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Cover of Recovering the Satellites by Counting Crows
Cover: Recovering the Satellites

Song · Counting Crows

“A Long December” by Counting Crows

From the album Recovering the Satellites (1996)

“A Long December” by Counting Crows appears on 45 radio countdowns from 22 stations between 1996 and 2026. It was first released in 1996 on the album Recovering the Satellites. Its best result is #26 on The End Top 107 Songs of 1997. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #63 alternative song of 1997, #1,086 alternative song of all time and #307 of the '90s.

45countdowns
22stations
#26best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1996–2026years charted

Watch

Counting Crows - A Long December (Official Music Video)

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

"A Long December" was the second single from Recovering the Satellites, Counting Crows' second album, reaching radio in November 1996, and it's the record's quiet, bruised center. Adam Duritz wrote it after a friend of his was struck by a car and hurt, and the song looks hard at that kind of bad luck while stubbornly holding out for something better.

Gil Norton produced, and he lets the ballad breathe, unhurried and wintry, with Duritz sounding worn out but not beaten. It went to number one in Canada, the band's second chart-topper there, and reached six on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart. American Songwriter later called it the finest Counting Crows song of them all.

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
1996 60 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1996 107
1996 49 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1996 91
1996 44 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1996 99
1997 79 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1997 107
1997 54 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997 105
1997 46 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 101
1997 93 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997 100
1997 26 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1997 107
1997 102 X103.9 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA X103.9 Top 103.9 Songs of 1997 104
1997 37 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1997 103
1997 37 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997 97

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1999 283 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 247 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 1418 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 700 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 1418 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 1420 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 461 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 1418 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 710 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 1404 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 453 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 1404 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 762 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 1401 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 778 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2007 916 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 621 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 906 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 924 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 953 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 984 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1040 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1093 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2020 317 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2021 173 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 348 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2022 740 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 898 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022 603
2022 350 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2023 516 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 308 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2023 1113 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2025 48 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500
2026 819 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Long December.

Charting alongside it in 1997

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

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