Modern Rock No. 1s: The Lemonheads and "Into Your Arms"
"Into Your Arms" is a fine track, arguably one of the best from The Lemonheads, but it's hard to believe it topped the charts for nine weeks
The Lemonheads - “Into Your Arms”
Weeks atop the Billboard Modern Rock chart: 9 weeks (November 6, 1993, to January 1, 1994)
Previous Modern Rock #1 hit: Nirvana - “Heart-Shaped Box”
Next Modern Rock #1 hit: Pearl Jam - “Daughter”
Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers during this time:
Meat Loaf - “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (5 weeks, 11/6/93 to 12/4/93)
Janet Jackson - “Again” (2 weeks, 12/11/93 and 12/18/93)
Mariah Carey - “Hero” (2 weeks, 12/25/93 and 1/1/94)
Records are made to be broken. Music chart records are no different; indeed, every time a song spans a record number of weeks atop a major Billboard chart, it’s unlikely that record will stand in perpetuity, especially as the charts evolve and morph based on myriad social and technological trends.
As I write this on Nov. 24, 2024, Shaboozey is on the cusp of tying the record set by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus for most weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, a record the latter duo set in 2019 when “Old Town Road” topped the charts for 19 weeks, a record that seemed unbreakable at the time. I wouldn’t have guessed “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” would be the one to dethrone “Old Town Road”; my money would have been on The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” which seemed to be popular forever in the pandemic radio wasteland of 2020 and 2021 yet only managed to stay at #1 for four weeks.
The Modern Rock Tracks chart is no different. R.E.M. set the standard early with “Orange Crush,” topping the chart for eight weeks when it was just the fifth song to top the newly created chart in 1988. Three years later, R.E.M. matched its own chart record when “Losing My Religion” held down the #1 spot for eight weeks in the spring of 1991. Several months later, that record was broken for the first time by U2 with “Mysterious Ways,” a song with an infectious guitar hook and a band on the top of their game. “Mysterious Ways” topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart for nine weeks, a record that stood unmatched for more than two years.
Then came The Lemonheads, a band which made a name for themselves with hit singles like their cover of “Mrs. Robinson” and “It’s A Shame About Ray,” both top-10 MRT chart hits in 1992. And while I definitely like their only Modern Rock Tracks chart topper, “Into Your Arms,” I’m really, really shocked that it tied U2’s record of nine weeks at the top of the chart.
I did some modest research trying to understand this track’s longevity in the top slot, and I can’t figure it out. I assumed at first it was attached to a major motion picture soundtrack, but the only reference I can find connecting the song to a movie is 2005’s “Just Friends,” featuring Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart. The song plays through the opening credits, and it fits the aesthetic the movie was going for (the scene takes place in a flashback to 1995), but it was definitely not responsible for the song’s persistent airplay success in 1993.
The song also featured in the background of a party sequence held in a Season 1 episode of “Friends,” titled “The One With The Monkey.” At the end of that episode, the myriad storylines that carried the first 15 minutes all came to a head during a New Year’s Eve party at Monica and Rachel’s apartment. That was back when Ross had a pet monkey, in one of the sillier storylines from the show’s inaugural season.
“Into Your Arms” wasn’t vital to the plot, existing only as background music. But even if “Friends” drove the song’s success, this episode first aired more than a year after Lemonheads topped the charts, so that doesn’t explain it.
It’s also odd given the shape of the music landscape at the time. Prior to “Into Your Arms” topping the charts, the alternative rock zeitgeist seemed poised to shift into full-on grunge territory, with Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” and The Breeders’ “Cannonball” providing the most recent one-two punch at the summit of the Modern Rock charts in the fall of 1993.
All of these things beg the question: How did this guitar-pop, jangley-jangle confection of a sappy alternative love song top the chart for so long?
First, it’s important to note the timing. In general, Billboard charts do not see a lot of turnover during the holiday season, especially around Christmas and New Year’s Day. Most years, songs stay frozen for two or three weeks in the positions they held going into the holidays, as music programmers tend not to insert new hits into rotation and generally maintain the same playlists into January, when folks settle back into a regular cadence of life.
“Mysterious Ways” likely benefited in the same way, as its chart run crossed over from 1991 into 1992. It definitely benefited Sisters of Mercy, whose track “More” made it into 1991 at #1 covering a total of five weeks, which would have been inexplicable otherwise. Same with Peter Gabriel and “Steam,” netting five weeks in the top spot in late 1992 when two or three would have sufficed.
