Yes (McAlmont & Butler song)


"Yes" is the debut single by McAlmont & Butler, released on 15 May 1995 and later included on their debut album The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler. It was their first UK hit, peaking at number eight on the UK Singles Chart. It remains their most successful single, selling over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom to earn a Silver sales certification. The song also charted in Ireland, reaching number 24, and in New Zealand, peaking at number 40. In 2014, NME ranked the song at number 174 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Background

Both McAlmont and Butler had departed from their previous bands in acrimonious circumstances shortly before the release—McAlmont from Thieves, Butler from Suede. The lyrics of the song were a thinly disguised attack on their former colleagues. In 2013 Bernard Butler spoke to NME about the song's genesis:

Track listings

CD1
  1. "Yes" – 4:53
  2. "What's the Excuse This Time?" – 5:07
  3. "Disappointment" – 7:32
CD2
  1. "Yes" – 4:00
  2. "Don't Call It Soul" – 3:57
  3. "How About You?" – 5:49

    Charts

Sales and certifications