In their heyday, The Plain White T's noticed radio fulfillment with their tune "Hey There Delilah" from their album Every Second Counts. The acoustic tune, with its saccharine lyrics depicting a long-distance romance, sooner or later reached number one at the Billboard Hot One hundred in July 2007. The unmarried turned into the golden ticket that opened the door to repute for the band, whose get started began in 1997, taking part in basement gigs in Illinois.
It gave the impression of The Plain White T's had finally made it. "Hey There Delilah" went platinum and earned two Grammy nominations. But the rocket to the top would quickly run out of fuel for the pop-punk band. After their meteoric upward push in 2007, here are some attainable reasons Plain White T's never reached their anticipated stardom.
8 Rising Too High, Too Fast
When the sleeper hit "Hey There Delilah" in spite of everything caught flame, it was once a year after it was first of all launched off the band's 3rd studio album, All That We Needed.
The band's lead singer, Tom Higgenson, told Chron about his struggles with the sudden stardom. “It seemed like everything I always sought after came at the exact same time,” he mentioned. “I didn’t understand how to really experience any of it as a result of it was once so much taking place so fast."
7 The Story Behind "Hey There Delilah" Was Far From Romantic
While fans were singing along to Higgenson's ode to the girl who shined brighter than Times Square, many were disappointed to find out that the real Delilah did not return his heartfelt sentiments.
DiCrescenzo later told ESPN in 2013, ""I was nervous that I'd let Tom's fans down. They'd be disappointed to hear I have a boyfriend. Every girl would want a song written about her, and they'd think I was ungrateful and rude to deny Tom.""
6 "Delilah" Pigeonholed The Band
The acoustic phenomenon that was "Hey There Delilah" retreated from the band's pop-punk style, and made it hard to return to their roots. Unlike other punk-pop stars, such as Avril Lavigne, whose hit "Sk8er Boi" gave her the spotlight to do other types of music and earn millions, Plain White Ts wound up pigeonholed.
Higgenson told Billboard, "What we in point of fact suppose is that folks don’t wish to simply pay attention us with an acoustic guitar. They simply wish to hear us do something that connects with them, whether or not it’s to a piano or guitar or complete band — whatever."
Follow-up singles like "1,2,3,4" and "Rhythm of Love" echoed the same gentleness of "Delilah", displacing them even farther from their staple style.
5 Album Delays At Hollywood Records
The band had been signed to Hollywood Records when gearing up to release their seventh studio album, "American Nights." But they confronted delays on behalf of the label.
Higgenson spoke to The Chicago Tribune about the final days at Hollywood Records saying, "It felt like we have been in career limbo... It used to be time to move on. Last summer we went on excursion and there was once no momentum: 'Why are we out here?' There was no recreation plan. We knew we had to get out of there."
4 Tim Lopez Appearing On "Ready For Love"
The band's guitarist, Tim Lopez, was scheduled to be on a reality show "Ready for Love," in 2013, while the band was signed to Hollywood Records. The label sought to maximize the band's exposure with the venture and promote their album "American Nights."
Higgenson told The Morning Call, "You could not lend a hand but really feel the label had an time table that they have been type of simply going to piggyback off of the display — the achievement of the display that hadn't even aired but and wasn't even a factor yet."
And unlike Travis Barker's resurgence with Blink182 after reality TV kept him relevant with the Kardashians (even though Blink182 fans hope Kourtney stays far away from the group's tour) it didn't work out for the Plain White Ts.
The reality show was eventually canceled after two episodes.
3 Success Did Not Mean Money
Contrary to what people believed, the platinum status of "Hey There Delilah" did not mean monetary gain for the band. The reality was that the band was not as financially successful as it would seem.
The band's guitarist, Dave Tirio, informed The Orange County Register, "The fact is it's important to have a lot of success before you make a lot of money. We haven’t but. Most of us nonetheless are living at home after we cross house. I sleep in the same bed I did my entire lifestyles. My automobile is still useless in the driveway. We’re still dwelling very, very meager."
2 Nickelodeon And ABC Family Appearances
While signed to Hollywood Records, the band made an appearance on the teen sitcom iCarly and had a four-episode arc on the ABC Family series Greek.
Higgenson spoke to The Dallas Observer in 2011, shrugging off the idea of appearing on a teen show affecting the band's image. "I don't think there are any rules anymore." he said, "A band like Phoenix can get big from being in a automotive business, and having a track on a video game is what breaks extra bands this present day."
The appearance of both shows could have potentially shifted the band's targeted demographic, attaching them to a teen audience, while causing older fans to lose interest.
1 Plain White T's May Actually Be One-Hit-Wonders
While the band has gone on to have notable singles after "Hey There Delilah", none of them have had the impact of the acoustic hit. The song's prominence seems to have eclipsed their later releases. It was the song that put the band on the map and, as unexpected as it was, was a memorable success.
"But I never concept it can be successful, just because it’s a bit of acoustic thing." Higgenson told The Orange County Register, You never expect that song to be the one you go to as a release. Expect it to be a big, hooky rock song."
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