Summary
"Wildside" is a song by American hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. It was released in October 1991 as the second single from their 1991 album Music for the People. It heavily samples Lou Reed's 1972 "Walk on the Wild Side".[1] All vocals on the track are performed by the group's leader Mark Wahlberg.
| "Wildside" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 U. S. commercial cassette single | ||||
| Single by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch | ||||
| from the album Music for the People | ||||
| B-side | "On the House Tip" | |||
| Released | October 23, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 5:07 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Content edit
Boston pioneer rapper M.C. Spice (Amir Quadeer Shakir) co-wrote & co-produced the song, which describes the effects of America's greed, violence, and drug addiction on innocent, unsuspecting people. It referenced two notorious crimes that happened in Boston; the murder-suicide of Charles Stuart and his wife and the murder of 12-year-old Tiffany Moore shot as she sat on a stoop during a drive by shooting by a youth gang. The early portion of the video features a few seconds of the burning of an American flag.
Originally recorded and performed by M.C. Spice, "Wildside" aired on Boston's W.I.L.D. Radio for nearly two years before Spice agreed to allow Wahlberg to record the song for the actor's debut album. However, Spice removed content which referenced his best friend, Wesley "DJ Wes" McDougald and Wesley's violent death. M.C. Spice still records under the name Quadeer Shakur and M.C. Spice, and is founder of the BlackBerry Soul Radio online music station.
Chart performance edit
"Wildside" followed the success of the group's previous single, "Good Vibrations", and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's second and final top-40 single.
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
| Chart (1991–1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[2] | 28 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] | 26 |
| Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[4] | 23 |
| Canada (RPM)[5] | 30 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] | 19 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[7] | 33 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 26 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[8] | 10 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[9] | 22 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[10] | 42 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot Rap Singles | 8[citation needed] |
Year-end charts edit
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] | 69 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[13] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ Washburn, Jim (1992-03-12). "RAPPIN' WITH MARKY : 'The Fame Can Be a Headache at Times, You Know'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
"Wildside" is a chopped and channeled replay of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wildside," with a recitation recounting drug deaths, gang violence, and the racism-tinged Carol Stuart murder case.
- ^ "Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch – Wildside". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch – Wildside" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ Belgian peak
- ^ Canada peak
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- ^ "Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch – Wildside" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- ^ "Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch – Wildside". VG-lista.
- ^ "Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch – Wildside". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn’s Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 536.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1992". Retrieved 2010-07-30.
- ^ "American single certifications – Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch – Wildside". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 23, 2023.