I’m a sucker for a good list. One of my favorites from back in the day was the annual 97x Modern Rock 500. For those who don’t know, 97x was a fantastic and influential radio station out of Oxford, Ohio. They played modern rock and were kind of a big deal. Almost every year between 1989 and 2009, the station ran a Memorial Day marathon counting down their 500 favorite Modern Rock tracks. Recently, I came across a set of most of the lists for the Modern Rock 500 on Craig Froehle’s website. And, of course, loving the idea of a Top 500 culled from all of those 500s I crunched some numbers, assigning the number 1 song for each year 500 points, the number 500 song 1 point, and following suit for all of the songs between. Then I had excel add it all up, arrange it in order from highest to lowest, and then I copy-and-pasted it here.
A couple of caveats–there are no lists for 1994 and 1998. Froehle’s website has lists for those years, but they appear to just be the 1995 list repeated. As such, I’ve left those lists out of the math. If the real 1994 and 1998 lists ever surface, I’ll re-do this whole thing. If you have either of those lists, send them my way! Also, I should note that there wasn’t a Modern Rock 500 in 2004.
Before we get to the list, you can check out a Spotify playlist with most of the songs here (a few of the songs aren’t streaming, and for a couple I could find only live versions. The missing songs are marked with asterisks on the list below).
Finally, I’m not sure there’s anything particularly revelatory here. If you listened to 97x and the Modern Rock 500…the songs you expect to be here are here. Still, it’s kind of cool to see a top 500 from all those years of marathons.
Oh, and if you want to see the raw data, you can find it here.
Ok, finally for real this time–band names and song titles are from various spreadsheets and the ways they were combined. I fixed a lot of them as I worked through the lists, but some of them did not get fixed, and I’ve got other projects to be working on instead of proofing the below list…so…apologies for any typos.
Artist | Song |
1. The Smiths | How Soon is Now? |
2. R.E.M. | Radio Free Europe |
3. Ramones | I Wanna Be Sedated |
4. Violent Femmes | Blister in the Sun |
5. Sex Pistols | Anarchy in the U.K. |
6. Talking Heads | Psycho Killer |
7. U2 | Sunday Bloody Sunday |
8. The B-52’s | Rock Lobster |
9. Joy Division | Love Will Tear Us Apart |
10. The Cure | Boys Don’t Cry |
11. The Police | Roxanne |
12. New Order | Bizarre Love Triangle |
13. The Cure | Just Like Heaven |
14. XTC | Dear God |
15. R.E.M. | It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) |
16. Elvis Costello | Alison |
17. Elvis Costello | (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding |
18. Bauhaus | Bela Lugosi’s Dead |
19. Dead Milkmen | Bitchin’ Camero |
20. The Clash | Rock the Casbah |
21. The Clash | Train in Vain |
22. Modern English | I Melt With You |
23. Camper Van Beethoven | Take the Skinheads Bowling |
24. Siouxsie and the Banshees | Cities in Dust |
25. Kate Bush | Running Up That Hill |
26. New Order | Blue Monday |
27. Depeche Mode | People Are People |
28. Squeeze | Tempted |
29. Jane’s Addiction | Been Caught Stealing |
30. The Psychedelic Furs | Pretty In Pink |
31. The Clash | Should I Stay Or Should I Go? |
32.The Jim Carroll Band | People Who Died |
33. Nirvana | Smells Like Teen Spirit |
34. Devo | Whip It |
35. Sex Pistols | God Save the Queen |
36. The Clash | London Calling |
