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Plush (song)

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"Plush"
UK and European sleeve cover
Single by Stone Temple Pilots
from the album Core
B-side"Sin"
ReleasedAugust 23, 1993 (1993-08-23)
RecordedMay 1992[1]
Genre
Length
  • 5:13 (album version)
  • 4:19 (radio edit)
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Brendan O'Brien
Stone Temple Pilots singles chronology
"Sex Type Thing"
(1993) 		"Plush"
(1993) 		"Creep"
(1993)
Audio sample
Music video
"Plush" on YouTube

"Plush" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It is the ninth track and second single from the band's debut studio album, Core (1992), released on Atlantic Records. The song is one of the most iconic from the grunge and alternative rock movements of the early 1990s, and remains one of the band's most recognizable and biggest hits.

The single of "Plush" was released on August 23, 1993 and "changed everything" for the band, according to Robert DeLeo, who wrote the song with Scott Weiland and Eric Kretz. It became the first alternative song to top the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and that listing's number-one song of 1993. The song charted in Canada, Europe and Oceania too, and currently has over 350 million streams on Spotify.[2] A music video, directed by Josh Taft, was released in 1993 to heavy rotation on MTV, later earning the band a MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist award in 1993.

On release, "Plush" saw mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, many finding the song derivative of other grunge and alternative bands, particularly Pearl Jam. While winning in the category of "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 1994 Grammy Awards, it took until the 21st century for most reviews to come around to the song. "Plush" is now ranked as one of the band's best songs, and as one of the most influential from the 1990s.

Composition and lyrics

[edit]

"Plush", heralded as a grunge,[3] alternative rock[4] and hard rock gem,[5] is a slow and steady song that combines a country riff and ragtime chords from Robert DeLeo's guitar exercises.[6] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group, the song is written in the key of G major, and is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 116 beats per minute.[7]

Written in a hot tub at the Oakwood Apartments, "Plush" is loosely based on a newspaper article lead singer Scott Weiland had read. In the early 90s, a girl had been found dead after being kidnapped in the band’s hometown of San Diego.[8] Weiland added, during an episode of VH1 Storytellers, that:

"A girl was kidnapped and then later found tragically murdered back in the early part of the Nineties. So it gave me fuel to write the words to this song. However, this song is not about that, really; it's sort of a metaphor for a lost, obsessive relationship."[2]

A third meaning of the song, Weiland and drummer Eric Kretz thinking about the future of themselves and their significant others, was mentioned by Dean DeLeo during a 2017 interview with MusicRadar for the 25th anniversary of Core. The name "Plush", considered for an album title by the band, was chosen by Weiland, who was trying to get textures in with words and his thoughts, according to Kretz, also interviewed for the album's 25th anniversary.[6]

Release

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Guitarist Robert DeLeo suggested "Plush" as the album's second single

Stone Temple Pilots knew that "Plush" was probably going to get attention, as did Atlantic Records, who suggested the song be the album's lead single. While the band respected the label for giving them full creative control on everything, they acknowledged their main goal was to turn a profit. As a result, the band instead released the song as Core's second single, not wanting to be a one-hit wonder. For the same reason, the song was buried at track nine on the album, with Robert DeLeo adding:

"We did that intentionally. We didn’t want to be that band that had a huge hit and then it was like, 'What next?' We wanted to have a career. We didn’t want to be the kind of band that came out with a big song and then went away."

"Plush", after being shortened from the five minutes and 13 second album version to four minutes and 19 seconds, was released as a single on August 23, 1993. Backed with Core album track "Sin", the single was an instant success, becoming a major rock radio hit in the United States, peaking at No. 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart, and No. 9 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. On the former listing, it was the most successful song of 1993. While not cracking the Billboard Hot 100, the song charted in Oceania, Canada and Europe, with a highest position of No. 5 on the Icelandic charts.

Critical reception

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"Plush" received mixed-to-negative reviews on release, with critics noting a lack of originality. Rolling Stone's Daina Darzin called the song "embarrassingly Pearl Jam-like."[9] The Atlantic reader GillianAndersonCooper commented that "Weiland was doing an Eddie Vedder impression." Another commenter agreed with him, adding, "being a Seattle native, I was not a fan when STP first broke. I considered them to be just another Seattle Sound wannabe band."[10] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine had mixed thoughts on most tracks from Core, but defended "Plush" as a "majestic album rock revival more melodic and stylish than anything grunge produced outside of Nirvana itself."[11]

In recent years, "Plush", and the band in-general, is seen more positively. The song was ranked #19 on Paste's list of "The 50 Best Grunge Songs", and declared "one of the movement’s most significant contributions."[3] Top 40 Weekly placed the song #42 on their "50 Best Hard Rock Songs of All Time" list, applauding Scott Weiland’s "intense, emotive vocals" and Dean DeLeo's "gritty guitar work."[5] AllMusic's Chris True described the song as big, lumbering and "wrapped up in metal stylings." He agreed with comparisons to Eddie Vedder, but insisted Stone Temple Pilots weren't the only band copying him.[12]

Legacy

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In 1994, "Plush" won in the category of "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 1994 Grammy Awards. The music video earned the band a MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist award in 1993. The song was also voted number 12 on the Australian annual music poll Triple J Hottest 100 in 1993. According to Nielsen Music's year-end report for 2019, "Plush" was the fourth most-played song of the decade on mainstream rock radio, with 133,000 spins.[13] The song is the band's second most played on Spotify, with over 350 million streams, only losing to "Interstate Love Song".[14]

