"Popular" was also a hit in Iceland, topping the country's chart for two weeks, and in France, where it reached number 10 and received a gold certification for sales of over 250,000.

The whole song, except for the chorus, are parts made up from the 1964 teen advice book Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity, written by Gloria Winters.

The song was originally scheduled to be serviced to US alternative radio on June 10, 1996, but its growing popularity prompted Elektra Records to move the release date forward to May 1996.

"[8] The music video for the song, directed by Jesse Peretz, was shot at Bayonne High School, with administration approval, and showed football players and cheerleaders, wearing the uniforms of the school, as well as the three members of the band, Matthew as a teacher, Daniel as a security guard, and Ira as the football coach.

The cheerleader in the music video was portrayed by then 18-year-old Sarah Sebestyen, a student at the time at Professional Children's School in Manhattan.