37. Hüsker Dü | Makes No Sense At All |
38. Lou Reed | Walk on the Wild Side |
39. Elvis Costello | Pump It Up |
40. Midnight Oil | Beds are Burning |
41. Joe Jackson | Is She Really Going Out With Him? |
42. The Replacements | Alex Chilton |
43. Talking Heads | Burning Down the House |
44. U2 | Pride (In the Name of Love) |
45. R.E.M. | Losing My Religion |
46. The Psychedelic Furs | Love My Way |
47. Blondie | Rapture |
48. Pixies | Monkey Gone to Heaven |
49. Eurythmics | Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) |
50. Depeche Mode | Route 66 |
51. Ministry | Everyday is Halloween |
52. U2 | New Year’s Day |
53. Oingo Boingo | Dead Man’s Party |
54. Jane’s Addiction | Jane Says |
55. Nine Inch Nails | Head Like a Hole |
56. The Replacements | I Will Dare |
57. Bob Marley | Jamming |
58. Red Hot Chili Peppers | Under the Bridge |
59. Depeche Mode | Personal Jesus |
60. Royal Crescent Mob | Get On The Bus |
61. Wall of Voodoo | Mexican Radio |
62. The Boomtown Rats | I Don’t Like Mondays |
63. The Beat | Save It For Later |
64. Romeo Void | Never Say Never |
65. The Velvet Underground | Pale Blue Eyes |
66. Elvis Costello | Radio Radio |
67. Gary Numan | Cars |
68. Pearl Jam | Jeremy |
69. The Sugarcubes | Birthday |
70. Devo | (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction |
71. Frankie Goes to Hollywood | Relax |
72. Talking Heads | Life During Wartime |
73. Beck | Loser |
74. XTC | Senses Working Overtime |
75. The Nails | 88 Lines About 44 Women |
76. Pearl Jam | Alive |
77. Red Hot Chili Peppers | Give It Away |
78. Public Image Ltd. | Rise |
79. The Breeders | Cannonball |
80. Radiohead | Creep |
81. Smashing Pumpkins | Today |
82. U2 | With or Without You |
83. Cracker | Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now) |
84. U2 | I Will Follow |
85. Roxy Music | Love Is The Drug |
86. The Police | Message in a Bottle |
87. Nirvana | Come As You Are |
88. The B-52’s | Private Idaho |
89. The Church | Under the Milky Way |
90. R.E.M. | Orange Crush |
91. Talking Heads | Take Me to the River |
92. Talking Heads | Once in a Lifetime |
93. Love & Rockets | So Alive |
94. The Jam | Town Called Malice |
95. Patti Smith | Gloria |
96. XTC | Making Plans for Nigel |
97. The Beat | Mirror in the Bathroom |
98. Peter Gabriel | In Your Eyes |
99. The Afghan Whigs | Rebirth of the Cool |
100. Social Distortion | Ball and Chain |
101. The Vapors | Turning Japanese |
102. Matthew Sweet | Girlfriend |
103. R.E.M. | Pretty Persuasion |
104. U2 | One |
105. The Charlatans | The Only One I Know |
106. Killing Joke | Eighties |
107. James | Laid |
108. The Jesus and Mary Chain | Head On |
109. Simple Minds | Don’t You (Forget About Me) |
110. Pearl Jam | Even Flow |
111. Yaz | Situation |
112. Peter Murphy | Cuts You Up |
113. The Godfathers | Birth, School, Work, Death |
114. Sinéad O’Connor | Mandinka |
115. They Might Be Giants | Don’t Let’s Start |
116. The Velvet Underground | Rock & Roll |
117. New Order | Love Vigilantes |
118. The Smiths | Girlfriend in a Coma |
119. Tori Amos | Silent All These Years |
120. Patti Smith | Dancing Barefoot |
121. Thomas Dolby | She Blinded Me With Science* |
122. Cracker | Low |
123. Echo & The Bunnymen | Lips Like Sugar |
124. The Cure | Close To Me |
125. The Velvet Underground | Sweet Jane |
126. Lenny Kravitz | Are You Gonna Go My Way? |
127. Smashing Pumpkins | Disarm |
128. Pretenders | Message of Love |
129. Shriekback | Nemesis |
