{{Short description|1994 single by Tori Amos}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox song | name = Pretty Good Year | cover = PrettyGoodYear.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[Tori Amos]] | album = [[Under the Pink]] | B-side = Honey | released = {{start date|1994|3|7}} | recorded = | studio = The Fishhouse ([[Taos, New Mexico]]) | length = 3:25 | genre = * [[Chamber pop]] * [[alternative rock]] | label = [[East West Records|EastWest]] | writer = Tori Amos | producer = * Tori Amos * [[Eric Rosse]] | prev_title = [[God (Tori Amos song)|God]] | prev_year = 1994 | next_title = [[Past the Mission]] | next_year = 1994 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|xr8auZq-Xn8|"Pretty Good Year"}}}} }} "'''Pretty Good Year'''" is a song by American singer-songwriter and pianist [[Tori Amos]], taken from her second studio album, ''[[Under the Pink]]'' (1994). It was released by [[East West Records]] as the second single from the album in the United Kingdom on March 7, 1994, and as the fourth single in Australia on November 7, 1994. It was not released in the United States. "Pretty Good Year" became Amos's second single to reach the top 10 on the [[UK singles chart]], where it peaked at number seven.
==Critical reception== Alan Jones from ''[[Music Week]]'' gave the song three out of five, saying, "The second single from Amos's chart-topping ''[[Under the Pink]]'' album is an alluring, lyricai and lilting slab of introspection. With less appeal than '[[Cornflake Girl]]', it offers a quartet of exclusive songs spread over two CDs by way of compensation."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Jones|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-03-12.pdf|title=Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|date=March 12, 1994|page=12|access-date=April 25, 2025}}</ref> Pan-European magazine ''[[Music & Media]]'' wrote, "Never boring, Tori refuses to follow up the relatively "easy" single 'Cornflake Girl' with another one in the same vein. A sensitive piano ballad is her answer to such expectations."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-04-16.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=11|issue=16|date=April 16, 1994|page=8|access-date=April 25, 2025}}</ref>
==Track listings== * '''UK 7-inch vinyl'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Pretty Good Year|others=[[Tori Amos]]|year=1994|type=UK 7-inch vinyl sleeve|publisher=[[East West Records|EastWest Records]]|id=A7263}}</ref> :A. "Pretty Good Year" :B. "Honey"
* '''UK CD1'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Pretty Good Year|others=Tori Amos|year=1994|type=UK CD1 disc notes|publisher=EastWest Records|id=7567-85676-2, A7263CDX}}</ref> # "Pretty Good Year" – 3:26 # "Home on the Range" (with Cherokee addition) – 5:24 # "Daisy Dead Petals" – 3:02
* '''UK CD2 and Australian CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Pretty Good Year|others=Tori Amos|year=1994|type=UK CD2 & Australian CD single disc notes|publisher=EastWest Records|id=7567-85677-2, A7263CD}}</ref> # "Pretty Good Year" – 3:25 # "Honey" – 3:47 # "Black Swan" – 4:04
==Credits and personnel== Credits are adapted from the ''[[Under the Pink]]'' album booklet.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Under the Pink|title-link=Under the Pink|others=Tori Amos|year=1994|type=US CD album booklet|publisher=Atlantic Records|id=82567-2}}</ref>
'''Studios''' * Recorded at The Fishhouse (New Mexico, US) * Strings recorded at [[Westlake Recording Studios|Westlake Studios]] (Los Angeles) * Mixed at [[Olympic Studios]] (London, England) * Mastered at Gateway Mastering ([[Portland, Maine]], US)
'''Personnel''' {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} * Tori Amos – writing, vocals, piano, production * [[John Philip Shenale]] – string arrangement * Scott Smalley – conducting * Ezra Kliger – violin * Nancy Roth – violin * John Wittenberg – violin * Francine Walsh – violin * Michael Harrison – violin * Chris Reutinger – violin * Jimbo Ross – viola * Cynthia Morrow – viola {{col-2}} * John Acevedo – viola * Nancy Stein-Ross – cello * Dane Little – cello * [[Melissa Hasin]] – cello * Dominic Genova – double bass * [[George Porter Jr.]] – "hanging out" * Carlo Nuccio – "hanging out" * [[Eric Rosse]] – production, programming * John Beverly Jones – recording * [[Kevin Killen]] – mixing * [[Bob Ludwig]] – mastering {{col-end}}
==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !scope="col"|Chart (1994) !scope="col"|Peak<br/>position |- !scope="row"|Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/PClRobn.jpg|title=The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 08 Jan 1995|publisher=ARIA|via=[[Imgur]]|access-date=March 12, 2016}} N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.</ref> | 85 |- {{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|32|chartid=2649|rowheader=true|access-date=May 19, 2020}} |- !scope="row"|Europe ([[European Hot 100 Singles|Eurochart Hot 100]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-03-26.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=11|issue=13|page=20|date=March 26, 1994|access-date=February 12, 2021}}</ref> | 23 |- {{single chart|Ireland2|26|song=Pretty Good Year|rowheader=true|access-date=July 17, 2018}} |- {{single chart|Scotland|5|date=19940319|rowheader=true|access-date=July 17, 2018}} |- {{single chart|UK|7|date=19940319|rowheader=true|access-date=July 17, 2018|refname=uk}} |}
==Release history== {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" !scope="col"|Region !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Format(s) !scope="col"|Label(s) !scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- !scope="row"|United Kingdom |March 7, 1994 |{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}} |rowspan="2"|[[East West Records|EastWest]] |<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-03-05.pdf|title=Single Releases|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=21|date=March 5, 1994|access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref> |- !scope="row"|Australia |November 7, 1994 |{{hlist|CD|cassette}} |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/SJ4sUHo.jpg|title=New Release Summary – Product Available from: 07/11/1994 > Singles (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 247 – Week Ending 6th November 1994)|publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]]|via=[[Imgur]]|access-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Tori Amos}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Tori Amos songs]] [[Category:1994 singles]] [[Category:1994 songs]] [[Category:East West Records singles]] [[Category:Song recordings produced by Eric Rosse]] [[Category:Songs written by Tori Amos]]