Hoobastank has a significant “reason” to celebrate. On Monday (August 21), the video for Hoobastank’s signature hit, “The Reason,” crossed the one billion views mark on YouTube, solidifying them as members of YouTube’s Billion Views Club. This is the band’s first billion-viewed video and arrives nearly 20 years after the song’s original release in 2004.
Videos by American Songwriter
“When we wrote this song, and later shot the video, never in our wildest dreams could we have predicted the reach, longevity and connection it would have with you, our fans and listeners around the world,” the band writes on Instagram alongside a video of bandmates Doug Robb, Dan Estrin, Chris Hesse and Jesse Charland sitting side-by-side on a couch, with lead singer Robb calling the milestone “amazing,” “ridiculous,” “mind-blowing.” “We hope it continues to reach people, old and new, for years to come. A billion views is incredible. On to the next billion. Thank you all. Every single one of you.”
[RELATED: Behind the Band Name: Hoobastank]
“The Reason” is the title track of Hoobastank’s 2003 sophomore album. It was written by Robb and Estrin, and released as the album’s second single. It’s the band’s most well-known song, having peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Alternative Airplay, Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 charts. It was also nominated for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 2005 Grammys, while the album was up for Best Rock Album. “The Reason” saw a resurgence in recent years due to the #NotAPerfectPerson trend on TikTok that’s inspired by a line from the song.
“Never in a billion years did any of us think at the time when we were writing the song or shooting the video that that it was gonna be seen so much,” Robb laughs in the Instagram video. “Thank you, here’s to two billion.”
Photo by C Brandon/Redferns via Getty Images
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