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Cover of Third Eye Blind by Third Eye Blind
Cover: Third Eye Blind

Song · Third Eye Blind

“How's It Going To Be” by Third Eye Blind

From the album Third Eye Blind (1997)

“How's It Going To Be” by Third Eye Blind appears on 45 radio countdowns from 24 stations between 1997 and 2026. It was first released in 1997 on the album Third Eye Blind. Its best result is #17 on the WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #32 alternative song of 1998, #998 alternative song of all time and #82 of the '90s.

45countdowns
24stations
#17best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1997–2026years charted

Watch

Third Eye Blind - How's It Going To Be (Official Music Video) [HD]

Video from YouTube (Third Eye Blind Videos). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"How's It Going to Be" is the aching ballad on Third Eye Blind's 1997 debut album, sent to radio as its third single that October. Stephan Jenkins wrote it with guitarist Kevin Cadogan, and it goes back to the band's first demos, cut alongside the earliest version of "Semi-Charmed Life". The whole idea sprang from Cadogan picking up an autoharp, whose sound left the band feeling nostalgic, and that shimmering instrument, with Ari Gorman's cello and Michael Urbano's drums, gives the song its wistful glow.

Jenkins has said it's about a relationship ending and two people learning to be mere acquaintances. He produced it with Eric Valentine and Ren Klyce, with extra production and arranging from Cadogan and Arion Salazar; Valentine recorded it around San Francisco, including at Skywalker Ranch, and Tom Lord-Alge mixed it in Miami Beach. Critics singled out the autoharp for praise.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1997 41 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1997 107
1997 66 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1997 91
1997 58 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997 105
1997 63 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 101
1997 17 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997 100
1997 60 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1997 107
1997 77 X103.9 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA X103.9 Top 103.9 Songs of 1997 104
1997 74 KNRK Portland, OR KNRK Top 94 Songs of 1997 94
1997 86 105.7 The Point St. Louis, MO 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997 106
1998 52 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1998 107
1998 25 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1998 106
1998 34 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1998 101
1998 36 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1998 100
1998 54 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1998 107
1998 27 The Buzz Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY / Montreal, QC The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 1998 100
1998 26 DC101 Washington, D.C. DC101 Top 101 Songs of 1998 101
1998 22 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1998 103
1998 19 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 103 Songs of 1998 102

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1999 260 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 126 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 256 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 414 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 261 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
2001 224 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2005 578 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2007 1398 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 1462 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 1481 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1512 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 1577 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1648 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1715 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2016 199 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2019 45 X96 X96's Top 100 Songs of the 90's 100
2019 425 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2020 81 DC101 Top DC101 of the 90's 101
2020 162 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2020 44 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2021 510 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 44 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2022 58 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2022 326 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2023 202 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 62 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2026 359 101X 101X 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: How's It Gonna Be; How's It Gonna Be?; How's It Going to Be; How's it Gonna Be; How's It Going To Be?.

Charting alongside it in 1998

Best songs of 1998 →
  1. 1IntergalacticBeastie Boys
  2. 2Flagpole SittaHarvey Danger
  3. 3Celebrity SkinHole
  4. 4Inside OutEve 6
  5. 5Closing TimeSemisonic
  6. 6Father of MineEverclear

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