130. Beck | Where It’s At |
131. Pretenders | My City Was Gone |
132. The Cult | She Sells Sanctuary |
133. The Clash | Lost in the Supermarket |
134. Beastie Boys | (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) |
135. David Bowie | Changes |
136. Blondie | Heart of Glass |
137. The B-52’s | Love Shack |
138. Pixies | Here Comes Your Man |
139. Blur | Song 2 |
140. Beastie Boys | Sabotage |
141. R.E.M. | The One I Love |
142. R.E.M. | (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville |
143. R.E.M. | Stand |
144. New Order | True Faith |
145. Living Colour | Cult of Personality |
146. Tears for Fears | Shout |
147. Tears for Fears | Everybody Wants to Rule the World |
148. R.E.M. | Superman |
149. Nirvana | Heart-Shaped Box |
150. Green Day | Longview |
151. Iggy Pop | Lust for Life |
152. Depeche Mode | Blasphemous Rumors |
153. Nirvana | All Apologies |
154. Oasis | Wonderwall |
155. David Bowie | Space Oddity |
156. Squeeze | Black Coffee in Bed |
157. Talking Heads | And She Was |
158. Icicle Works | Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly) |
159. The Smithereens | Blood and Roses |
160. Time Zone | World Destruction |
161. Red Hot Chili Peppers | Higher Ground |
162. Television | Marquee Moon |
163. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers | Dodge Veg-O-Matic |
164. Faith No More | Epic |
165.The Stone Roses | I Wanna Be Adored |
166. Screaming Trees | Nearly Lost You |
167. The The | Uncertain Smile |
168. Love & Rockets | No New Tale To Tell |
169. The Cure | In Between Days |
170. Pavement | Cut Your Hair |
171. The Plimsouls | A Million Miles Away |
172. The Smiths | Bigmouth Strikes Again |
173. Soft Cell | Tainted Love |
174. Concrete Blonde | Joey |
175. Echo & The Bunnymen | Bring On The Dancing Horses |
176. Ramones | Do You Remember Rock ‘n Roll Radio? |
177. The Stooges | I Wanna Be Your Dog |
178. Björk | Human Behaviour |
179. The Cure | Let’s Go To Bed |
180. The Verve | Bittersweet Symphony |
181. Belly | Feed the Tree |
182. Pretenders | Brass In Pocket |
183. Happy Mondays | Step On |
184. The The | This is the Day |
185. Fugazi | Waiting Room |
186. The Cure | Why Can’t I Be You? |
187. Nine Inch Nails | Closer |
188. Talking Heads | Crosseyed and Painless |
189. The Police | Can’t Stand Losing You |
190. Depeche Mode | Never Let Me Down Again |
191. Midnight Oil | Blue Sky Mine |
192. Ramones | Blitzkrieg Bop |
193. Peter Gabriel | Shock the Monkey |
194. Siouxsie and the Banshees | Peek-a-Boo |
195. Blind Melon | No Rain |
196. The Afghan Whigs | Gentlemen |
197. Dead Kennedys | Holiday In Cambodia |
198. The Stone Roses | Fool’s Gold |
199. The Jam | That’s Entertainment |
200. Adam Ant | Goody Two Shoes |
201. David Bowie | Ziggy Stardust |
202. The Waterboys | The Whole of the Moon |
203. The Cult | Love Removal Machine |
204. Counting Crows | Mr. Jones |
205. Beastie Boys | So What’cha Want |
206. Tones on Tail | Go! |
207. Depeche Mode | Policy of Truth |
208. Radiohead | Fake Plastic Trees |
209. Talk Talk | Talk Talk |
210. Dada | Dizz Knee Land |
211. XTC | Mayor of Simpleton |
212. Porno for Pyros | Pets |
213. The Cure | The Love Cats |
214. Depeche Mode | Strangelove |
215. Pretenders | Middle of the Road |
216. Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper | Elvis is Everywhere |
217. Dexy’s Midnight Runners | Come On Eileen |
218. Soul Asylum | Runaway Train |
219. The Folk Implosion | Natural One* |
220. Urge Overkill | Sister Havana |
