1955 (song)

October 2020 1955 1955 Hilltop Hoods song.jpg single Hilltop Hoods featuring Montaigne and Tom Thum Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung 8 February 2016 Hip hop 3:59 Universal Australia Matthew David Lambert, Daniel Howe Smith, Barry John M. Francis and Andrew Albert Burford https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/890098659 ASCAP Repertory entry for this song ASCAP May 8, 2021 Higher 2015 Clark Griswold 2018 Montaigne single In the Dark 2016 1955 2016 Because I Love You 2016 "1955" is a song by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods, featuring Montaigne and Tom Thum. It was released as the second single from the group's second remix album, Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung (2016). In Australia, "1955" peaked at No. 2 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, becoming Hilltop Hoods' highest charting single to date. The song was rated number four in Triple J's Hottest 100 in 2016. The song's accompanying music video was released on 7 February 2016 via their Facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/hilltophoods/videos/10153486604161359/ Hilltop Hoods Facebook 20 September 2018 To celebrate the release of the album, "1955" along with the other tracks on Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung were performed in the Restrung Tour. This tour went to Australia's five capital cities and featured Australia's best symphony orchestras and choirs along with special guest Maverick Sabre and Montaigne.https://www.gcmag.com.au/hilltop-hoods-new-single-video-for-1955/ Hilltop Hoods new single & Video for 1955 GC Mag 5 October 2018 Background Inspiration for the song came when Matthew Lambert (Suffa) and his wife went to see comedian Dylan Moran. Moran opened the show by stating that he'd always wanted to come to Adelaide to see what it would've been like in 1955.https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/02/18/hilltop-hoods-new-album_n_9269088.html Hilltop Hoods Discuss Their Hometown, New Album And Giving Back Naughton Julia 20 February 2016 HuffPost 20 September 2018 Lambert later commented on Moran's performance: "That cracked me up. I love Adelaide – I’ve lived there my whole life, but yeah it is sort of like that and when you’re from a small town it is almost like you’re stuck in a different era of time – which is just fine with me while there’s bombs over Damascus. I’m grateful to live somewhere beautiful and safe." Hilltop Hoods collaborated with Australian singer Montaigne and beatboxer Tom Thum for the song.http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/hilltop-hoods-drop-new-banger-1955-feat-favourite-aussie-artists/ Hilltop Hoods Drop New Banger '1955' Feat. All Of Your Favourite Aussie Artists 8 February 2016 Music Feeds 5 October 2018 In an interview with Triple J, Suffa commented on what the song was about: "[it's] about living in a small town, a place where things don’t change too much… sometimes living in a small town is like living in a different era. I actually love small-town life; obviously it has its drawbacks, but I really enjoy the simplicity and being part of a community." Composition "1955" is a hip hop song which is written in the key E major and has a tempo of 84 beats per minute. The track goes for 3 minutes and 59 seconds.https://tunebat.com/Info/1955-Hilltop-Hoods-Montaigne-Tom-Thum/6oSmp7qnvAxUXeUKhl67a6 Key & BPM for 1955 by Hilltop Hoods, Montaigne, Tom Thum Tunebat 5 October 2018 Reference to popular culture Tom Thum's opening line in the track makes reference to "sniffing salts", a chemical compound that was used in the early 20th century that could be used to wake someone up from an unconscious state. The lyrics are relayed to imitate an old radio advertisement: "If you're feeling low, then give it a go! Try Lambert's Sniffing Salts today" The group also criticise the amount of racial profiling that occurs in society, by making reference to the "Clutch of Fear":https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-clutch-of-fear/Content?oid=903053 The Clutch of Fear Lowe Frederick H. Chicago Reader 5 October 2018 the act of clutching a purse in fear due to the racial profiling of a nearby individual. Suffa is quick to dismiss the advice of people who watch news channels like Fox, stating how they are unreliable and biased:https://www.baltimoresun.com/2014/11/02/americas-most-trusted-news-source-not-so-trustworthy/ America's most trusted news source not so trustworthy Pitts Leonard Jr. The Baltimore Sun 2018-11-09 en-US 9 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181109112232/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bal-americas-most-trusted-news-source-not-so-trustworthy-20141031-story.html live "They prophecise on the bench by the main road, right They got advice; I’m like 'Ayo, if you say so guys' But what do they know, Fox News got 'em lit" The group makes reference to 'Plan C'. A plan devised by the FBI during the Cold War which enforced martial law if a nuclear attack was to occur. Hence "it gets so quiet at night", since the military was able to enforce new laws such as curfews during this period. "It's like we ride through life Right in the shadow of the cold war It gets so quiet at night Like martial law took a hold y'all, '55" There is also a reference to "the War of the Worlds" episode in the anthology series "The Mercury Theater on the Air". This radio broadcast features an alien invasion story, which causes mass panic amongst civilians as they are not aware that the broadcast is a work of fiction. This reference is made in Tom Thum's lyrics: "And across the country, they came in waves. Thousands upon thousands of flying discs descending from the planet Mars." Music video The music video was initially released on 7 February 2016 and was produced by Anna Bardsley-Jones and directed by Richard Coburn.Hilltop Hoods Hilltop Hoods – 1955 feat. Montaigne & Tom Thum 12 February 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD8flUkymrM YouTube 5 October 2018 It features a cameo from rapper Briggs as "Grill Murray" and is set in a 1950s diner (really the Cafeteria Car at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide). The video depicts a wholesome environment where everything seems perfect and peaceful and all the people are happy and polite. However, the viewers of the video observe the diner through the eyes of a young girl (Montaigne) and how, beneath the surface, everything is not what it seems to be. This is shown through the various emotional outbursts that occur throughout the video by the patrons of the diner.https://tonedeaf.com.au/hilltop-hoods-drop-1955-featuring-montaigne-tom-thum/ Hilltop Hoods Drop '1955' Featuring Montaigne & Tom Thum Tone Deaf 5 October 2018 The music video was nominated for Best Video at the ARIA Music Awards of 2016.ARIA Award previous winners. https://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/award/Best-Video?view=list Winners by Award – Artisan Awards – Best Video Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) 12 December 2019 Chart performance In Australia, "1955" debuted at number 25 on the Australia ARIA Singles Chart in the week beginning 21 February 2016. It peaked at number 2 four weeks later in the week beginning 13 March 2016. The track managed to stay on the charts for a total of 28 weeks. In 2025, the song placed 73 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.Countdown #1 to #100 - Hottest 100 Australian Songs https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/countdown/hottest100/1-100 2025-07-26 triple j en-AU Charts Chart (2016) PeakpositionAustralia 2 Hilltop Hoods feat. Montaigne & Tom Thum 1955 true 20 October 2018 New Zealand Heatseeker (RMNZ)https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/singles/2016-03-25 NZ Heatseeker Singles Chart Recorded Music NZ 28 March 2016 27 March 2020 8 Certifications Australia 2016 2024 1955 Hilltop Hoods single Platinum 12 11 August 2024 New Zealand 2016 2024 Hilltop Hoods feat. Montaigne And Tom Thum 1955 Platinum 2 radioscope 10 February 2025 single true true true See also List of highest-certified singles in Australia References Category:2016 singles Category:2016 songs Category:Hilltop Hoods songs Category:Montaigne (musician) songs Category:Universal Music Australia singles Category:Songs written by DJ Debris Category:Songs written by Suffa Category:Songs written by MC Pressure