Robert DeLeo recalled that "Sex Type Thing" was the beginning of the band's success, with its heavy rotation on MTV and across radio, but in regards to "Plush" states, "when that song came out, it changed everything." Reportedly, arenas the band played at went from a third full to full. "People were there to see the band, people wanted to hear 'Plush.' They wanted to see that guy with red hair singing that song." he added. Eric Kretz similarly joked he "never heard of that one."[15]

Music video

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The award-winning music video, directed by Josh Taft, was released in 1993 and had heavy rotation on MTV. It combines a visual interpretation of the song's lyrics with footage of Weiland singing with the band as a lounge act in an empty bar. There are two different versions of this video, with minor differences. On the Thank You bonus DVD, the last shot of the video features a woman looking at a mirror image of herself viewing her whole body while the mirror image drifts away. In another version, she is looking at a mirror image of her face, with water (possibly rain) dripping down the reflection of the mirror.[citation needed]

Acoustic version

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"Plush (Acoustic)"
Single by Stone Temple Pilots
from the album Thank You
ReleasedOctober 14, 2003[16]
Recorded1992
StudioMTV Headbangers Ball
GenreAcoustic rock
Length3:50
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Stone Temple Pilots singles chronology
"Revolution"
(2001) 		"Plush (Acoustic)"
(2003) 		"All in the Suit That You Wear"
(2003)
Music video
"Plush (Acoustic)" on YouTube

Weiland and guitarist Dean DeLeo performed an impromptu acoustic version of "Plush" on the MTV show Headbangers Ball in 1992. The recording was originally only available on a CD single from the United Kingdom for their single, "Creep", the European CD single for "Sex Type Thing," and on the German promotional radio release "Plush (unplushed)", but it was not officially released anywhere else until it appeared on the band's 2003 "greatest hits" compilation, Thank You, alongside the original studio recording. While this acoustic rendition did not chart on any U.S. or international charts, it did get moderate airplay when the original version had heavy airplay on radio at the time. A rare first take of the same acoustic version on MTV's Headbangers Ball was also available, but it was only found as a B-side to the rare "Crackerman" single. It has the same length and processing as the original electric version, and also uses the last part of the original electric version.

Track listings

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[43] 2× Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 1993 Radio Atlantic
United Kingdom August 23, 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [45]
Japan October 25, 1993 Mini-CD [46]

References

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  1. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Core (1992)". The Year Grunge Broke. September 25, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Shteamer, Hank; Spanos, Brittany; Hudak, Joseph; Bienstock, Richard (December 4, 2015). "Scott Weiland: 20 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Michael Danaher (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste.
  4. ^ "Single Stories: Stone Temple Pilots, "Plush"". Rhino. September 20, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "50 Best Hard Rock Songs of All Time". Top 40 Weekly. November 25, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Grow, Kory (September 28, 2017). "Stone Temple Pilots Break Down 'Core' Track by Track". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  7. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots "Plush" Sheet Music in G Major". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  8. ^ Kabak, Zehra (February 18, 2025). "Stone Temple Pilots' 'Plush': The Real Meaning And Inspiration Behind The Song". Metalhead Zone. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  9. ^ Darzin, Daina (September 16, 1993). "Butthole Surfers, Stone Temple Pilots, Flaming Lips Invade New York". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  10. ^ Bodenner, Chris (December 6, 2015). "Track of the Day: 'Plush'". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  11. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Core – Stone Temple Pilots". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  12. ^ True, Chris. "Plush Review". AllMusic. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Trapp, Philip (January 14, 2020). "Nirvana Were the Most-Played Band of the Decade on Rock Radio". Loudwire. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots". Spotify. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  15. ^ Baltin, Steve (October 9, 2017). "Stone Temple Pilots' Dean DeLeo Talks Scott Weiland, Chester Bennington and 25th Anniversary of 'Plush'". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  16. ^ Plush (Acoustic) (track listing). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. October 14, 2003. PRCD 301438.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Plush (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1993. A7349, 7567-87349-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ Plush (UK cassette single sleeve). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1993. A7349C.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ Plush (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1993. A7349T, 7567-85750-0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ Plush (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1993. A7349CD, 7567-85751-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ Plush (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1993. AMDY-5117.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Plush". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  23. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Plush" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  24. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2235." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  25. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 38. September 18, 1993. p. 12. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  26. ^ "Major Market Airplay – 1993" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 47. October 2, 1993. p. 29. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  27. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (30.09–06.10)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). September 30, 1993. p. 20. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  28. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Plush". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  29. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 38, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  30. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Plush" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  31. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Plush". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  32. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Plush". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  33. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  34. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  35. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  36. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  37. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  38. ^ "U.S. Cash Box Charts" (PDF). popmusichistory. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  39. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  40. ^ "Árslistinn 1993". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 4, 1994. p. 16. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  41. ^ "Årstopplistan 1993, Singlar" (in Swedish). Grammotex. Archived from the original on February 16, 2001. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  42. ^ a b "The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. December 25, 1993. p. YE-39.
  43. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Stone Temple Pilots – Plush". Radioscope. Retrieved April 11, 2025. Type Plush in the "Search:" field.
  44. ^ "British single certifications – Stone Temple Pilots – Plush". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  45. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. August 21, 1993. p. 23.
  46. ^ "プラシ | ストーン・テンプル・パイロッツ" [Plush | Stone Temple Pilots] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
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