Leaving New York

"Leaving New York" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released as the lead single from the band's 13th studio album, Around the Sun (2004). Although it was not as heavily promoted as earlier singles, it reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, becoming their 11th and final top-10 hit there. However, the song failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the only lead US single from an R.E.M. studio album not to chart on the US Hot 100 besides "Cant Get There from Here" from Fables of the Reconstruction in 1985.

"Leaving New York"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Around the Sun
B-side	"(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" (live)
Released	September 27, 2004 (2004-09-27)
Length	4:49
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Peter Buck Mike Mills Michael Stipe
Producer(s)	R.E.M. Pat McCarthy
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Animal" (2004) "Leaving New York" (2004) "Aftermath" (2005)
Music video
"Leaving New York" on YouTube

In early live performances of the song (September 2004), the band would play Michael Stipe's "It's pulling me apart. Change." album backing vocal during the chorus and bridge of live performances. As early as February 2005, however, as evidenced on the R.E.M. Live disc, the band worked up an alternative whereby the backing vocals would be shared amongst Mike Mills, Scott McCaughey and Ken Stringfellow in order to make the song flow more smoothly.

Track listings

All tracks were written by Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise stated.

UK CD1^[1]

1. "Leaving New York" – 4:44
2. "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" (live, Oslo, Norway, October 25, 2003; Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe) – 4:35

UK CD2^[2]

1. "Leaving New York" – 4:49
2. "You Are the Everything" (live, Raleigh, North Carolina – Soundcheck, October 10, 2003; Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe) – 3:30
3. "These Days" (live, Toronto, Ontario, September 30, 2003; Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe) – 3:27

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Leaving New York" Chart (2004–2005) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[3] 57 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[4] 32 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)^[5] 7 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)^[6] 15 Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)^[7] 19 Croatia (HRT)^[8] 5 Denmark (Tracklisten)^[9] 10 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[10] 4 Germany (Official German Charts)^[11] 16 Greece (IFPI)^[12] 19 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)^[13] 3 Ireland (IRMA)^[14] 14 Italy (FIMI)^[15] 2 Netherlands (Dutch Tipparade 40)^[16] 13 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[17] 43 Norway (VG-lista)^[18] 7 Romania (Romanian Top 100)^[19] 60 Scotland (OCC)^[20] 7 Spain (PROMUSICAE)^[21] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[22] 11 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[23] 18 UK Singles (OCC)^[24] 5 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[25] 1

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "Leaving New York" Chart (2004) Position Italy (FIMI)^[26] 49 US Triple-A (Billboard)^[27] 12

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Leaving New York"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	August 23, 2004	Hot adult contemporary triple A radio	Warner Bros.	^[28]
United Kingdom	September 27, 2004	CD		^[29]
Australia	October 4, 2004			^[30]

References

1. Leaving New York (UK CD1 liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2004. W654CD1, 5439 16177 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
2. Leaving New York (UK CD2 liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2004. W654CD2, 9362 42755-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
3. "Issue 763" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
4. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
5. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
6. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
7. "R&R Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1574. September 24, 2004. p. 80. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
8. . Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on October 10, 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
9. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York". Tracklisten. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
10. "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 42. October 16, 2004. p. 41. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
11. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
12. (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on October 28, 2004. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
13. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Leaving New York". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
15. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York". Top Digital Download. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
16. "R.E.M. - Leaving New York" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
17. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
18. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York". VG-lista. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
19. (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on February 22, 2005. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
20. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
21. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York" Canciones Top 50.
22. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
23. "R.E.M. – Leaving New York". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
25. "R.E.M. Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
26. (PDF) (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
27. "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Triple-A Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 54.
28. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1569. August 20, 2004. p. 21. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
29. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. September 25, 2004. p. 37.
30. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 4th October 2004" (PDF). ARIA. October 4, 2004. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2021.