By now you’re probably thinking I have something against Lemonheads and this song, but that’s not the case! I think it’s a fine song and definitely stands out as one of my favorite tracks from my pre-1994 Musical Awakening™️ era. It’s pretty good actually, a song that doesn’t really have a lot to say yet says enough, and manages to keep it at a tight 2 minutes and 30 seconds, which means it doesn’t wear out its welcome with its repetition.
Lyrically, it’s about as sweet as it gets, a guy singing about how the warm embrace of his partner is all he really needs to be able to lift himself emotionally out of whatever sad situation life throws at him.
I know a place where I can go
When I'm alone
Into your arms ooh oh ooh
Into your arms
I can go
I know a place that's safe and warm
From the crowd
Into your arms ooh oh ooh
Into your arms
I can go
Who doesn’t like a warm hug when they’re feeling alone or need a break from the hassles of being in a crowded space? The Lemonheads distill that feeling into a sugary-sweet pop confection, one that is firmly placed into the “alternative” category but also had some pull in the realm of popular music as well. The track peaked at #67 on the Hot 100, which is not supremely high, but not terrible when considering the musical landscape at the time. (I’m honestly surprised it didn’t rate higher given the ubiquity of love songs atop the Hot 100 at the time.)
The song was composed by Robyn St. Clare, who along with future Lemonheads bassist Nic Dalton initially performed the song under the band name Love Positions. Dalton, along with lead vocalist and guitarist Evan Dando and drummer David Ryan, pushed “Into Your Arms” as the lead single from Come On Feel The Lemonheads, the band’s sixth studio album.
The song oscillates from mid-tempo jangles to loud, percussive bursts as the lyrics move forward. Each new verse begins with Dando’s remarks about where he would go to feel better, punctuated with an up-tempo sweep of the instruments as he lets everyone know that the place he’s referring to is your titular arms.
I don’t know that it’s a song that I can play over and over again purposefully, but I’m rarely disappointed when it pops up on a ‘90s playlist or alt-rock radio station. Occasionally, I’ll hear it in the grocery store and smile, and maybe even find myself wishing I could get out of there and get home for a nice warm hug. Probably not. But I appreciate The Lemonheads for trying.
And maybe it’s that saccharin sweetness that gave the song its longevity at the top of the charts. When Nirvana was wishing it could eat cancer in “Heart-Shaped Box” and Breeders were singing about cuckoo libertines in “Cannonball,” maybe “Into Your Arms” was a nice, refreshing palette cleanser intended to soothe the listening audience, and relieve the angstiest of Gen X angst-ridden music fans.
Whatever the reason, “Into Your Arms” topped the charts from the start of November 1993 into January 1994. It would also be the last time The Lemonheads charted in the top 10 of the Modern Rock Tracks chart. “The Great Big No,” another single off Come On Feel The Lemonheads, peaked at #15 on the MRT chart. Their 1996 single “If I Could Talk I’d Tell You” also peaked at #15, but that would be it for The Lemonheads. By all accounts, Dando faced some issues with drugs and the band went on hiatus in the late ‘90s, but would later reform with different lineups.
As for the record books, The Lemonheads and U2 held the nine-week record to themselves for awhile before another band tied them in 1995. A fourth band would tie the record in 1996, and then eventually the record would be shattered in 1997. It’s not a secret, so you can look if you want to, but it’s way more fun to be surprised, though at my current publishing cadence, I won’t be covering that song until sometime in early 2026.
Put another way, I hope you’ll keep subscribing so we can discover these songs again together! I appreciate your continued support.
Rating: 7/10
Chart Check
Other notable MRT chart songs from this time period
One nice thing about a song’s nine-week run at the top is the wealth of available songs to feature in this space. We get top-five hits from Cracker, James, Smashing Pumpkins, and Cranberries; top-10 hits from INXS, 10,000 Maniacs, and Dead Can Dance; an unexpected hit from the Best Kissers In The World; and, of course, the Breeders, whose Last Splash brings a new track to the chart while their big hit maintains a top-10 standing.
