Jimmy Eat World’s 2001 album Bleed American turns 25 Friday. The record took the Arizona rockers from beloved underground emo band to chart-topping stars thanks to its breakout single, “The Middle.”
Speaking with ABC Audio, frontman Jim Adkins recalls when he first started to realize that “The Middle” had broke containment.
“Maybe when I started hearing it more on the radio, in places that just had the radio on, like rental car lobbies or, like, a gym,” Adkins adds. “Like, what? What?”
“The Middle” would eventually peak at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, turning many, many more people into Jimmy Eat World fans, including one Taylor Swift. Despite its pop success, though, Adkins says he didn’t feel “The Middle” divided the fanbase.
“A small group of people were, perhaps, wanting to keep the thing that was really secret and special to themselves,” Adkins says. “The majority of people were stoked for us. They were like, ‘Aw man, that’s great for you guys.’ People were happy for us.”
Bleed American also spawned Jimmy Eat World classics including “Sweetness,” “A Praise Chorus” and the title track. “A Praise Chorus” feels particularly prophetic 25 years later thanks to its lyric, “Started my rock ‘n’ roll fantasy,” which Adkins still feels like he’s living.
“I’m never not amazed by all of this, and I think on some level I always have been,” Adkins says. “I’ve never taken any of this for granted. I haven’t let it in and been able to celebrate it always to the fullest that I probably should’ve, but I’ve never taken any of it for granted.”
He adds, “I still don’t believe I’m doing this.”
Jimmy Eat World’s currently on tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of Bleed American.
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