Firestarter (3:45)

“Firestarter” is the tenth single released by the English band the Prodigy, released on 18 March 1996. It was the first single from the album The Fat of the Land. It was also the group’s first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, staying on top for three weeks.

It was The Prodigy’s first big national and international hit, also reaching number one in Finland and Norway. It featured Flint’s punky vocals which showcased him as the group’s frontman. The title and lyrics were subject of controversy in the UK because of their violent nature. The music video further boosted these controversies.

The songwriting credits—among Liam Howlett and Keith Flint—include Kim Deal of alt-rock group The Breeders. The looped wah-wah guitar riff in “Firestarter” was sampled from The Breeders’ track “S.O.S.” from the album Last Splash. Because of the use of a sample from a 1984 single “Close (To the Edit)” songwriting credits also list Art of Noise’s then-members: Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn, J.J. Jeczalik, Gary Langan and Paul Morley. The “Emperion Mix,” which does not include these samples, is credited solely to Howlett and Flint.