221. Joy Division | She’s Lost Control |
222. DNA/Suzanne Vega | Tom’s Diner |
223. The Alarm | 68 Guns |
224. Cake | The Distance |
225. The Smiths | Panic |
226. Duran Duran | Girls on Film |
227. Talk Talk | It’s My Life |
228. Eurythmics | Would I Lie to You? |
229. Sonic Youth | Teen Age Riot |
230. The The | Infected |
231. Echo & The Bunnymen | The Killing Moon |
232. Berlin | Sex (I’m A…) |
233. R.E.M. | Can’t Get There from Here |
234. 10,000 Maniacs | What’s The Matter Here? |
235. The La’s | There She Goes |
236. The Afghan Whigs | Debonair |
237. Radiohead | Paranoid Android |
238. Concrete Blonde | God is a Bullet |
239. Violent Femmes | Kiss Off |
240. Green Day | Welcome To Paradise |
241. Ministry | Stigmata |
242. Sonic Youth | Kool Thing |
243. Dead Milkmen | Punk Rock Girl |
244. They Might Be Giants | Birdhouse in Your Soul |
245. Guided by Voices | Teenage FBI |
246. The Call | The Walls Came Down |
247. Oasis | Supersonic |
248. The Flaming Lips | She Don’t Use Jelly |
249. The Replacements | I’ll Be You |
250. INXS | Don’t Change |
251. Love & Rockets | Ball of Confusion |
252. The Cure | Pictures of You |
253. Juliana Hatfield 3 | My Sister |
254. The Housemartins | Happy Hour |
255. Peter Gabriel | Sledgehammer |
256. Primus | Jerry Was A Race Car Driver |
257. PJ Harvey | Down by the Water |
258. Sinéad O’Connor | I Want Your (Hands On Me) |
259. Soul Asylum | Somebody To Shove |
260. Pearl Jam | Daughter |
261. Dramarama | Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You) |
262. Pixies | Where Is My Mind? |
263. Toad the Wet Sprocket | All I Want |
264. Madness | Our House |
265. U2 | Bad (Live) |
266. The Cure | Lovesong |
267. Simple Minds | Alive and Kicking |
268. The Smiths | The Queen is Dead |
269. Love & Rockets | Kundalini Express |
270. Elvis Costello | Watching the Detectives |
271. Dave Matthews Band | What Would You Say |
272. The Sundays | Here’s Where the Story Ends |
273. Veruca Salt | Seether |
274. The Replacements | Bastards of Young |
275. Violent Femmes | American Music |
276. Squeeze | Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) |
277. David Bowie | Suffragette City |
278. Jesus Jones | Right Here, Right Now |
279. Big Country | In A Big Country |
280. Adrian Belew | Oh Daddy |
281. Joe Jackson | Sunday Papers |
282. Blondie | Call Me |
283. Suicidal Tendencies | Institutionalized |
284. The Smiths | Ask |
285. Gang of Four | I Love a Man in Uniform |
286. U2 | Mysterious Ways |
287. Bob Marley | Get Up, Stand Up |
288. UB40 | Red Red Wine |
289. Beastie Boys | Intergalactic |
290. Depeche Mode | Just Can’t Get Enough |
291. Weezer | Undone – The Sweater Song |
292. My Bloody Valentine | Only Shallow |
293. The Dandy Warhols | Bohemian Like You |
294. Jeff Buckley | Last Goodbye |
295. The Alarm | Strength |
296. Nirvana | In Bloom |
297. Sisters of Mercy | This Corrosion |
298. The Psychedelic Furs | Heaven |
299. Buzzcocks | Ever Fallen In Love? |
300. Split Enz | I Got You* |
301. Urban Dance Squad | Deeper Shade of Soul |
302. Dinosaur Jr. | Start Choppin’ |
303. The Jesus and Mary Chain | Just Like Honey |
304. Depeche Mode | Enjoy The Silence |
305. Tracy Chapman | Fast Car |
306. Smashing Pumpkins | Bullet With Butterfly Wings |
307. L7 | Pretend We’re Dead |
308. The Smithereens | A Girl Like You |
309. The White Stripes | Seven Nation Army |
310. The Chemical Brothers | Block Rockin’ Beats |
311. Tears for Fears | Change |
312. The Smiths | There Is a Light That Never Goes Out |
