View source for ZERO

{{Ready}}
{{Infobox Single
| Name           = ZERO
| Cover          = 11s.jpg
| Artist         = [[B'z]]
| from Album     = [[RUN]]
| Released       = October 7, 1992
| Recorded       = 
| Length         = 8:36
| Label          = [[BMG Rooms]]<br>[[Vermillion Records]] <small>(2003 Remaster)</small>
| Producer       = [[Tak Matsumoto]]
| Promotions     = 
| Last single    = '''10th Single'''<br>[[File:10s.jpg|link=BLOWIN'|border|65px|right]]<br>[[BLOWIN']]<br>(1992)
| This single    = '''11th Single'''<br>[[File:11s.jpg|link=|border|65px|right]]<br>'''ZERO'''<br/>(1992)
| Next single    = '''12th Single'''<br>[[File:12s.jpg|link=Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni Boku wa Kimi Dake wo Kizutsukenai|border|65px|right]]<br>[[Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni Boku wa Kimi Dake wo Kizutsukenai|Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni...]]<br>(1993)
}}

'''ZERO''' is the eleventh [[B'z Singles|single]] by [[B'z]], released on October 7, 1992. The lead and only single from ''[[RUN]]'' and released just a few weeks ahead of said album, it is here that B'z began to fully divorce themselves from their dance-rock roots and embraced a more classical rock and roll approach. It was approached with great trepidation by both the band and their management at the time, as it was thought the hard rock sound of "ZERO" could alienate their existing fanbase that had only just two years prior launched them to number one and made them a top act in the Japanese music scene. Despite being labeled a "gamble" at the time, it paid off and has become a trademark song for B'z as well as their most played live song with nearly 500 performances to date. It has been recorded onto every applicable [[B'z Albums#Compilation Albums|compilation album]], including ''[[B'z The Best "Pleasure"]]'', ''[[B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure"]]'', and ''[[B'z The Best XXV 1988-1998]]''.

The title song was created during and premiered live as part of the final four dates of [[B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure'92 "TIME"]]. When it was time for choosing a single for ''[[RUN]]'', "ZERO" was considered a good candidate although it was undoubtedly a risk and, as described by Tak, "a big gamble to try this as a single". Staff members and executives advising the band recommended the song be given a [[B'z Tie-in Promotions|tie-in promotion]] but Tak decided against it, stating only he "wanted to fight it out" with the song standing on its own this time. This was the first since "[[LADY-GO-ROUND]]" to attempt as much. Because they had invested so much in achieving this new sound, when Koshi was informed the song had instantly become a hit on the charts, he recounted that being "the happiest I'd ever been to that point." It has since appeared at almost every [[LIVE-GYM]] that followed and recorded on multiple [[B'z Home Videos|home videos]].

In a very rare incidence of a B-side rivaling its A-side, "Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO)" has become the most treasured non-single in the B'z catalogue. It was at one time post-release gauged as being more popular than its companion title song, though it bears noting the band were not entirely happy with that result, as they had long wanted to transition into the hard-rock numbers that "ZERO" exemplified. Tak noted it as a great compliment to the A-side, calling it "a very good opposite to 'ZERO'".

As the band were not typically making dedicated [[B'z Music Videos|music videos]] at the time, "ZERO" had live footage substituted for television video requests. No [[B'z Tie-in Promotions|tie-in]] was arranged for the song, but it was performed twice during ''[[Music Station]]'' in October and their annual "SUPER LIVE" December special for the year of its release.

The single debuted at number one on the Weekly Oricon Singles chart at release, where it remained for two weeks in a row. With first week sales of over 615,000 and eventual sales doubling that, it is one of the band's best-selling singles to date. Finishing eleventh for the year of 1992 and lasting for 28 weeks on the charts in all, "ZERO" was later awarded Million classification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

The single was simultaneously remastered and re-released on March 26, 2003 along with nine other of the band's older singles and the then-latest single, "[[IT'S SHOWTIME!!]]". On the daily chart at launch, B'z held a monopoly over the chart's top eleven slots, with the new single ranking at the top and the re-issues covering the remaining ten. Ultimately, B'z would set a record that week for holding nine of the Top 10 slots for the week of release, with "ZERO" coming in fourth place.

== Track listing ==
All music and guitar by [[Tak Matsumoto]]. All lyrics and lead vocals by [[Koshi Inaba]].

#'''[[ZERO (Lyrics)|ZERO]]'''
#: [[File:s11_01.ogg]] {{ZERO Song}}
#'''[[Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) (Lyrics)|Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO)]]''' — ''My Heart in Love'', 恋心 (KOI-GOKORO)
#:[[File:s11_02.ogg]] {{Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) Song}}

== Reversion history ==
{{Main|B'z Reversioned Songs}}
{|class=wikitable width="90%"
|-
! width="30%"| Original Song
! width="70%"| Reversion History
|-
{{ZERO Versions}}
{{Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) Versions}}
|}

== Live appearances ==
===[[B'z Songs by LIVE-GYM|Live Performances]]===
{{ZERO Live}}
{{Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) Live}}

===[[B'z Songs on Home Video|Home Videos]]===
{{ZERO Video}}
{{Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) Video}}

== Sales data ==
{{Main|B'z Sales Records}}

{|class=wikitable width="85%"
|-
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:50px;" rowspan="2" | No.
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:45px;" rowspan="2" | Cover
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:370px;" rowspan="2" | Single
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:150px;" colspan="2" | Physical Copies Sold
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:150px;" colspan="3" | Chart Positions
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:110px;" rowspan="2" | Certification

|-
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>FIRST WEEK</small>
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>LIFETIME</small>

!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>WEEK</small>
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>MONTH</small>
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>YEAR</small>

{{ZERO Sales}} 

|}

== Personnel ==
{{Main|B'z Support Members}}

'''B'z'''
*[[Tak Matsumoto]]: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
*[[Koshi Inaba]]: Vocals, Lyric Composition

'''Support Members'''
*[[Ikkoh Tanaka]]: Drums
*[[Masao Akashi]]: Bass, Arrangement
*[[Kazuki Katsuta]]: Saxophone
*[[Hiroshi Sawano]]: Trumpet
*[[Hiroyuki Nomura]]: Trombone
*[[Yuki Takahara]]: Chorus <small>(Track 2)</small>

'''Production'''
*[[B+U+M]]
*[[Chris Bellman]]: Remastering (2003 reissue, Bernie Grundman Mastering L.A., U.S.A.)