{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = America Town | type = studio | artist = Five for Fighting | cover = American Town.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|2000|09|26}} | recorded = 1999–2000 | studio = | genre = {{hlist|Rock|soft rock|pop|{{nowrap|alternative rock<ref name="Inc.2000">{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NBAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24|date=30 September 2000|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|page=24|id=Billboard}}</ref>}}}} | length = 45:39 | label = {{hlist|Aware|Columbia}} | producer = Gregg Wattenberg | prev_title = Message for Albert | prev_year = 1997 | next_title = The Battle for Everything | next_year = 2004 | misc = {{Singles | name = America Town | type = studio | single1 = Easy Tonight | single1date = September 2000 | single2 = Superman (It's Not Easy) | single2date = April 2001 | single3 = America Town | single3date = 2002 | single4 = Something About You | single4date = 2003 }} }} '''''America Town''''' is the second studio album by American pop rock artist Five for Fighting. It was released by Aware Records, a Columbia Records subsidiary, in 2000. It contains two of his most well-known songs, "Easy Tonight" and the Grammy-nominated<ref>{{Cite web|title=Five For Fighting|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/five-fighting/15808|date=2020-05-19|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref> "Superman (It's Not Easy)". The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 1, 2001, and Platinum on October 22, 2004.<ref name=RIAA/> The album has sold over 966,000 copies in the United States as of November 2009.<ref name="US Sales - ask billboard">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/ask-billboard-swifts-latest-fearless-feat/|title=Ask Billboard: Swift's Latest 'Fearless' Feat|magazine=Billboard|date=November 6, 2009 |author=Gary Trust }}</ref>
== Background and composition == John Ondrasik had been active in the Los Angeles music scene since the 1980s, but did not adopt "Five for Fighting" as his stage name until he signed with EMI Records in 1995. His first album, ''Message for Albert'', came out through EMI in 1997 but EMI's American division closed shortly after ''Message'' came out. After EMI's collapse, Ondrasik briefly signed with Island Records, but then "PolyGram, Island's parent company, merged with Universal and he was lost in the shuffle". Ondrasik then signed with Aware and Columbia Records and began working on ''America Town''. After being dropped from two straight record companies, Ondrasik, then in his mid-30s, believed ''America Town'' would be his "swan song".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Five for Fighting {{!}} Encyclopedia.com|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/five-fighting|website=www.encyclopedia.com|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref>
''America Town'' features ten new songs and two songs that were re-recorded from the ill-fated ''Message'' album ("Love Song" and "The Last Great American"). The hidden track, "Do You Mind", had also appeared on some versions of ''Message''.<ref>{{Citation|title=Five For Fighting – ...Message for Albert... (1999, CD)|date=1999 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Five-For-Fighting-Message-for-Albert/release/11561367|language=en|access-date=2021-05-22}}</ref>
Ondrasik wrote all of the songs and lyrics. Gregg Wattenburg, the album's producer, played electric guitar throughout the album and provided backing vocals. Ondrasik also played electric guitar on "Michael Jordan" and "Boat Parade".<ref>{{Citation|title=Five For Fighting – America Town (2000, CD)|url=https://www.discogs.com/Five-For-Fighting-America-Town/release/13104410|language=en|access-date=2021-05-22}}</ref> Dorian Crozier was the drummer for all songs except "Love Song", which saw Robert Medici reprise the role (he had been the drummer on the ''Message for Albert'' version of the song). The bassists were Sheldon Gomberg and Mark Montague.<ref>Five for Fighting, "America Town" CD jacket. ''Columbia Records'', 2000.</ref>
== Critical reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r499605}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Melodic'' | rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.melodic.net/?page=review&id=180|title=Five For Fighting - America Town|last=Wippsson|first=Johan|publisher=Melodic.net|date=2000|accessdate=2012-12-30|archive-date=2012-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630060451/http://melodic.net/?page=review&id=180|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Q'' | rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8550755&style=music|title=Five For Fighting - America Town CD Album|publisher=CD Universe|accessdate=2012-12-30}}</ref> }} AllMusic called ''America Town'' "a bright and clean effort that delivers some heavy themes", and noted that "the focus is clearly on the lyrics, which are well written and effectively sung".<ref>{{cite web|title=America Town - Five for Fighting {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits|publisher=AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/america-town-mw0000616265|language=en-us|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref>
== Commercial performance == "Easy Tonight" was released as the lead single. The second single, "Superman (It's Not Easy)" achieved mainstream success, peaking at number one on the Adult Top 40.<ref name="Five for Fighting">{{Cite magazine|title=Five for Fighting|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/five-for-fighting/chart-history/atf/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref> Superman was nominated for a Grammy in 2002. Following the success of "Superman", "Easy Tonight" was released as a single a second time, reaching number 18 on the Adult Top 40.<ref name="Five for Fighting"/> Two more singles followed ("America Town" and "Something About You"), but neither song replicated the mainstream success of "Superman" and "Easy Tonight".
