Song · Placebo
“Special K” by Placebo
From the album Black Market Music (2000)
“Special K” by Placebo appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations in 2001. It was first released in 2000 on the album Black Market Music. Its best result is #28 on the WBER Listener Countdown 2001. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #146 alternative song of 2001.
Watch
Video from YouTube (PLACEBO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Special K" comes off Black Market Music, Placebo's third album, and went out as a single in March 2001 under a title lifted from the slang name for ketamine. Brian Molko wrote the words, and the song sets the rush of a drug beside the rush of a new romance. He shares the writing credit with Stefan Olsdal and Steve Hewitt, the band produced and mixed it with Paul Corkett, and Severe Loren guests on vocals.
British radio wasn't amused. Enough stations refused to play it that a high chart placing was off the table, so the band ditched the planned two-part CD set, folded everything into one 7-track enhanced EP that couldn't chart at all, and used their fan club website to blast an industry that cheered on throwaway pop while taking offence at their song.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 28 | WBER Rochester, NY | WBER Listener Countdown 2001 | 191 |
| 2001 | 32 | Triple J Australia (national) | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2001 | 100 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Special K" by Placebo.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.