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Cover of New Traditionalists by Devo
Cover: New Traditionalists

Song · Devo

“Through Being Cool” by Devo

From the album New Traditionalists (1981)

“Through Being Cool” by Devo appears on 22 radio countdowns from 5 stations between 1981 and 2022. It was first released in 1981 on the album New Traditionalists. Its best result is #53 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1981. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #53 alternative song of 1981 and #964 alternative song of all time.

22countdowns
5stations
#53best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1981–2022years charted

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Through Being Cool (2010 Remaster)

Video from YouTube (Devo - Topic). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Through Being Cool" comes off New Traditionalists, Devo's fourth album, released by Warner Bros. in 1981, and it's a smart bomb aimed squarely at their own audience: Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale and Bob Mothersbaugh wrote it as a swipe at the new fans who'd jumped aboard without getting the message. The band produced it themselves.

It's a jerky, strutting little machine, and Record World heard it that way, praising a bass groove made for the dance floor, funky rhythm guitars and keyboard lines with real pop appeal. The song also turned up that same year in the animated film Heavy Metal.

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
1981 53 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1981 106

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1989 182 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1991 207 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1994 465 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1996 443 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1999 1183 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 1184 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 1141 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 1140 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 861 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 1125 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 186 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 1125 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 1125 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2007 922 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 863 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 880 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 910 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 937 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 979 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1033 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2022 1038 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time 1055

Charting alongside it in 1981

Best songs of 1981 →
  1. 1Start Me UpThe Rolling Stones
  2. 2Tom SawyerRush
  3. 3I Love Rock-N-RollJoan Jett
  4. 4Every Little Thing She Does Is MagicThe Police
  5. 5Jukebox HeroForeigner
  6. 6For Those About to RockAC/DC

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