Song · Cat Stevens
“Wild World” by Cat Stevens
From the album Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
“Wild World” by Cat Stevens appears on 10 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 2001 and 2026. It was first released in 1970 on the album Tea for the Tillerman. Its best result is #155 on the WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #548 indie & aaa song of all time and #500 of the '70s.
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Video from YouTube (Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Topic). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Wild World" came off Tea for the Tillerman, Cat Stevens' fourth album, going out as a single in September 1970 on Island and A&M, and it's a love-and-heartbreak song that made a lot of people pay attention. Paul Samwell-Smith produced it, with Stevens singing and playing guitar and keyboards with Alun Davies on guitar, John Ryan on bass, Harvey Burns on drums and John Rostein taking a violin solo.
Its story depends on which interview you read. Stevens once called it his parting song for his then-girlfriend Patti D'Arbanville, but in an earlier conversation he said it wasn't about anyone in particular, more his own reflection on life.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 175 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2007 | 326 | WTMD | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time | 897 |
| 2009 | 513 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2012 | 155 | WYEP | WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown | 500 |
| 2014 | 572 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) | 885 |
| 2018 | 351 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs | 892 |
| 2020 | 865 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2022 | 501 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
| 2023 | 272 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time | 909 |
| 2026 | 924 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
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