Album · The Decemberists
The King Is Dead by The Decemberists
The King Is Dead is an album by The Decemberists, released in 2011. 6 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 107 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Down By The Water”, on 36 lists with a best position of #8.
The King Is Dead, the Decemberists' sixth album, came out on Capitol on January 14, 2011, and it's the sound of Colin Meloy's Portland band leaving the old country behind and heading out onto American back roads. After three records steeped in the British folk revival, Meloy said he wanted to reconnect with American traditions, and the songs here come out rootsy, plainspoken and short enough to hum on the way home.
"Down by the Water" rolls along like a lost country-rock single and earned a Best Rock Song nomination at the 54th Grammys, "This Is Why We Fight" gets its fists up and reached number 19 on the Alternative Songs chart, and "Calamity Song" and "June Hymn" round out the pastoral mood. It went to number one on the Billboard 200, and that November the band cleared out the vaults for Long Live the King, an EP of outtakes.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from The King Is Dead on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Down By The Water | 36 | #8 | – | 2010–2026 | |
| 2 | This Is Why We Fight | 36 | #2 | – | 2011–2025 | |
| 3 | Calamity Song | 26 | #6 | – | 2011–2026 | |
| 4 | June Hymn | 4 | #12 | – | 2011–2024 | |
| 5 | Don't Carry It All | 4 | #60 | – | 2011–2024 | |
| 6 | Rise To Me | 1 | #745 | – | 2013 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.