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Cover of Prolonging the Magic by Cake
Cover: Prolonging the Magic

Song · Cake

“Sheep Go To Heaven” by Cake

From the album Prolonging the Magic (1998)

“Sheep Go To Heaven” by Cake appears on 28 radio countdowns from 11 stations between 1999 and 2024. It was first released in 1998 on the album Prolonging the Magic. Its best result is #47 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1999. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #93 alternative song of 1999 and #1,565 alternative song of all time.

28countdowns
11stations
#47best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1999–2024years charted

Watch

CAKE - Sheep Go To Heaven (Official Audio)

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

"Sheep Go to Heaven" comes off Prolonging the Magic, Cake's 1998 album, and John McCrea wrote it with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek. The title borrows from the parable of the sheep and the goats in chapter 25 of Matthew's Gospel, and the song runs with it, sending the righteous toward everlasting life and the wicked off with Satan, with Armageddon looming and a sly nod to "Hotel California" along the way.

It's Cake at their most deadpan: a loping groove, McCrea's dry, half-spoken delivery, and Chuck Prophet sitting in on electric guitar. Billboard was split on it, calling it a catchy novelty that winds down like something you'd sing around a campfire.

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#StationCountdownof
1999 47 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1999 91
1999 63 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1999 106
1999 70 WFNX Boston, MA WFNX Top 99 Songs of 1999 99
1999 101 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1999 107
1999 63 WBER Rochester, NY WBER Listener Countdown 1999 101
1999 93 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1999 103
1999 64 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 104 Songs of 1999 104

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1999 694 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
2000 1440 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 1398 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 1397 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2003 478 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 1383 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 1383 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 441 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 1380 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2007 1258 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 1224 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 1139 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1176 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 1220 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1227 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1237 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2020 305 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2021 315 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2022 360 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2023 347 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2024 465 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049

Also listed as: Sheep Go to Heaven.

Charting alongside it in 1999

Best songs of 1999 →
  1. 1What's My Age Again?blink-182
  2. 2Scar TissueRed Hot Chili Peppers
  3. 3NookieLimp Bizkit
  4. 4Freak on a LeashKorn
  5. 5Praise YouFatboy Slim
  6. 6My Own Worst EnemyLit

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