Centerfold (song)

"Centerfold" is a song by the J. Geils Band, released in September 1981 as the lead single from their tenth album Freeze Frame. The most successful single of the group's career, it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1982 and held that spot for six consecutive weeks.

"Centerfold"
Single by The J. Geils Band
from the album Freeze Frame
B-side"Rage in the Cage"
ReleasedSeptember 13, 1981
Genre
Length3:36
5:01 (12")
LabelEMI America
Songwriter(s)Seth Justman
Producer(s)Seth Justman
The J. Geils Band singles chronology
"Just Can't Wait"
(1980)		 "Centerfold"
(1981)		 "Freeze-Frame"
(1982)

Overview

The song is about a man who is shocked to discover that his high school crush appeared in a centerfold spread for an unspecified men's magazine.[4] The song's narrator is torn between conflicting feelings: his disappointment due to her loss of innocence, and his lust until the end of the song.[4]

The song was the band's biggest hit and the only one to reach the top of the US charts. It was released in autumn 1981, and eventually went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1982, and stayed there for six weeks. It was the first single released from the album Freeze Frame and the music video for the song was an early staple on recently launched MTV. It also peaked at number one in Australia and Canada.

In February 1982, after the song hit No. 1 in the US, "Centerfold" peaked at No. 3 in the UK Top 40, earning the J. Geils Band their only major hit single in the UK, although follow-up "Freeze-Frame" would also peak within the top 40 at No. 27. The song is one of the on-disc songs on the 2010 music video game Rock Band 3.

Record World called it a "clever rocker" and said that "the na-na chorus and Peter Wolf's carefree vocals add up to an AOR-pop hit."[5]

In 2018, the song was ranked at No. 66 on Billboard's All Time Top Songs.[6] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it to be the band's all-time greatest song.[7]

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[20] Gold 50,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[21] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 250,000^
United States (RIAA)[23] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. Heller, Jason (14 November 2012). "Penetration in the centerfold: 20 songs about pornography". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  2. Smith, Troy L. (13 May 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  3. Breihan, Tom (May 27, 2020). "The Number Ones: The J. Geils Band's "Centerfold". Stereogum. Retrieved July 21, 2023. The band doesn't take the situation too seriously, either. Instead, they build a supercharged synth-rock motor for it.
  4. Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia. Algora. p. 330. ISBN 978-0-87586-207-1.
  5. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 7, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  6. "Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary". Billboard. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  7. Gallucci, Michael (February 20, 2016). "Top 10 J. Geils Band Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  8. "Australia No. 1 hits -- 1980's". World Charts. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  9. "RPM Top 50 Singles - January 30, 1982" (PDF).
  10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Centerfold". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  11. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  12. "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. January 3, 1983. Retrieved January 22, 2023 – via Imgur.
  13. Hung, Steffen. "Forum – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  14. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  15. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1982". Top40.nl. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40.
  16. "Top Selling Singles of 1982 – The Official New Zealand Music Chart".
  17. Rees, Dafydd; Lazell, Barry; Jones, Alan (1983). "The Top 100 UK Singles". Chart File Volume 2. London, England: Virgin Books. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-907080-73-1.
  18. "Top 100 Hits of 1982/Top 100 Songs of 1978". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  19. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  20. "Platinum and Gold Singles 1982". Kent Music Report. February 28, 1983. Retrieved November 10, 2021 – via Imgur.
  21. "Canadian single certifications – J. Geils Band – Centre Fold". Music Canada. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  22. "British single certifications – J Geils Band – Centrefold". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  23. "American single certifications – J. Geils Band – Centerfold". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
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