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Better Than Ezra
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Artist · chart history · #563 in indie & aaa artist polls

Better Than Ezra

Band Baton Rouge United States Formed 1988

Better Than Ezra formed in 1988 in Baton Rouge, United States. Better Than Ezra has 142 chart appearances on 70 radio countdowns from 35 stations on RockLists, spanning 1995–2025. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Good”, which appears on 50 lists with a best position of #3. The station that charted Better Than Ezra most often is CD101 (Columbus, OH), with 50 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 1995.

142appearances
70countdowns
14songs charted
35stations
0#1 finishes
1995–2025years

Better Than Ezra came together in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1988 and now call New Orleans home, and they play the kind of alternative rock that goes down easy without going soft. Kevin Griffin sings and plays guitar, with a clear, yearning voice that knows exactly where the hook is, and the band has long since settled around him with Tom Drummond on bass, Michael Jerome on drums and James Arthur Payne Jr. on guitar and keyboards.

Deluxe, from 1993, is the one that made them, going multi-platinum on the strength of "Good", a jangling, wide-open singalong with a chorus built for car stereos that climbed to No. 1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart. "In the Blood" and "Rosealia" came from the same album, and they're just as sticky.

Friction, Baby, in 1996, darkened the palette with "Desperately Wanting" and "King of New Orleans", How Does Your Garden Grow? brought "At the Stars", and Closer added "A Lifetime". They have kept at it through nine studio albums, the latest being Super Magick in 2024.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

Songs by Better Than Ezra on radio countdowns

#SongStrengthListsBest#1sPeak year
1 Good
2,929		 50 #3 – 1995
2 Desperately Wanting
1,108		 30 #13 – 1997
3 In The Blood
899		 22 #12 – 1995
4 King of New Orleans
382		 13 #36 – 1996
5 At the Stars
375		 12 #75 – 1999
6 A Lifetime
131		 3 #47 – 2005
7 One More Murder
113		 2 #39 – 1998
8 Black Light
65		 1 #37 – 2009
9 Absolutely Still
22		 1 #79 – 2009
10 Live a Little
15		 1 #92 – 2024
11 Rosealia
10		 2 #84 – 1995
12 Conjunction Junction
3		 1 #1948 – –
13 So Alive
2		 1 #102 – 2009
14 Extra Ordinary
2		 1 #105 – 2001

Albums with charting songs

Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.

Year-end chart timeline

Combined year-end countdown points per year. Taller bars mean more songs placing higher across more stations.

