"Ruby"
Single by Kaiser Chiefs
from the album Yours Truly, Angry Mob
B-side
  • "Admire You"
  • "From the Neck Down"
Released29 January 2007
GenrePower pop[1]
Length3:23
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stephen Street
Kaiser Chiefs singles chronology
"Modern Way"
(2005) 		"Ruby"
(2007) 		"Everything Is Average Nowadays"
(2007)
Music video
"Ruby" on YouTube

"Ruby" is a song by English indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs. It was released in the United Kingdom on 5 February 2007 as the lead single from their second studio album, Yours Truly, Angry Mob (2007). It became the band's first British number-one single on 25 February 2007 and ended 2007 as the year's 10th-biggest-selling single in the UK, with total sales of 313,765.[2] As of September 2016, it has sold over 600,000 copies in the UK as stated by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). "Ruby" was voted number 13 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2007, Australia's largest annual music poll.[3]

A video single of the song was released in the United States at Best Buy stores on 13 March 2007, two weeks before the album was released there, and featured a live version of "Everything Is Average Nowadays" and the B-side "Admire You" (released on the UK 7-inch version).[4]

Content

Speaking about the song lead singer Ricky Wilson said that Ruby "is super cool, totally unapproachable" and that "there was a girl like that at school".[5] In an interview with contactmusic.com guitarist Andrew White said "it's not really about anyone" and "if you know someone called Ruby, it's about them".[6] In a 2022 TikTok video, Nick Hodgson later revealed that Ruby was his family pet, a black Labrador.[7]

Music video

The promo for "Ruby" was directed by Swedish production company Stylewar, who also produced the 2005 video for "I Predict a Riot", and features the band performing in a desert landscape whilst a CGI metropolis-like miniature city builds around them. The video was scheduled to be shown on Channel 4 at 11:35 p.m. on 15 January 2007 but was pulled from the schedules for unknown reasons. The video finally premiered on the official Kaiser Chiefs website four days later.

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[43] Gold 30,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[44] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 29 January 2007 Modern rock radio Universal Motown [46]
United Kingdom 5 February 2007 Digital download
[citation needed]
19 February 2007
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [47]
United States 22 May 2007 Contemporary hit radio Universal Motown [48]

Notable cover versions

As part of the BBC Electric Proms the song was performed by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.[49] On 19 January 2011, Italian band Elio e le Storie Tese played a cover version of the song at the nationwide TV-show Parla con Me, with lyrics changed into a satiric reference to the Rubygate sex scandal, which then Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had just been involved with.[50][better source needed]

References

  1. ^ Zaleski, Annie (28 February 2012). "Still an angry mob, Kaiser Chiefs get creative". The Boston Phoenix. Boston, Massachusetts. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  2. ^ BBC Music. "Top 40 Singles of the Year 2007 ". Retrieved 27 December 20097
  3. ^ "Hottest 100 2007". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Everything Is Average Nowadays [CD]". Best Buy.
  5. ^ "Ruby: Who's that girl?". The Independent. 9 February 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs, Interview". Contactmusic.com. 27 February 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  7. ^ Nick J.D. Hodgson on TikTok.[dead link]
  8. ^ Ruby (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Kaiser Chiefs. B-Unique Records, Polydor Records. 2007. BUN119-7.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Ruby (UK & Irish CD single liner notes). Kaiser Chiefs. B-Unique Records, Polydor Records. 2007. BUN 119CD, 06025-1724058-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ "Ruby – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  11. ^ Ruby (European enhanced CD single liner notes). Kaiser Chiefs. B-Unique Records, Polydor Records. 2007. 1724059, 0-06025-1724059-9.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ "ARIA Report: Week Commencing 12 March 2007" (PDF). Australian Web Archive. 12 March 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  14. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  15. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  16. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  17. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  18. ^ Kaiser Chiefs — Ruby. TopHit. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  19. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200720 into search. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  20. ^ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 10. 10 March 2007. p. 63. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  21. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  22. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Ruby". Irish Singles Chart.
  23. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 12, 2007" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  24. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby". Top 40 Singles.
  26. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby". VG-lista.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200722 into search. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  29. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby". Swiss Singles Chart.
  30. ^ Turkish Airplay Chart Archived 5 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  33. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  34. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2007". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  35. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2007" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  36. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  37. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2007" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  38. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2007". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  39. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2007" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  40. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2007". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  41. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  42. ^ "Official Singles Chart 2008" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  43. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  44. ^ "Guld og platin i september" (in Danish). IFPI Danmark. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  45. ^ "British single certifications – Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  46. ^ "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". FMQB. Archived from the original on 22 March 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  47. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 17 February 2007. p. 31.
  48. ^ "FMQB: CHR". FMQB. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  49. ^ "Kaiser Chiefs At The BBC Electric Proms: Orchestral Overdrive?". UNCUT. 26 October 2007. phenomenal, improving the song an infinite amount
  50. ^ YouTube. www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016.
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