Song · Bon Iver
“Skinny Love” by Bon Iver
From the album For Emma, Forever Ago (2007)
“Skinny Love” by Bon Iver appears on 27 radio countdowns from 11 stations between 2008 and 2025. It was first released in 2007 on the album For Emma, Forever Ago. Its best result is #7 on the 893 Essential Songs of The Current: 2005 to Now. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #198 alternative song of 2008 and #7,154 alternative song of all time.
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"Skinny Love" was the first American single from For Emma, Forever Ago, the 2007 debut by Bon Iver, and it's close to a one-man show: Justin Vernon wrote it, played it, sang it and recorded it himself. 4AD gave it a UK single release on April 28, 2008.
The sound is all raw nerve, hard-strummed guitar and a voice that breaks and cracks and doubles back on itself, as intimate as indie folk gets. Plenty of listeners pinned it on a specific ex, but Vernon pushed back, saying it's really about a stage in a relationship where you're together because you need help, which isn't a good enough reason to stay, and that thinness is the "skinny" of the title. Grey's Anatomy used it early in its fifth season.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 86 | WVBR Ithaca, NY | WVBR Top 93 of 2008 | 93 |
| 2008 | 55 | WXPN Philadelphia, PA | WXPN Year in Review: Top 100 Songs of 2008 | 100 |
| 2008 | 21 | Triple J Australia (national) | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2008 | 100 |
| 2009 | 89 | WFNX Boston, MA | WFNX Top 101 Songs of 2009 | 101 |
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