 " Adam 's Song " peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart ; it was also a top 25 hit in Canada and Italy , but did not replicate its success on other charts . It received praise from music critics , who considered it a change of pace from the trio 's more lighthearted singles . The single 's music video , a hit on MTV , was directed by Liz Friedlander . Though the song was intended to inspire hope to those struggling with depression , it encountered controversy when a student of Columbine High School committed suicide with the track on repeat in 2000 . 
