Song · Avett Brothers
“Ain't No Man” by Avett Brothers
From the album True Sadness (2016)
“Ain't No Man” by Avett Brothers appears on 21 radio countdowns from 16 stations between 2016 and 2026. It was first released in 2016 on the album True Sadness. Its best result is #4 on the WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2016. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #59 alternative song of 2016.
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"Ain't No Man" comes from True Sadness, the Avett Brothers' 2016 album, and it's the band at its most stripped and stompy. Scott and Seth Avett share the lead vocals and wrote it with bassist Bob Crawford, and the whole band pitches in on percussion and backing vocals, so the song rides on a shared rhythm and a crowd of voices singing together like a congregation.
Around that bare frame there's a surprising stock of instruments: Scott's banjo, harmonica and synthesizer, Seth's electric guitar and keyboards, Crawford on electric upright bass, viola and guitarrón, Paul Defiglia on Hammond, piano and Wurlitzer, Joe Kwon's cello, Tania Elizabeth's violin and Mike Marsh on drums. It all stays tight and lean, a defiant, chest-thumping strut.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 66 | CD101 Columbus, OH | CD101 Top 102.5 Songs of 2016 | 103 |
| 2016 | 10 | 92.3 WTTS Indianapolis-Bloomington, IN | WTTS Top 50 Songs of 2016 | 50 |
| 2016 | 5 | 90.9 The Bridge Kansas City, MO | 90.9 The Bridge Top 100 Songs of 2016 | 90 |
| 2016 | 9 | 107.1 The Peak Westchester County, NY | WXPK Top 107 Songs of 2016 | 107 |
| 2016 | 13 | WBER Rochester, NY | WBER Listener Countdown 2016 | 117 |
| 2016 | 71 | 88.3 The Sting Cleveland, OH | 88.3 The Sting WBWC Top 88 Songs of 2016 | 88 |
| 2016 | 28 | The Current Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | The Current Top 89 Songs of 2016 | 89 |
| 2016 | 51 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 2016 | 103 |
| 2016 | 33 | WERS 88.9 Boston, MA | WERS Top 88 Songs of 2016 | 88 |
| 2016 | 4 | WFUV New York, NY | WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2016 | 90 |
| 2016 | 12 | WRNR 103.1 Annapolis, MD | WRNR Top 103.1 Songs of 2016 | 104 |
| 2016 | 78 | WTMD Baltimore, MD | WTMD Top 89 Songs of 2016 | 89 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 834 | WYEP | WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 | 1017 |
| 2019 | 834 | WYEP | WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 | 1099 |
| 2022 | 940 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022 | 603 |
| 2024 | 573 | WXPN | WXPN The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century (2024) | 885 |
| 2025 | 833 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century | 909 |
| 2025 | 757 | The Current | 893 Essential Songs of The Current: 2005 to Now | 893 |
| 2025 | 289 | WYEP | WYEP Best Songs of the 21st Century (So Far) | 714 |
| 2025 | 468 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs | 800 |
| 2026 | 453 | KXT | KXT 917 Song Countdown | 917 |
Also listed as: Ain't No man.
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