Original Prankster

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"Original Prankster"
Theoffspringoriginalprankstercover.jpg
Single by the Offspring featuring Redman
from the album Conspiracy of One
B-side"Come Out Swinging"
ReleasedOctober 10, 2000 (2000-10-10)
GenrePop punk[1]
Length3:40
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Dexter Holland
Producer(s)Brendan O'Brien
The Offspring singles chronology
"She's Got Issues"
(1999) 		"Original Prankster"
(2000) 		"Want You Bad"
(2000)

"Original Prankster" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. It is featured as the third track from their sixth studio album, Conspiracy of One, and was released as its first single on October 10, 2000. The song features additional vocals by Redman[2] and is included on the band's 2005 Greatest Hits album.

Prior to the release of Conspiracy of One, The Offspring distributed the track for free as a downloadable MP3 file on their official website.[3] A competition was held, featuring a prize of $1 million (USD), which was awarded to a randomly selected participant who downloaded the song.

"Original Prankster" reached the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and went to the top 10 on the US and Canadian rock charts. The single went Platinum in Australia in 2001, becoming the third song by The Offspring to reach Platinum status in that country after "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?."[4]

Music video[]

The song follows the prankster, the subject of the song, through his life, pulling various pranks on his superiors, being motivated by Redman.[2] As a child, he slips his dog's feces into his father's sandwich. In his teen years, he uses a bunsen burner on a perverted science teacher. When sent to the principal's office, he sets up the principal to be photographed in a compromising position with two students. Throughout the video, the band is shown to be playing around the Huntington Beach Pier in their hometown Huntington Beach, California.

Finally, in the present, he switches off the whole city's power supply, though the band still manages to play in the dark and the crowd use flares to light the scene. At the end of the video, lightning strikes the prankster and disintegrates him.

Track listings[]

Version 1

No.TitleLength
1."Original Prankster"3:40
2."Come Out Swinging"2:47
3."Staring at the Sun" (Live)2:26

Australia CD Maxi

No.TitleLength
1."Original Prankster"3:40
2."Dammit, I Changed Again"2:49
3."Come Out Swinging"2:47
4."Gone Away" (Live)4:19
5."Staring at the Sun" (Live)2:26

Promo CD

No.TitleLength
1."Original Prankster" (Album version)3:40

Personnel[]

The Offspring

Other personnel

Charts and certifications[]

Release history[]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 10, 2000 (2000-10-10)
Columbia [32]
United Kingdom November 6, 2000 (2000-11-06)
  • CD
  • cassette
 [33]

In popular culture[]

The song was featured in Season 3 of The Cleveland Show in the episode "American Prankster". The song was also featured in the trailer for How to Eat Fried Worms. The song was also featured in the movie The Animal.

References[]

  1. ^ "22 classic cottage pop-punk songs". AUX.TV. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Redman". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  3. ^ Menta, Robert (September 26, 2000). "Sony Forces The Offspring to Cancel MP3 Giveaway". MP3 Newswire. Archived from the original on November 8, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  4. ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 1999 Singles". ARIA. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  5. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  7. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 7280." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  9. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 48. November 25, 2000. p. 15. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  10. ^ "The Offspring: Original Prankster" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  11. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster" (in French). Les classement single.
  12. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  13. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (22.12–29.12 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). December 22, 2000. p. 12. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  14. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Original Prankster". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  15. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster". Top Digital Download.
  16. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  17. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  18. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster". Top 40 Singles.
  19. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster". VG-lista.
  20. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 48. November 25, 2000. p. 15. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  21. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  22. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster". Singles Top 100.
  23. ^ "The Offspring – Original Prankster". Swiss Singles Chart.
  24. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  25. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  26. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  27. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  28. ^ "2000 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  29. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 2000" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  30. ^ "2001 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  31. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  32. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1372. October 6, 2000. pp. 109, 114. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  33. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting November 6, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 4, 2000. p. 29. Retrieved August 7, 2021.

External links[]

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