E-Bow the Letter

Although the song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, the highest any R.E.M. song charted in the United Kingdom until "The Great Beyond" in 2000, the song fared less well in the United States, reaching only number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became R.E.M.'s lowest-charting lead single since "Fall on Me" released from Lifes Rich Pageant in 1986, when the band was on a smaller record label, I.R.S. Records. Jem Cohen directed the song's music video, which features R.E.M. in Los Angeles and Smith in Prague.^[1]

Chart performance[edit]

On the US Billboard Hot 100, "E-Bow the Letter" debuted at number 54 in the issue of September 7, 1996, reaching its peak of number 49 the following week and spending nine weeks on the chart altogether.^[28][29] The song reached the top five on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at number two on September 14, 1996, and entered the top 10 on the Adult Alternative Songs ranking, reaching number seven on September 7 and spending seven weeks on the chart.^[30][31] The song also appeared on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Maxi-Singles Sales charts, reaching numbers 15 and 39, respectively, on September 14.^[32][33] Along with "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", it is the only R.E.M. song to appear on the latter listing.^[33] In Canada, the track reached the top 10, peaking at number six on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and at number one on the RPM Alternative 30.^[34][35] The magazine later ranked the song as Canada's 53rd-best-performing single of 1996 as well as the 30th-best-performing rock song.^[36][37]


In the United Kingdom, "E-Bow the Letter" became the band's highest-charting single until "The Great Beyond" in 2000, debuting and peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart based on its "typically wry sense of humour".^[14][19][38] Giving R.E.M. their 18th top-40 hit on the chart, the song spent six weeks in the UK top 100.^[38] The song also reached the top 10 in Ireland, where it reached number eight.^[39] In Iceland, "E-Bow" the letter rose to number two on the Íslenski listinn chart after seven weeks, eventually ending 1996 as the country's 41st-most-successful single.^[40][41] The track became R.E.M.'s fifth top-10 hit in Norway, debuting and peaking at number six, where it remained for two weeks.^[42] In Finland, the song peaked within the top 20, reaching number 11 on the Finnish Singles Chart. Elsewhere in Europe, "E-Bow the Letter" appeared on the charts of Austria, Flanders, Germany, and the Netherlands, achieving a peak of number 28 on the Eurochart Hot 100.^[43][44][45] In Australia, the song reached number 23 on the ARIA Singles Chart and spent four weeks in the top 50, while in New Zealand, it debuted at its peak of number 32 and left the RIANZ Singles Chart after three weeks.^[46][47]