95 96 97 98 99 01 05 09 24

Every countdown appearance

Year#SongCountdown
2025 282 Good WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s
2024 92 Live a Little WXPK Top 107 Songs of 2024
2023 133 Good 105.9 The X July 420 (2023)
2023 270 Desperately Wanting 105.9 The X July 420 (2023)
2023 282 Good WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023)
2023 499 Desperately Wanting WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023)
2023 245 Good The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s
2023 563 Desperately Wanting The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s
2022 141 Good 105.9 The X July 420 (2022)
2022 264 Desperately Wanting 105.9 The X July 420 (2022)
2022 181 Desperately Wanting The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s
2022 390 In The Blood The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s
2022 474 One More Murder The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s
2022 658 Good The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s
2022 700 A Lifetime 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s
2022 883 One More Murder The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s
2021 142 Good 105.9 The X July 420 (2021)
2021 280 Desperately Wanting 105.9 The X July 420 (2021)
2021 102 Good 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2021 280 In The Blood 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2021 505 At the Stars 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2021 902 Rosealia 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2020 156 Good 105.9 The X July 420 (2020)
2020 233 Good The DC101 Top 500
2020 272 Desperately Wanting 105.9 The X July 420 (2020)
2019 247 Good WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019)
2015 336 Good WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015)
2015 485 Desperately Wanting WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015)
2014 1090 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 1373 At the Stars CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 1570 Good CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 404 Good WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014)
2014 473 Desperately Wanting WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014)
2013 1037 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 1315 At the Stars CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 1516 Good CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2011 991 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 1262 At the Stars CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 1462 Good CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2010 960 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 1208 At the Stars CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 1400 Good CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2009 37 Black Light WEQX Top 102.7 of 2009
2009 79 Absolutely Still Lightning 100 Top 100 Songs of 2009
2009 102 So Alive WEQX Top 102.7 of 2009
2009 930 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 1174 At the Stars CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 1368 Good CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2008 907 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008 1153 At the Stars CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008 1343 Good CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2007 921 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 1092 At the Stars CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 1363 Good CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 369 Good KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007)
2006 566 Artist ranking WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Artists (2006)
2005 47 A Lifetime Channel 104.9 Top 104.9 Songs of 2005
2005 193 A Lifetime ModernRock.com Top 400 Songs of 2005
2005 242 Good CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1414 In The Blood CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1558 King of New Orleans CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1620 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 337 Good 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005)
2005 581 Desperately Wanting 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005)
2005 774 In The Blood 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005)
2004 298 Good The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004)
2004 242 Good CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1415 In The Blood CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1559 King of New Orleans CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1623 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 248 Good Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004)
2003 323 Good WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003)
2003 241 Good CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1415 In The Blood CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1559 King of New Orleans CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1623 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2002 304 Good WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002)
2002 241 Good CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1429 In The Blood CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1555 King of New Orleans CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1633 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 428 Good Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1203 King of New Orleans Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1387 In The Blood Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2001 105 Extra Ordinary G106.3 Top 106 Songs of 2001
2001 241 Good CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1431 In The Blood CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1560 King of New Orleans CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1641 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 201 Good WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001)
2001 249 Desperately Wanting WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001)
2000 241 Good CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1429 In The Blood CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1560 King of New Orleans CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1641 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 52 Good DC101 Top 101 Rock Songs of the 90s
1999 75 At the Stars WFNX Top 99 Songs of 1999
1999 78 At the Stars Radio & Records Top 104 Songs of 1999
1999 494 Good Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 854 In The Blood Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 222 Good WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 451 Good The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 780 In The Blood The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 241 Good CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1429 In The Blood CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1560 King of New Orleans CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1640 Desperately Wanting CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1948 Conjunction Junction CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 195 Good WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999)
1999 299 In The Blood WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999)
1999 329 Desperately Wanting WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999)
1998 39 One More Murder WEQX Top 102.7 of 1998
1998 102 At the Stars WEQX Top 102.7 of 1998
1998 100 At the Stars Radio & Records Top 103 Songs of 1998
1997 72 Desperately Wanting Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997
1997 56 Desperately Wanting WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997
1997 13 Desperately Wanting 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997
1997 46 King of New Orleans 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997
1997 44 Desperately Wanting Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997
1996 64 King of New Orleans WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1996
1996 81 King of New Orleans The End Top 107 Songs of 1996
1996 101 King of New Orleans WBCN Top 104 Songs of 1996
1996 36 King of New Orleans Radio & Records Top 96 Songs of 1996
1995 36 Good KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1995
1995 63 In The Blood KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1995
1995 14 Good 91X Top 91 Songs of 1995
1995 84 Rosealia 91X Top 91 Songs of 1995
1995 88 In The Blood 91X Top 91 Songs of 1995
1995 5 Good Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1995
1995 21 In The Blood Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1995
1995 9 Good WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1995
1995 22 In The Blood WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1995
1995 11 Good WMRQ Top 104 Songs of 1995
1995 23 Good The Buzz Top 103 Alternative Songs of '95
1995 31 Good WBER Listener Countdown 1995
1995 36 In The Blood WMRQ Top 104 Songs of 1995
1995 85 In The Blood The Buzz Top 103 Alternative Songs of '95
1995 3 Good Radio & Records Top 95 Songs of 1995
1995 12 In The Blood Radio & Records Top 95 Songs of 1995
1995 37 Good WDRE Top 103.9 Songs of 1995
1995 49 In The Blood WDRE Top 103.9 Songs of 1995
1995 35 Good Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995)

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