313. INXS | The One Thing |
314. Bob Mould | Sunspots/Wishing Well |
315. U2 | Gloria |
316. Lou Reed | Dirty Blvd. |
317. The Clash | Police & Thieves |
318. Violent Femmes | Prove My Love |
319. Radiohead | Karma Police |
320. Soul Coughing | Super Bon Bon |
321. Liz Phair | Supernova |
322. Tori Amos | Cornflake Girl |
323. The Bears | Fear Is Never Boring |
324. Bow Wow Wow | I Want Candy |
325. Human League | Don’t You Want Me? |
326. Elliott Smith | Miss Misery |
327. MC 900 Ft. Jesus | The City Sleeps |
328. INXS | Original Sin |
329. David Bowie | Let’s Dance |
330. Iggy Pop | Real Wild Child (Wild One) |
331. The Offspring | Gotta Get Away |
332. Pixies | Gigantic |
333. Ramones | Sheena is a Punk Rocker |
334. The Nails | Things You Left Behind |
335. Peter Gabriel | Red Rain |
336. Talking Heads | Stay Up Late |
337. Pretenders | Stop Your Sobbing |
338. Portishead | Sour Times |
339. Soul Coughing | Screenwriter’s Blues |
340. The Specials | A Message to You Rudy |
341. Lo-Fidelity Allstars | Battle Flag |
342. Massive Attack | Safe From Harm |
343. Tori Amos | God |
344. The Offspring | Come Out And Play |
345. The Buggles | Video Killed the Radio Star |
346. Bob Marley & The Wailers | I Shot the Sheriff |
347. The Flaming Lips | Do You Realize?? |
348. Midnight Oil | Power and the Passion |
349. Kate Bush | Wuthering Heights |
350. Public Image Ltd. | Public Image |
351. 10,000 Maniacs | Candy Everybody Wants |
352. Everclear | Santa Monica |
353. The Psychedelic Furs | The Ghost In You |
354. Stereo MC’s | Connected |
355. Roxy Music | More Than This |
356. Fine Young Cannibals | She Drives Me Crazy |
357. Erasure | A Little Respect |
358. Ministry | Work for Love |
359. Fatboy Slim | The Rockafeller Skank |
360. The White Stripes | Fell In Love With A Girl |
361. Radiohead | Just |
362. The Replacements | The Ledge |
363. Smashing Pumpkins | Tonight, Tonight |
364. The Cure | Hot Hot Hot!!! |
365. INXS | What You Need |
366. David Bowie | Fashion |
367. The Special AKA | Free Nelson Mandela |
368. Eurythmics | Love is a Stranger |
369. Modest Mouse | Float On |
370. Robyn Hitchcock | Balloon Man |
371. Crowded House | Chocolate Cake |
372. Suzanne Vega | Luka |
373. Robyn Hitchcock | My Wife And My Dead Wife |
374. Soup Dragons | I’m Free |
375. Oasis | Live Forever |
376. Weezer | Buddy Holly |
377. R.E.M. | Man on the Moon |
378. Primus | Tommy The Cat |
379. The Police | So Lonely |
380. Bob Mould | See A Little Light |
381. Timbuk 3 | The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades |
382. The Postal Service | Such Great Heights |
383. Franz Ferdinand | Take Me Out |
384. Interpol | PDA |
385. Cake | Never There |
386. Iggy Pop | Candy |
387. Morrissey | Tomorrow |
388. Butthole Surfers | Pepper |
389. The Proclaimers | I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) |
390. Paul Westerberg | Dyslexic Heart |
391. Gorillaz | Clint Eastwood |
392. Toad the Wet Sprocket | Hold Her Down |
393. Pulp | Common People |
394. Tom Tom Club | Genius Of Love |
395. Too Much Joy | Crush Story |
396. Billy Bragg | Sexuality |
397. Radiohead | Optimistic |
398. Elastica | Connection |
399. 10,000 Maniacs | Trouble Me |
400. Guadalcanal Diary | Always Saturday |
401. The Police | Don’t Stand So Close To Me |
402. Duran Duran | Hungry Like the Wolf |
403. 10,000 Maniacs | These Are Days |
404. Trio | Da Da Da |
405. Coldplay | Yellow |
406. Wilco | Heavy Metal Drummer |
