Song · Cocteau Twins
“Carolyn's Fingers” by Cocteau Twins
From the album Blue Bell Knoll (1988)
“Carolyn's Fingers” by Cocteau Twins appears on 9 radio countdowns from 8 stations between 1988 and 2023. It was first released in 1988 on the album Blue Bell Knoll. Its best result is #26 on the John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1988. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #35 alternative song of 1988 and #236 of the '80s.
Watch
Video from YouTube (Cocteau Twins). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Carolyn's Fingers" floated out of Blue Bell Knoll, the Cocteau Twins' 1988 album on 4AD, with all three members, Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde, credited for both the writing and the production. The Scottish trio were in a busy, fruitful stretch, juggling This Mortal Coil work, the Victorialand album and a collaboration with Harold Budd, and bassist Raymonde remembered everyone as fairly content.
It's dream pop at its most weightless, a shimmer you feel more than follow. American alternative stations took to it, it climbed to number two on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks, and the band even agreed to shoot a video to push the album. It has since settled in as one of their signature songs, prized by critics and fans alike.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 65 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1988 | 107 |
| 1988 | 49 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1988 | 91 |
| 1988 | 70 | Live 105 San Francisco, CA | Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1988 | 106 |
| 1988 | 93 | WLIR / WDRE Long Island, NY | WLIR Top 100 Songs of 1988 | 100 |
| 1988 | 26 | John Peel (BBC Radio 1) | John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1988 | 50 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1005 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2021 | 449 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
| 2021 | 545 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s | 908 |
| 2023 | 617 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s | 850 |
Also listed as: Carolyns Fingers.
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Carolyn's Fingers" by Cocteau Twins.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.