The success of ''America Town'' meant that the album had not been Ondrasik's swan song, as he had anticipated. His third studio album, ''The Battle for Everything'', came out in 2004 and was also certified platinum.
"Superman" was certified gold by the RIAA in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gold & Platinum|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/|website=RIAA|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref>
==Track listing== All songs written by John Ondrasik. {{Track listing |title1 = Easy Tonight |length1 = 4:09 |title2 = Bloody Mary (A Note on Apathy) |length2 = 3:46 |title3 = Superman (It's Not Easy) |length3 = 3:45 |title4 = America Town |length4 = 3:52 |title5 = Something About You |length5 = 4:02 |title6 = Jainy |length6 = 3:53 |title7 = Michael Jordan |length7 = 3:04 |title8 = Out of Love |length8 = 3:53 |title9 = The Last Great American |length9 = 3:00 |title10 = Love Song |length10 = 3:41 |title11 = Boat Parade |length11 = 2:50 |title12 = Alright |length12 = 5:39 |note12 = Includes hidden song "Do You Mind?", which begins at 3:34 }}
== Charts == === Weekly charts === {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Weekly chart performance for ''America Town'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2001–2002) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Australia|30|artist=Five for Fighting|album=America Town|rowheader=true}} |- ! scope="row"| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/prev_031402_ALBUMS.html|title=Albums : Top 100|website=Jam!|date=March 14, 2002|access-date=December 31, 2025|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040902001306/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/prev_031402_ALBUMS.html|archive-date=September 2, 2004}}</ref> | 67 |- {{album chart|Ireland|72|year=2002|week=28|rowheader=true|refname="ire"}} |- {{album chart|New Zealand|24|artist=Five for Fighting|album=America Town|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|Norway|20|artist=Five for Fighting|album=America Town|rowheader=true}} |- ! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_F.HTM|title=Chart Log UK: Adam F – FYA|publisher=UK Albums Chart. Zobbel.de|access-date=December 31, 2025}}</ref> | 169 |- {{album chart|Billboard200|54|artist=Five for Fighting|rowheader=true}} |}
=== Year-end charts === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Year-end chart performance for ''America Town'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2002) ! scope="col"| Position |- !scope="row"|Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040906184132/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/200-2_2002.html|archivedate=September 6, 2004|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/200-2_2002.html|title=Top 200 Albums of 2002 (based on sales)|website=Jam!|accessdate=March 23, 2022}}</ref> |197 |- !scope="row"|Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref name = "CANALTYE02">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031204012816/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_alt.html|archivedate=December 4, 2003|url=http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_alt.html|title=Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002|website=Jam!|accessdate=March 26, 2022}}</ref> | 64 |}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''America Town''}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Five for Fighting|title=America Town|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2000|certyear=2002}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Five for Fighting|title=America Town|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=2000|certyear=2004|refname=RIAA}} {{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Five for Fighting}} {{Authority control}}
Category:2000 albums Category:Five for Fighting albums Category:Aware Records albums Category:Albums produced by Gregg Wattenberg Category:Soft rock albums by American artists Category:Columbia Records albums