{{Short description|1994 single by the Black Crowes}} {{Infobox song | name = A Conspiracy | cover = A Conspiracy Black Crowes.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = the Black Crowes | album = Amorica | released = November 1994 | recorded = | genre = | studio = | venue = | length = 4:45 | label = American | writer = * Rich Robinson * Chris Robinson | producer = * Jack Joseph Puig * The Black Crowes | prev_title = Hotel Illness | prev_year = 1992 | next_title = Wiser Time | next_year = 1995 }}
"'''A Conspiracy'''" is a song written by Rich and Chris Robinson that was first released on the Black Crowes' 1994 album ''Amorica''. The song reached number 54 in Canada, number 25 in the United Kingdom, and number 5 on the US ''Billboard'' Album Rock Tracks chart.
''American Songwriter'' critic Tina Benitez-Eves rated "A Conspiracy" as being among the Black Crowes 10 best songs of all time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Songs by The Black Crowes|author=Benitez-Eves, Tina|publisher=American Songwriter|accessdate=2026-03-03|date=February 28, 2023|url=https://americansongwriter.com/top-10-the-black-crowes-songs/}}</ref> ''Classic Rock'' critic Dave Everley considered it one of the 20 songs that tell the story of the band, saying that "Its hip-swaying lead single plastered on the wah-wah and found a never-better Chris Robinson exhorting to the heavens like a sidewalk preacher."<ref name=louder>{{cite web|title=A history of The Black Crowes in 20 songs|author=Everley, Dave|accessdate=2026-03-04|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=Louder Sound|work=Classic Rock|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/a-history-of-the-black-crowes-in-20-songs}}</ref> Allmusic critic Matthew Greenwald described "A Conspiracy" as "basic hard-rocking soul-drenched ballad" with "an incredible guitar arrangement" and "energy and overall grunge."<ref name=conspiracy>{{cite web|title=A Conspiracy|author=Greenwald, Matthew|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2026-03-03|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/a-conspiracy-mt0001308847}}</ref> Greenwald described the lyrics of "A Conspiracy" as having "a sense of dread and paranoia."<ref name=conspiracy/> Fellow Allmusic critic Tim Sendra described "A Conspiracy" as having "a little bit of jam band looseness" that's "counterbalanced by the intensity of [the band's] playing and by the intricate arrangements."<ref>{{cite web|title=Amorica|author=Sendra, Tim|accessdate=2026-03-04|publisher=Allmusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/amorica-mw0000626538}}</ref> Scripps Howard News Service critic Larry Nager described "A Conspiracy" as a "retread" of an earlier Black Crowes' song "Remedy".<ref name=nager>{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2026-03-03|newspaper=Times Record|author=Nager, Larry|title=Black Crowes at best when they hold it down|date=November 8, 1994|page=13A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-record/192612556/}}</ref> ''Daily News'' critic Jim Farber claimed that as the album's lead single, "A Conspiracy" "bored Top 40 pop radio and video outlets", hurting sales of the album."<ref>{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2026-03-03|newspaper=Daily News|author=Farber, Jim|title=It's Looking Like a Conspiracy Against Black Crowes|date=December 12, 1994|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news/192613012/}}</ref> ''The Record'' critic Barbara Jaeger found it to be "formulaic and dull".<ref name=jaeger>{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2026-03-03|newspaper=The Record|author=Jaeger, Barbara|title=Finding their voice|date=December 4, 1994|page=E-4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record/192613244/}}</ref>
"A Conspiracy" was included on the Black Crowes' 2000 compilation album ''Greatest Hits 1990–1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress...''<ref>{{cite web|title=Greatest Hits 1990–1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress|author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas|accessdate=2026-03-04|publisher=Allmusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-1990-1999-a-tribute-to-a-work-in-progress-mw0000068933}}</ref> A live version of the song was included on the 2013 album ''Wiser for the Time''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wiser for the Time|author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas|accessdate=2026-03-04|publisher=Allmuisc|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wiser-for-the-time-mw0002485391}}</ref>
==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !scope="col"|Chart (1995) !scope="col"|Peak<br/>position |- ! scope="row" | Australia (ARIA)<ref name="ARIA Chart">{{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/a/oQv304J|title=The Black Crows ARIA Chart history - June 1988 to June 2025 |publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur.com|access-date= March 4, 2026}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref> | 62 |- ! scope="row" | Canada<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=1849& | title = Top Singles - Volume 60, No. 18 | date = November 21, 1994 | magazine = RPM (Library and Archives Canada) | accessdate = March 4, 2026}}</ref> | 54 |- ! scope="row" |UK<ref>{{cite web|title=Black Crowes Songs|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26283/black-crowes/|publisher=Official Charts|accessdate=March 4, 2026}}</ref> | 25 |- {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|5|artist=The Black Crowes|rowheader=true|access-date=March 4, 2026}} |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{The Black Crowes}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conspiracy}} Category:The Black Crowes songs Category:1994 songs Category:Songs written by Chris Robinson (singer) Category:Songs written by Rich Robinson Category:Song recordings produced by Jack Joseph Puig