Closer to Free

1993 single by BoDeans

"Closer to Free"

Single by BoDeans

from the album Go Slow Down

Released

1993

Length

3:09

Label

Slash
Reprise

Songwriter(s)

Kurt Neumann
Sam Llanas

Producer(s)

T-Bone Burnett

BoDeans singles chronology

"Feed the Fire"
(1993)

"Closer to Free"
(1993)

"Hurt by Love"
(1996)

"Closer to Free" is a 1993 song by American rock band BoDeans featured on their fifth studio album, Go Slow Down. It is the band's biggest hit,^[1] peaking at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 11 in Australia, and number one in Canada after its re-release in 1996. It was featured as the theme of the TV series Party of Five.

Track listings

US 7-inch, CD, and cassette single (1995, 1996)^[2]^[3]^[4]

"Closer to Free" (studio album version) – 3:09
"Closer to Free" (live album version) – 3:54

Australian CD single (1994)^[5]

"Closer to Free"
"Texas Ride Song"
"Idaho"

European and Australian CD single (1996)^[6]

"Closer to Free"
"She's a Runaway"
"Don't Be Lonely"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[7]	11
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[8]	1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[9]	16
US Billboard Hot 100^[10]	16
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[11]	31
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[12]	3
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)^[13]	6

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)	Position
Australia (ARIA)^[14]	85
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[15]	35
US Billboard Hot 100^[16]	67
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[17]	23
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)^[18]	26

In popular culture

"Closer to Free" was featured as the theme of the TV series Party of Five^[19] and was featured on the show's accompanying soundtrack. The song was also played in the 1994 film Milk Money and during the opening credits of the 1995 film Heavyweights.

References

^ Atashian, John (September 19, 2018). "Concert Connection: BoDeans coming to Infinity Hall Hartford". The Middletown Press.
^ Closer to Free (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). BoDeans. Slash Records, Reprise Records. 1995. 7-17674.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Closer to Free (US CD single disc notes). BoDeans. Slash Records, Reprise Records. 1996. 9 17674-2, 2-17674.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Closer to Free (US cassette single sleeve). BoDeans. Slash Records, Reprise Records. 1996. 9 17674-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Closer to Free (Australian CD single liner notes). BoDeans. Slash Records, Liberation Records. 1994. D11560.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Closer to Free (European & Australian CD single liner notes). BoDeans. Slash Records, London Records, Polydor Records (Australia). 1996. 850 655-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "BoDeans – Closer to Free". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2969." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2964." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. May 4, 1996. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
^ "Adult Contemporary". Billboard. March 2, 1996. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
^ "Adult Pop Airplay". Billboard. May 4, 1996. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
^ "Pop Airplay". Billboard. April 27, 1996. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996". ARIA. Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2019 – via Imgur.
^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved November 25, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
^ "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-86.
^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 30.
^ "50 TV Theme Songs That Made the Billboard Charts: Listen". Billboard.