407. R.E.M. | Driver 8 |
408. Guadalcanal Diary | Watusi Rodeo |
409. The Shins | New Slang |
410. Live | I Alone |
411. Meat Puppets | Backwater |
412. Gin Blossoms | Hey Jealousy |
413. Missing Persons | Words |
414. Aztec Camera | Oblivious |
415. Fishbone | Party at Ground Zero |
416. INXS | New Sensation |
417. The Police | Every Breath You Take |
418. The Cranberries | Dreams |
419. The Smithereens | Behind the Wall of Sleep |
420. Hoodoo Gurus | Miss Freelove ’69 |
421. Catherine Wheel | Black Metallic |
422. Peter Gabriel | Steam |
423. Go-Go’s | We Got The Beat |
424. Blondie | One Way Or Another |
425. The Mighty Lemon Drops | Inside Out* |
426. Pretenders | Talk of the Town |
427. Morrissey | November Spawned a Monster |
428. Sonic Youth | 100% |
429. Blur | Girls and Boys |
430. Julian Cope | World Shut Your Mouth |
431. The Chemical Brothers | Let Forever Be |
432. Erasure | Chorus |
433. David Bowie | Heroes |
434. Joe Jackson | I’m the Man |
435. Alice In Chains | Would? |
436. Men Without Hats | Safety Dance |
437. Prodigy | Firestarter |
438. Pixies | Debaser |
439. The B-52’s | Planet Claire |
440. Modest Mouse | Polar Opposites |
441. Peter Gabriel | Biko |
442. Buffalo Tom | Taillights Fade |
443. Dinosaur Jr. | Feel The Pain |
444. The Smiths | Is It Really So Strange? |
445. The Cure | Friday I’m In Love |
446. Live | Pain Lies On the Riverside |
447. Interpol | Obstacle 1 |
448. Sting | All This Time |
449. The Offspring | Self-Esteem |
450. The Cranberries | Zombie |
451. EMF | Unbelievable |
452. Spoon | Everything Hits At Once |
453. Peter Gabriel | Games Without Frontiers |
454. Devo | Through Being Cool |
455. Devo | Jocko Homo |
456. Big Audio Dynamite | Medicine Show |
457. Fine Young Cannibals | Johnny Come Home |
458. They Might Be Giants | Istanbul (Not Constantinople) |
459. General Public | Tenderness |
460. The Alarm | Rain in The Summertime |
461. Barenaked Ladies | Be My Yoko Ono |
462. Camper Van Beethoven | Good Guys & Bad Guys |
463. Nirvana | Lithium |
464. 10,000 Maniacs | Like The Weather |
465. The Jam | Going Underground |
466. Mazzy Star | Fade Into You |
467. Adam Ant | Desperate, But Not Serious |
468. Suede | Metal Mickey |
469. The Shins | So Says I |
470. Violent Femmes | Gone Daddy Gone |
471. The Strokes | Last Nite |
472. BoDeans | Dreams |
473. Tricky | Black Steel |
474. Social Distortion | Bad Luck |
475. Garbage | I Think I’m Paranoid |
476. U2 | Where The Streets Have No Name |
477. Material Issue | Valerie Loves Me |
478. Mission Of Burma | That’s When I Reach For My Revolver |
479. Stan Ridgway | I Wanna Be a Boss |
480. Erasure | Oh L’Amour |
481. Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Maps |
482. Sisters of Mercy | Lucretia My Reflection |
483. Pet Shop Boys | West End Girls |
484. G. Love & Special Sauce | Rodeo Clowns |
485. Adam & The Ants | Antmusic |
486. Ben Folds Five | Underground |
487. Nine Inch Nails | Down In It |
488. Red Hot Chili Peppers | Show Me Your Soul |
489. The Cure | Never Enough |
490. Wilco | Monday |
491. Pavement | Stereo |
492. Midnight Oil | Forgotten Years |
493. R.E.M. | What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? |
494. Nirvana | About A Girl |
495.The Clash | The Magnificent Seven |
496. Arcade Fire | Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) |
497. The Replacements | Here Comes a Regular |
498. Guadalcanal Diary | Litany (Life Goes On) |
499. Smashing Pumpkins | Drown |
500. Seal | Crazy |