Free to Decide

"Free to Decide"
Single by the Cranberries
from the album To the Faithful Departed
B-side	"The Picture I View"
Released	1 July 1996 (1996-07-01)[1]
Length	4:26
Label	Island
Songwriter(s)	Dolores O'Riordan
Producer(s)	Bruce Fairbairn, the Cranberries
The Cranberries singles chronology
"Salvation" (1996) "Free to Decide" (1996) "When You're Gone" (1997)
Music video
"Free to Decide" on YouTube

"Free to Decide" is a song by Irish rock band the Cranberries, released as the second single from their third studio album, To the Faithful Departed (1996), on 1 July 1996. The song achieved minor chart success in Europe but became a top-10 hit in Canada, peaking at number two on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. In the United States, it peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eight on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. In 2017, the song was released as an acoustic version on the band's Something Else album.^[2]

Composition

The song is written in the key of G major with a tempo of 118 beats per minute.^[3]

Music video

The music video was directed by Marty Callner and was shot in a desert. Dolores O'Riordan escapes from the press and drives in her jeep as her band performs with yellow walls behind them. Dolores appears in a white outfit singing the song in a birdcage and dancing by a giant picture frame. At the end of the video, the last 30 seconds plays the interlude where the whole video reverses back to the beginning.

Track listings

UK CD1[4] "Free to Decide" "Cordell" "The Picture I View" UK CD2[5] "Free to Decide" "Salvation" (live at Milton Keynes Bowl) "Bosnia" UK cassette single[6] "Free to Decide" "Cordell" European CD single[7] "Free to Decide" – 4:25 "Salvation" (live at Milton Keynes Bowl) – 2:22 European maxi-CD single[8] "Free to Decide" "Salvation" (live at Milton Keynes Bowl) "Sunday" (live at The Point, Dublin) "Dreaming My Dreams" (live at The Point, Dublin)

Australian and Japanese CD single[9][10] "Free to Decide" "The Picture I View" "Salvation" (live at Milton Keynes Bowl) "Ridiculous Thoughts" (live at The Point, Dublin) US, Canadian, and Japanese maxi-CD single (with "When You're Gone")[11][12] "When You're Gone" (edit) – 4:29 "Free to Decide" (album version) – 4:24 "Free to Decide" (live at Pine Knob, Clarkston, Michigan, 18 August 1996) – 3:11 "Cordell" – 3:40 "Zombie" (from MTV Unplugged) – 4:54 "Zombie" (A Camel's Hump remix) – 7:53 Screensaver US CD, 7-inch, and cassette single (with "When You're Gone")[13][14][15] "When You're Gone" – 4:55 "Free to Decide" – 4:24

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[16] 43 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[17] 2 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[18] 31 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[19] 2 Czech Republic (IFPI CR)[20] 9 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[21] 63 France (SNEP)[22] 43 Germany (GfK)[23] 94 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[24] 5 Ireland (IRMA)[25] 28 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[26] 19 Scotland (OCC)[27] 39 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[28] 40 UK Singles (OCC)[29] 33 US Billboard Hot 100[30] with "When You're Gone" 22 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[31] 6 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[32] 23 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[33] 8 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[34] 16

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[35] 29 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[36] 36 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[37] 70 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[38] 55 US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[39] 60 US Triple-A (Billboard)[38] 17

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	1 July 1996	CD cassette	Island	[40]
Japan	15 August 1996	CD		[41]

References

1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 29 June 1996. p. 31. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
2. "The Cranberries Announce New Acoustic Album Something Else, Share "Linger": Listen". Pitchfork. March 14, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
3. https://tunebat.com/Info/Free-To-Decide-The-Cranberries/42e1QfTyPYWuoddr0ghc0i
4. Free to Decide (UK CD1 liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. CID 637, 854 705-2.
5. Free to Decide (UK CD2 liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. CIDX 637, 854 703-2.
6. Free to Decide (UK cassette single sleeve). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. CIS 637, 854 704-4.
7. Free to Decide (European CD single liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. 854 700-2.
8. Free to Decide (European maxi-CD single liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. 854 709-2.
9. Free to Decide (Australian CD single liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. 854 701-2.
10. Free to Decide (Japanese CD single liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. PHCR-8367.
11. When You're Gone / Free to Decide (US & Canadian maxi-CD single liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. 422-854 825-2.
12. When You're Gone / Free to Decide (Japanese maxi-CD single liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. PHCR-4765.
13. When You're Gone / Free to Decide (US CD single liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. 422-854 802-2.
14. When You're Gone / Free to Decide (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. 422-854 802-7.
15. When You're Gone / Free to Decide (US cassette single sleeve). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1996. 422-854 802-4.
16. "The Cranberries – Free to Decide". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
17. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9529." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
18. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9819." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
19. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 8496." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
20. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 41. 12 October 1996. p. 18. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
21. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 31. 3 August 1996. p. 14. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
22. "The Cranberries – Free to Decide" (in French). Les classement single.
23. "The Cranberries – Free to Decide" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
24. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (17.8. – 23.8. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 17 August 1996. p. 42. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
25. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Free to Decide". Irish Singles Chart.
26. "The Cranberries – Free to Decide". Top 40 Singles.
27. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
28. "The Cranberries – Free to Decide". Singles Top 100.
29. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
30. "The Cranberries Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
31. "The Cranberries Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
32. "The Cranberries Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
33. "The Cranberries Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
34. "The Cranberries Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
35. "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
36. "RPM Year End Alternative Top 50". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
37. "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
38. "Airplay Monitor Best of '96" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. 27 December 1996. p. 24. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
39. "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. 27 December 1996. p. 30. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
40. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 29 June 1996. p. 31. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
41. "フリー・トゥ・ディサイド | ザ・クランベリーズ" [Free to Decide | The Cranberries] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 13 December 2023.