Song: "99 Red Balloons"
Artist: 7 Seconds
Album: "Scream Real Loud...Live!"
Year: 2000
Place Of Origin: Reno, Nevada
Years Active: 1980 - 2018
WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:
Nothing like having Wikipedia break down the meaning of a song for you!! Here's the basis of "99 Red Balloons". "99 balloons are set free and are mistaken for UFOs, causing a general to send pilots to investigate. Finding nothing but balloons, the pilots put on a large show of fire power. The display of force worries the nations along the borders and the war ministers on each side bang the drums of conflict to grab power for themselves. In the end, a cataclysmic war results from the otherwise harmless flight of balloons and causes devastation on all sides without a victor." This, of course, is a cover of the 1983 hit from the band Nena. 7 Seconds has a studio cover version of this song on their 1985 album "Walk Together, Rock Together".
7 SECONDS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1984 - The Crew (BYO Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1985 - Walk Together, Rock Together (Positive Force/BYO Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1986 - New Wind (Positive Force/BYO Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1987 - Live! One Plus One (Positive Force/Giant Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1988 - Ourselves (Restless Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1989 - Soulforce Revolution (Restless Records)
* #153 on the Billboard 200
1991 - Old School (Headhunter/Cargo Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1993 - Out The Shizzy (Headhunter/Cargo Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1995 - alt.music.hardcore (Headhunter/Cargo Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1995 - The Music, The Message (Sony/BMI Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
1999 - Good To Go (SideOneDummy Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2000 - Scream Real Loud...Live! (SideOneDummy Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2005 - Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over! (SideOneDummy Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2014 - Leave A Light On (Rise Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON 7 SECONDS:
7 Seconds is a legendary hardcore punk band from Reno, Nevada that formed back in 1980. Some say that they were actually the first band to call their sound "hardcore". Early on, the band released many EP's which were later released on compilation albums. Their first album was going to be "United We Stand" which was set to be released in 1983. However, the album was aborted. It did see the light of day in 1991, renamed as "Old School". So, the band's first proper full length studio release would be 1984's "The Crew". Next for the boys was the highly influential "Walk Together, Rock Together". With the release of their 1986 album, "New Wind", 7 Seconds musical style began to shift to a more melodic, new wave-ish feel. Some of their albums during these years seemed to have more in common with U2 rather than any hardcore punk band. Their 1989 album, "Soulforce Revolution" was the band's only album to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at 153. Just after the grunge explosion of the early 90's, a punk rock revival began to happen with bands like Bad Religion, Green Day, Rancid and The Offspring burning up the charts. 7 Seconds would capitalize on that wave themselves, inking a deal with major label Sony/BMI and releasing "The Music, The Message" which saw a return to a punk rock sound. By the time their album "Good To Go" was released in 1999, 7 Seconds officially got back to their hardcore punk roots. The band's most recent release was 2014's "Leave A Light On". The band broke up in 2018 citing physical and mental health of the band members as the reason. They just physically and mentally could not perform on tours anymore and health had to become the main focus of some of the bandmates. 7 Seconds is legendary among punk rock circles. They paved the way for the hardcore punk movement of the early 80's and beyond. I got into 7 Seconds much later in their career. In the mid to late 90's, I loved skate punk bands like No Use For A Name, Lagwagon and Pennywise. I heard a few 7 Seconds songs but the first album I got from them was their 2005 record "Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over!". I loved this album. In fact, it reminded me of a band that I loved in the early 2000's, Deviates! I know the boys in Deviates were highly influenced by Pennywise, but their sound is eerily similar to that of 7 Seconds. I really think bands like 7 Seconds and Bad Religion were kinda like the catalyst for skate punk. Those two bands were hardcore, but they had a melodic sound to them which is really what skate punk became, like melodic hardcore. It sucks that 7 Seconds decided to call it a day. Lead vocalist Kevin Seconds still tours as a solo artist and releases a shitload of music through his Bandcamp page. His brother Steve Youth has been battling alcholism and depression which is probably the biggest reason Kevin decided to end 7 Seconds so his brother can get the help he needs to recover. 7 Seconds is a top tier hardcore band, despite their U2-ish years!! Forefathers of hardcore punk!!
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
Circle Jerks
Adolescents
H2O
Descendents
Minor Threat
TEN 7 SECONDS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. Young 'Til I Die
2. Walk Together, Rock Together
3. Rules To Follow
4. Satyagraha
5. Leave A Light On
6. Still On It
7. New Wind
8. 99 Red Balloons (Nena cover)
9. Escape And Run
10. Best Friend
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