The Greatest View

"The Greatest View"
"The Greatest View"
Single by Silverchair
from the album Diorama
Released	28 January 2002
Studio	Studios 301 (Sydney)
Length	4:05
Label	Eleven
Songwriter(s)	Daniel Johns
Producer(s)	David Bottrill; Johns;
Silverchair singles chronology

"The Greatest View" is a song by Australian rock band Silverchair, released on 28 January 2002 as the first single from their fourth studio album, Diorama. This is one of three songs which made it onto the album (the other two being "World Upon Your Shoulders" and "Too Much of Not Enough") which Daniel Johns recorded using his Rickenbacker 12 string.

"The Greatest View" peaked at No. 3 in Australia and at No. 4 in Canada and New Zealand. In 2008, it reached No. 36 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart due to an EP being released by Warner Bros. Records. The Square-Eyed Films directed music video was nominated for Best Video at the ARIA Music Awards of 2002.

Origin

In an interview with the Associated Press in 2002, Daniel Johns said about the song:

"The Greatest View" is a song that really focuses on people's perceptions of the same problem or the same scenario. Basically what was going on in my mind was that I had a lot of people who were watching over me and watching my every move making sure that I didn't fall back in to the heap that I fell in to whilst writing Neon Ballroom. Because I was aware of that I felt like I had the greatest view from where I was from because I could see what was going on. I was aware of the situation, I was in control of my own destiny really."

Music video

A video was made in which the band plays in hotel room representing Daniel Johns' inner space which spies try to investigate and listen in on. At the end of the video, the whole hotel lifts up into the air playing on the words 'greatest view'. The music video was directed by Sean Gilligan and Sarah-Jane Woulahan from the Brisbane-based video team Squareyed Films.

Director Sean Gilligan uploaded a high definition version of the music video to his YouTube channel on 19 April 2020.

Track listings

Australian CD single (ELEVENCD6)

"The Greatest View"
"Pins in My Needles"
"Too Much of Not Enough"

UK CD and 7-inch single (AT0133CD; AT0133)

"The Greatest View" (radio version) – 3:41
"Asylum" – 4:30
"Pins in My Needles" – 3:07

European and Canadian CD single (7567-85313-2; CD 85313)

"The Greatest View" (radio version) – 3:40
"Asylum" – 4:28

US digital EP – 2007

"The Greatest View" – 4:05
"Straight Lines" (The Presets Remix) – 3:53
"We're Not Lonely... But We Miss You" – 3:34
"Barbarella" – 3:14
"If You Keep Losing Sleep" (video) – 3:22
"The Greatest View" (video—live from Carriageworks, Sydney)

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "The Greatest View"
Chart (2002)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	3
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)	4
Germany (Official German Charts)	83
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	4
Scotland (OCC)	92
UK Singles (OCC)	85
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)	11

Chart (2008)	Peak position
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)	36

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "The Greatest View"
Chart (2002)	Position
Australia (ARIA)	86
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)	86

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "The Greatest View"
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)	Gold	35,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "The Greatest View"
Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
Australia	28 January 2002	CD	Eleven Virgin
United States	1 July 2002	Alternative radio	Atlantic
United Kingdom	15 July 2002	7-inch vinyl CD
United States	12 August 2002	Hot adult contemporary triple A radio