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Artist · chart history · #225 in alternative artist polls

Big Country

Band Dunfermline United Kingdom Formed 1981

Big Country formed in 1981 in Dunfermline, United Kingdom. Big Country has 103 chart appearances on 83 radio countdowns from 24 stations on RockLists, spanning 1983–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “In a Big Country”, which appears on 77 lists with a best position of #3. The station that charted Big Country most often is CD101 (Columbus, OH), with 21 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 1983.

103appearances
83countdowns
8songs charted
24stations
0#1 finishes
1983–2026years

Big Country formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981 around Stuart Adamson, formerly of the Skids, and by the time Bruce Watson on guitar, Tony Butler on bass and Mark Brzezicki on drums had joined up, they'd found a sound as wide open as the Highlands. Adamson and Watson made their guitars keen and skirl like bagpipes, and the rhythm section drove it all forward like a marching band.

The Crossing, in 1983, went to number three in Britain and gave them their only American top 40 hit, "In a Big Country", a rousing, fist-in-the-air anthem, and the band picked up a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. "Fields of Fire" burned just as bright. Steeltown, in 1984, and The Seer, in 1986, both made the UK top ten; The Seer produced "Look Away", a number one in Ireland, and Kate Bush turned up on the title track. Peace in Our Time followed in 1988.

Adamson died in December 2001, and the classic lineup ended with him. The survivors regrouped in 2007 to tour for the band's anniversary, later adding singer Mike Peters and a rotating cast of bassists, and in 2013 put out The Journey, their first new studio album in 14 years.

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

Songs by Big Country on radio countdowns

#SongStrengthListsBest#1sPeak year
1 In a Big Country
3,889		 77 #3 – 1983
2 Look Away
522		 13 #25 – 1986
3 Fields of Fire
180		 6 #55 – 1983
4 King of Emotion
72		 2 #71 – 1988
5 Wonderland
61		 1 #42 – 1984
6 Just a Shadow
15		 1 #1736 – –
7 Where the Rose is Sown
8		 1 #98 – 1984
8 The Teacher
2		 1 #2006 – –

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.

83 84 86 88

Every countdown appearance

Year#SongCountdown
2026 531 In a Big Country WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time
2026 320 In a Big Country WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s
2025 601 In a Big Country Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025)
2025 380 In a Big Country The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs
2024 263 In a Big Country WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years
2024 907 In a Big Country Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024)
2023 63 In a Big Country 91X Top 91 Songs of The Last 40 Years
2023 136 In a Big Country WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023
2023 375 In a Big Country 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time
2023 831 In a Big Country Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023)
2023 60 In a Big Country The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s
2023 778 Fields of Fire The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s
2023 218 In a Big Country The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places
2022 382 In a Big Country 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022)
2022 499 In a Big Country X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time
2022 825 In a Big Country Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022)
2021 16 In a Big Country 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s
2020 849 In a Big Country WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time
2014 1188 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2013 1210 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2012 719 In a Big Country WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012)
2011 1154 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2010 1115 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 496 In a Big Country WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010)
2009 1073 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2008 1079 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2007 1153 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2006 479 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006)
2006 94 In a Big Country The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006)
2005 419 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005)
2005 458 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1163 Look Away CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 952 In a Big Country 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005)
2005 90 In a Big Country 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 70s & 80s
2004 456 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1163 Look Away CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 715 In a Big Country WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004)
2003 456 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1163 Look Away CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 206 In a Big Country Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1041 King of Emotion Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1736 Just a Shadow Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 2006 The Teacher Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2002 355 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002)
2002 456 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1178 Look Away CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 389 In a Big Country Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1064 Fields of Fire Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1606 Look Away Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2001 395 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001)
2001 456 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1179 Look Away CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 385 In a Big Country WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001)
2000 394 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000)
2000 455 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1175 Look Away CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
1999 495 In a Big Country 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999)
1999 441 In a Big Country Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 905 Fields of Fire Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 140 In a Big Country WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 333 In a Big Country WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999)
1999 287 In a Big Country The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 153 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999)
1999 455 In a Big Country CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1174 Look Away CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 204 In a Big Country CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999)
1999 82 In a Big Country Channel 104.9 Top 101 Songs of the '80s (February 1999)
1998 137 In a Big Country KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998)
1996 330 In a Big Country KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996)
1996 217 In a Big Country Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996)
1996 196 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996)
1995 198 In a Big Country KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995)
1995 108 In a Big Country Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995)
1994 224 In a Big Country KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994)
1994 66 In a Big Country Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994)
1994 174 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994)
1992 155 In a Big Country KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992)
1992 175 In a Big Country Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992)
1991 146 In a Big Country Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991)
1991 361 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991)
1991 109 In a Big Country CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition)
1990 260 In a Big Country Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990)
1989 94 In a Big Country KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989)
1989 196 Look Away KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989)
1989 464 Fields of Fire KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989)
1989 351 In a Big Country WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989)
1989 20 In a Big Country 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989)
1989 68 Artist ranking Live 105 Top 105 Artists of All-Time (1989)
1988 71 King of Emotion 91X Top 91 Songs of 1988
1988 111 In a Big Country KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988)
1988 218 Fields of Fire KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988)
1988 437 Look Away KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988)
1988 349 In a Big Country Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988)
1986 29 Look Away KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1986
1986 52 Look Away 91X Top 91 Songs of 1986
1986 25 Look Away Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 1986
1984 42 Wonderland KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1984
1984 98 Where the Rose is Sown KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1984
1984 78 In a Big Country 91X Top 91 Songs of 1984
1983 4 In a Big Country KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1983
1983 55 Fields of Fire KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1983
1983 3 In a Big Country 91X Top 91 Songs of 1983
– 108 In a Big Country WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s

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