Destination Unknown (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Destination Unknown

| cover = Destination Unknown (Missing Persons song) coverart.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Missing Persons

| album = Spring Session M

| released = September 1982

| recorded = 1980

| studio = UMRK (Los Angeles)

| venue =

| genre =

Rock{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/best-alternative-songs-of-the-1980s/6|title=The 100 Best Alternative Songs of the 1980s|last=Gerard|first=Chris|date=15 April 2024|website=PopMatters|access-date=25 December 2024|quote= It’s no accident that ["Destination Unknown"]'s electrifying new wave/rock blend of synthesizers, guitar, bass, and drums blasts emphatically out of speakers...}}
new wave

| length = {{duration|m=3|s=40}}

| label = Capitol

| writer = {{flatlist|

}}

| producer = Ken Scott

| prev_title = Windows

| prev_year = 1982

| next_title = Walking in L.A.

| next_year = 1983

}}

"Destination Unknown" is a song by American band Missing Persons. It was written by Dale Bozzio, Terry Bozzio, and Warren Cuccurullo with production by Ken Scott at Frank Zappa's Utility Muffin Research Kitchen studio.{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Ken |last2=Owsinski |first2=Bobby |title=Off the Record with the Beatles, Bowie, Elton & So Much More |date=2013 |publisher=Alfred Music |location=United States |isbn=978-0-7390-7858-7 |pages=305–6}} Originally released on the band's self-titled EP (1980), the song was released as a single in September 1982 and appeared on their debut studio album Spring Session M (1982).{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

In the United States, it was a hit, peaking at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #40 on the Cashbox Top 100 in November 1982.Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications){{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/311490/missing-persons/chart |title=Missing Persons - Chart history |publisher=Billboard |date= |accessdate=2017-03-25}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"\| Country ! scope="col"\| Date ! scope="col"\| Format ! scope="col"\| Label ! scope="col"\| {{abbr\|Ref.\|References}}
scope="row"\| United States \| September 1982 \| 7" \| Capitol \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

scope="col"| Country

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format

! scope="col"| Label

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}}

scope="row"| United States

| September 1982

| 7"

| Capitol

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" \|+Chart performance for "Destination Unknown" !scope="col"\|Chart (1982–1983) !scope="col"\|{{unbulleted list\|Peak\|position}}
scope="row"\|Australia{{cite book \|last=Kent \|first=David \|author-link=David Kent (historian) \|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 \|year=1993 \|publisher=Australian Chart Book \|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} \|align="center"\|89
{{singlechart\|Billboardhot100\|42\|artist=Missing Persons\|rowheader=true\|refname="hot100"\|accessdate=December 20, 2015}}
scope="row"\|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web \|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19821211.html \|title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending December 11, 1982 \|accessdate=2018-08-26 \|url-status=bot: unknown \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921090858/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19821211.html \|archivedate=21 September 2012 }}Cash Box magazine. \|align="center"\|40

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+Chart performance for
"Destination Unknown"

!scope="col"|Chart (1982–1983)

!scope="col"|{{unbulleted list|Peak|position}}

scope="row"|Australia{{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |year=1993 |publisher=Australian Chart Book |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}

|align="center"|89

{{singlechart|Billboardhot100|42|artist=Missing Persons|rowheader=true|refname="hot100"|accessdate=December 20, 2015}}

scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web |url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19821211.html |title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending December 11, 1982 |accessdate=2018-08-26 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921090858/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19821211.html |archivedate=21 September 2012 }}Cash Box magazine.

|align="center"|40

Cover versions and media appearances

The Smashing Pumpkins covered the song as one of several B-sides for their single "Bullet with Butterfly Wings". It later appeared on their 1996 box set The Aeroplane Flies High.
Replicants recorded a cover of this song for their 1995 self-titled album.
Erectus Monotone covered the song on the 1992 compilation album "Tannis Root Presents: Freedom of Choice".{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tannis-root-presents-freedom-of-choice-mw0000094581 |title=Tannis Root Presents: Freedom of Choice - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2016-10-26}}
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts covered the song for the soundtrack of the 2009 movie Endless Bummer.
The 1998 Alvin and the Chipmunks album The A-Files: Alien Songs includes a cover of the song by the Chipettes.
The song is featured in the 2006 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories on the in-game radio station Flash FM.
The song is played at the end of Season 2, episode 7, titled "Nothing Shattered", of the Netflix series GLOW.
The song is played during The Goldbergs Season 8 Episode 20 episode Poker Night.
The song is played in Episode 6, Season 2 of the Netflix series, Sex Education during Otis’ party.

References

External links

{{YouTube|1WDly1Oc_P4|Missing Persons – "Destination Unknown" (music video)}}

Category:1982 singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Ken Scott

Category:Songs written by Warren Cuccurullo

Category:1980 songs

Category:Capitol Records singles

Category:Missing Persons (band) songs