The song was released as the lead single from the album on 9 May 2005. The single peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom and #14 in the United States, becoming the band's highest positions to date. It also topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in the U.S., another first for the band, for eight consecutive weeks. In Damon Albarn's entire career to date, this is the only song to reach the top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It peaked in the top 10 of 17 countries, including at #1 in Spain. The song was listed at #308 on Pitchfork Media's Best Songs of the 2000s. The song also helped De La Soul win their first Grammy Award. In an interview during promotion for The Singles Collection 2001–2011, Murdoc had this to say about the song:
"Ah, Feel Good! The song that launched a million iPods! This really kicked things up another gear for Gorillaz. First single from our phantasmagoric second album Demon Days, which just put a rocket right under its arse. It’s had a long and varied life – first song ever to chart on downloads alone, infamous soundtrack to the iPod advert, Grammy award winner, backing track for Madonna’s first holographic poledance… Why’s it so successful? It’s got a good beat and you can dance to it! Plus De La Soul always get the party started: their rap sounds just like a bunch of kids trapped in a phone booth, mucking about on nitrous oxide."[attribution needed]
The single stayed in the charts for five months. Lyric-wise, 2D says "The first part of this came from when he was passing the wind turbines out near Palm Springs. I think he was going to the Coachella festival or something, and he passed a huge field full of those wind turbines farming the land…so he started really with the chorus section and then built it up from there… 'Windmill, Windmill farm the land. Turn forever hand in hand…'" Since Noodle masterminded Demon Days, it is likely that only this part of the song was written by 2D.
R.I.P
Ken Block
- We will love you
43VER
! - Just your average veteran who still isn't even close to maxing.
I was listening to the Manic Street Preachers. But now I've seen Radiohead 'Fake Plastic Trees' in the post above. It feels rude not to go and listen to that too.