Break Stuff

This article is about the song by Limp Bizkit. For the album by Vijay Iyer, see Break Stuff (album).

"Break Stuff" is a song by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on May 2, 2000,^{[citation needed]} as the fourth and final single from their second studio album Significant Other (1999). The song was released alongside "N 2 Gether Now", and has remained a staple of Limp Bizkit's live shows.

"Break Stuff"
Single by Limp Bizkit
from the album Significant Other
Released	May 2, 2000 (2000-05-02)
Recorded	1999
Genre	Nu metal rap metal
Length	2:48
Label	Interscope
Composer(s)	Wes Borland Sam Rivers John Otto
Lyricist(s)	Fred Durst
Producer(s)	Terry Date Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit singles chronology
"N 2 Gether Now" (1999) "Break Stuff" (2000) "Take a Look Around" (2000)
Music video
"Break Stuff" on YouTube

Music video

The music video was shot at Skatelab. The band members are seen in some scenes not playing any instruments and some scenes they are playing each other's instruments. Cameos include Snoop Dogg, Jonathan Davis of Korn, Dr. Dre, Eminem and his daughter Hailie Jade, Pauly Shore, model Lily Aldridge, and Tony Hawk's son Riley Hawk.^[1][2]

It received its world premiere in February 2000 on the short-lived USA Network music show Farmclub, alongside Korn's video for their single, "Make Me Bad". Both groups made a guest appearance to introduce their respective videos.

Live performances

The song was noted for a performance at Woodstock '99 in which violent actions occurred. When the song played, Fred Durst encouraged the crowd to become rowdy, stating, "Don't let anybody get hurt. But I don't think you should mellow out. That's what Alanis Morissette had you motherfuckers do. If someone falls, pick 'em up." In the mosh pit, fans tore plywood on the walls when the song played and numerous sexual assaults were reported to have occurred.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} During the band's 2001 appearance at the Big Day Out festival in Sydney, Australia, teenager Jessica Michalik was crushed by the unruly crowd near the front of the stage before dying from her injuries.^[8]

Awards and legacy

The video for the song won the MTV Video Music Award for The Best Rock Video in 2000.^[9]

In 2022, Louder Sound and Kerrang each named "Break Stuff" as Limp Bizkit's greatest song.^[10][11]

Covers

• American singer-songwriter K.Flay has covered this song in her 2020 EP 'Don't Judge A Song By Its Cover,' along with Green Day's "Brain Stew" and The Offspring's "Self Esteem."^[12]
• Russian punk band Pussy Riot covered this song for use in an episode of the Netflix show In from the Cold.^[13]

Charts

Chart (1999–2025)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[14]	41
Germany (GfK)[15]	42
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16]	22
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17]	28
Portugal (AFP)[18]	9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19]	95
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[20]	14
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[21]	23
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[22]	14
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[23]	19

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[24]	Gold	300,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[25]	2× Platinum	60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[26]	Platinum	600,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.