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Cover of Blur by Blur
Cover: Blur

Song · Blur

“Song 2” by Blur

From the album Blur (1997)

“Song 2” by Blur appears on 124 radio countdowns from 47 stations between 1997 and 2026. It was first released in 1997 on the album Blur. Its best result is #1 on the 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #1 alternative song of 1997, #42 alternative song of all time and #1 of the '90s.

124countdowns
47stations
#1best position
1#1 finishes
19top 10 finishes
1997–2026years charted

Watch

Blur - Song 2 (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (Blur). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Song 2" sits second on Blur's self-titled fifth album from 1997, and it lands like a brick through the band's own shop window: a lurching, overdriven riff, drums that sound like they're falling down the stairs, and Damon Albarn yelping his way into a chorus built for jumping. Released as a single on 7 April 1997, the follow-up to "Beetlebum" went to number two on the UK singles chart.

Stephen Street produced it with John Smith engineering, and the credits show a band all hands on deck: Graham Coxon on electric guitar, theremin and backing vocals, Alex James on bass, Dave Rowntree on drums and percussion, and Albarn adding Hammond organ and piano to the din. All four share the music credit; Albarn wrote the words.

It crossed the Atlantic too, climbing to six on Billboard's modern rock chart, and it picked up nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards and the Brit Awards. BBC Radio 1 listeners voted it the 15th best track ever in 1998, and it has gone triple platinum in Britain.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1997 10 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1997 107
1997 7 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1997 91
1997 2 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997 105
1997 20 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 101
1997 2 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997 100
1997 7 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1997 107
1997 2 Virgin Radio United Kingdom Virgin Radio Top 10 Songs of 1997 10
1997 3 X103.9 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA X103.9 Top 103.9 Songs of 1997 104
1997 11 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1997 103
1997 11 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's 'Pretty' Festive Thirty-One of 1997 31
1997 17 97.1 The Eagle Dallas-Fort Worth, TX KEGL The Eagle's Top 97 Songs of 1997 97
1997 6 KISW Seattle-Tacoma, WA KISW Top 25 Songs from 1997 25
1997 19 WBER Rochester, NY WBER Listener Countdown 1997 99
1997 8 KNRK Portland, OR KNRK Top 94 Songs of 1997 94
1997 1 105.7 The Point St. Louis, MO 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997 106
1997 2 Triple J Australia (national) Triple J Hottest 100 of 1997 100
1997 16 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997 97
1999 68 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1999 103

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 67 CRNC 90.1 CRNC Top 90.1 Songs of the '90s 91
1998 46 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) 100
1999 25 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 29 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 45 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 172 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 20 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 49 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 196 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 120 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 85 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 8 The Buzz The Buzz Top 99 Songs of All-Time (1999) 99
1999 118 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1999) 150
2000 52 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of the '90s (September 2000) 100
2000 11 DC101 DC101 Top 101 Rock Songs of the 90s 101
2000 90 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 107 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2000 38 103.3 The Edge 103.3 The Edge Top 103 New Rock Songs of the Millennium 103
2001 92 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 79 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 74 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2001) 100
2001 72 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 38 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 55 K-Rock K-Rock Top 92 Party Songs of All-Time (2002) 92
2002 65 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 79 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 3 The Buzz The Buzz Top Songs of All-Time (Labor Day 2002, partial) 144
2002 79 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2002) 100
2003 58 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 79 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 62 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2003) 100
2003 18 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio VR10x10 (April 2003) 100
2004 38 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 75 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 79 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 42 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 47 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2004) 100
2005 11 Live 105 Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of the '90s (August 2005) 106
2005 34 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 90s 96
2005 77 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 80 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 59 The Edge KEDJ Top 103 on Independent Radio 103
2005 52 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2005) 100
2006 44 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Songs of the '90s (December 2006) 107
2006 69 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 20 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 56 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 79 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2006) 100
2007 46 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 84 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 66 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 86 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2008 100 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2008) 100
2009 4 CFNY 102.1 The Edge The Top 200 Songs of the 90's According to 102.1 The Edge 200
2009 10 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 78 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 45 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009) 200
2009 57 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2009) 100
2009 61 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (2009) 100
2010 44 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of the 90's (September 2010) 200
2010 77 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 83 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2010) 100
2010 452 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 73 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 885 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 59 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 22 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years (2013) 100
2014 51 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 2 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2015 3 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2016 364 WYEP WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 913
2018 474 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 30 X96 X96's Top 100 Songs of the 90's 100
2019 4 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2019 103 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2019 236 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2020 11 DC101 Top DC101 of the 90's 101
2020 1223 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2020 192 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 53 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2020 30 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2021 614 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 89 107.7 The End The End Obligatory Top 100 Alternative Songs of All Time (2021) 100
2021 205 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2021 45 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2022 441 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 419 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2022 31 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2022 12 101X 101X 500 (2022) 498
2022 147 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 75 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 2 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2023 27 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2023 751 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 46 ALT 104.5 ALT 104.5 Top 104 of ALT Time 104
2023 785 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2024 99 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) 400
2024 151 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2024 13 107.7 The End The End Sweet Summer Vibes Countdown (2024) 100
2025 111 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500
2025 68 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) 400
2025 11 Absolute Radio Absolute Radio 100 Ultimate Britpop Anthems 100
2025 58 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800
2026 13 101X 101X 500 (2026) 500
2026 489 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180
2026 134 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: Song #2.

Charting alongside it in 1997

Best songs of 1997 →
  1. 2Walkin' On The SunSmash Mouth
  2. 3TubthumpingChumbawamba
  3. 4FlySugar Ray
  4. 5The Impression That I GetThe Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  5. 6Semi-Charmed LifeThird Eye Blind
  6. 7EverlongFoo Fighters

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