

"Torn"
Single by Natalie Imbruglia
from the album Left of the Middle
B-side
  • "Sometimes"
  • "Frightened Child"
  • "Contradictions"
  • "Diving in the Deep End"
Released27 October 1997 (1997-10-27)[1]
Genre
Length4:04
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Phil Thornalley
Natalie Imbruglia singles chronology
"Torn"
(1997) 		"Big Mistake"
(1998)
Music video
"Torn" on YouTube

"Torn" is a song written by Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Phil Thornalley for their band Ednaswap. It became famous when it was covered by Australian singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia for her debut album Left of the Middle. Imbruglia got a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance fot the track, losing to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On".

Music video

The music video, directed by Alison Maclean shows Imbruglia singing along with the song are interspersed with footage of her and Jeremy Sheffield engaging in a romantically conversation. These couple of scenes turn out to be B-roll footage. During the last chorus, the apartment walls start wobbling and the crew comes to dismantle it. Imbruglia begins to dance during the finishing guitar solo as her "world" crumbles around her.

The video of the song was rated the second best video of all time by MTV Italy.

Chart performance (Sale)

The physical single of Imbruglia's version of the song has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, including more than 1 million copies in the UK alone.[3] In the UK, it is the 85th biggest selling single of all time. The track peaked at #2 for three weeks, being held off the top spot by Aqua's "Barbie Girl" and then dropped to #4. As a result, the song is the second biggest-selling single in history not to have topped the UK Singles Chart. On 24 September 2007, Natalie Imbruglia's version of the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart at #70, on the strength of digital sales after her greatest hits album was released. In the Flanders region of Belgium, the single peaked at a number one for 7 weeks and charted for 22 weeks.

As of 2011, "Torn" holds the record for most played song on Australian radio since 1990, played more than 300,500 times since its 1998 release.

In the United States, the song peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart for 11 consecutive weeks.

In 2003, "Torn" was declared the No. 1 Best Pop Song on a top 10 list, part of a larger collection of songs by Q magazine in their special edition 1001 Best Songs Ever.[4] Billboard ranked "Torn" the No. 26 Best Pop Song based only on pop radio charts compiled between 1992–2012.[5]

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak

Position

Australia (ARIA)[6] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 5
Canada (RPM)[source?] 1
Denmark (IFPI)[9] 1
European Hot 100[source?] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] 8
France (SNEP)[11] 4
Germany (Media Control AG)[12] 4
Ireland (IRMA)[source?] 4
Italy (FIMI)[source?] 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[15] 6
Spain (AFYVE)[source?] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 2
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [18] 2
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[19] 4
US Billboard Adult Top 40[19] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 42
US Billboard Mainstream Top 40[19] 1
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[19] 12

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/Shipments
Australia (ARIA)[20] Platinum 70,000
Belgium (BEA)[21] Platinum 50,000
France (SNEP)[source?] Gold 262,000
Germany (BVMI)[22] Germany 250,000
Sweden (GLF)[source?] Platinum 30,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [23] Gold 25,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Platinum 1,110,000

References

  1. ↑ "New Releases: Single" (PDF). Music Week. 25 October 1997. p. 31. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. ↑ Prato, Greg (10 March 1998). "Left of the Middle - Natalie Imbruglia : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Best Selling Singles of All Time". UK Top 40 Hit Database. EveryHit.com. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Q Special Edition: 1001 Best Ever Songs". RockList. Julian White. 12 December 2015. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  5. ↑ Trust, Gary (3 October 2012). "The Top 100 Pop Songs 1992-2012, From No. 100 To No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "Natalie Imbruglia – Torn (Song)." Australian-Charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Natalie Imbruglia – Torn." AustrianCharts.at: Das Österreichische Hitparaden – und Musik-Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Natalie Imbruglia – Torn." Ultratop: Vlaanderen – De Enige Echte Officiële Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Hits of the World". Billboard. 7 February 1998. p. 59. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Suomen virallinen lista – Artistit: Natalie Imbruglia – Torn". Musiikkituottajat. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Natalie Imbruglia – Torn (Chanson)." LesCharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Imbruglia, Natalie: Single-Chartverfolgung". MusicLine.de. PHONONET GmbH. Retrieved 9 April 2016.[permanent dead link]
  13. ↑ "Artiesten: Natalie Imbruglia". Media Markt Top 40. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 9 April 2016.[permanent dead link]
  14. ↑ "Natalie Imbruglia – Torn (Song)." Charts.org.NZ. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "Natalie Imbruglia – Torn (Song)." NorwegianCharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "Natalie Imbruglia – Torn (Song)." SwedishCharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "Natalie Imbruglia – Torn." Hitparade.ch: Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  18. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 02 November 1997 – 8 November 2007". Official Charts. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 "Natalie Imbruglia: Left of the Middle – Awards." AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  20. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Singles". ARIA Charts. Australian Recording Industry Association Ltd. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "Ultratop 50 Compilations Wallonie 1998." In "Awards 1998." Ultratop: Belgique Francophone – Le Seul Classement Officiel. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  22. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank". Bundesverband Musikindustrie. BVMI/aberratio GmbH. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  23. ↑ "Awards: Natalie Imbruglia." Hitparade.ch: Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  24. ↑ "Certified Awards. Archived 2017-10-06 at the Wayback Machine" British Phonographic Industry. 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.