“Low” by Cracker (#3): David Lowery of Camper van Beethoven (remember those guys?) branched out from that group to form Cracker, which hit #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart a little bit ago with “Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now).” They couldn’t quite replicate that success with “Low,” the first single off follow-up album Kerosene Hat, but they did manage a solid #3 MRT chart peak behind The Lemonheads. “Low” was a minor crossover hit as well, topping out at a solid #64 on the Hot 100. They have a few more hits in the tank that we’ll discuss along the way, but they’ll never quite reach the heights they did with “Teen Angst” and “Low” again. Fun cameo from Sandra Bernhard in this video.
“Laid” by James (#3): I am told by folks who are smarter than I am about such things that alt-rock band James is pretty great all around. They’ve been featured here with their previous Modern Rock Tracks top-10 hits “Sit Down” and “Born of Frustration,” but for better or worse, James will always be known here in the U.S. for “Laid,” a song that peaked at #3 on the MRT chart in 1993 (and #61 on the Hot 100) but became forever entwined with the success of the “American Pie” movie series. Matt Nathanson did a cover of it for the “American Wedding” movie. It’s not as good.
“Today” by Smashing Pumpkins (#4): The second of FOURTEEN consecutive top-10 Modern Rock Tracks chart singles for Smashing Pumpkins, “Today” was the second single off the band’s breakout album Siamese Dream and gained significant traction on MTV with its unique music video featuring an ice cream truck, body paint, and lots of making out. While the Pumpkins did not find crossover success with this track (it bubbled under the Hot 100, peaking at #103), this single effectively lifted them into the spotlight, where they would remain for much of the next 10 years.
“Linger” by Cranberries (#4): One band that did not have difficulty finding an audience with both alternative and mainstream pop fans was future MRT #1 artist Cranberries, which peaked at #4 on the MRT chart behind The Lemonheads with “Linger,” which also notched a solid #8 peak on the Hot 100. We’ll be talking about Dolores O’Riordan and the band a couple of times in the coming weeks and months, starting with the release of their next album No Need to Argue. I’ll always think of “Linger” when I think of high-school trips wherein someone would fart, and one of my friends would start singing, “Did you have to let it linger?”
“The Gift” by INXS (#6): This is the last time INXS would crack the top 10 of the Modern Rock Tracks chart. “The Gift,” the first single off their Full Moon, Dirty Hearts album, is fine, but isn’t what I would consider one of their better songs. It peaked at #6 on the MRT chart behind “Into Your Arms,” but I think that’s a generous placement.
“Because The Night” by 10,000 Maniacs (#7): I talked about this track from former Modern Rock Tracks chart #1 artist 10,000 Maniacs when I broke down “These Are Days,” but it’s good to finally recognize it in its own space here in late 1993. In addition to peaking at #7 on the MRT chart, it topped out at #11 on the Hot 100 and effectively launched Natalie Merchant’s solo career. This Patti Smith cover is still one of my favorite ‘90s songs and one of the best uses of an accompanying string section and piano in modern rock.
“The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” by Dead Can Dance (#8): I have never heard this in my life, but I can absolutely bet there will be someone reading this who will comment and say something like, “Of all the songs you wrote about this week, I LOVE ‘The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove’ the most.” And because there’s always someone who loves a song like this, it gives me pleasure to post it here on the occasion of it peaking at #8 on the MRT chart behind “Into Your Arms.” It’s fine, but the chances of me listening to it again are very, very small.
“Miss Teen U.S.A.” by Best Kissers In The World (#22): This song … kinda rocks, actually! I often like to highlight bands with long or goofy names, which is how I came across Best Kissers In The World and their #22 MRT chart hit “Miss Teen U.S.A.” Drummer Tim Arnold would eventually join Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, which marks the most interesting transition between bands with weird names I’ve ever encountered.
“Divine Hammer” by The Breeders (#28): I’m not sure I’ve talked about The Breeders enough, so here’s another track from Last Splash for you to enjoy! “Divine Hammer” was the follow-up single to the MRT chart #2 hit “Cannonball,” and is a pretty solid track in its own right. It highlights the Deal sisters’ uniquely lovely voices, and is a softer sound than in-your-face tracks like “Cannonball” or “S.O.S.” It peaked very briefly at #28 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart before fading away.
I saw them at the Roxy in the early 90's it was phenomenal!
Possible hot take: Divine Hammer > Cannonball.
As for "Into Your Arms," I think your theory is dead on; people were ready for something nice, a bit of a sonic pallette cleanser if you will. You can only be angry for so long...