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Cover of Back on the Streets by Donnie Iris
Cover: Back on the Streets

Song · Donnie Iris

“Ah! Leah!” by Donnie Iris

From the album Back on the Streets (1980)

“Ah! Leah!” by Donnie Iris appears on 35 radio countdowns from 15 stations between 1982 and 2026. It was first released in 1980 on the album Back on the Streets. Its best result is #42 on the DVE Memorial Day 500 (2025). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,045 indie & aaa song of all time.

35countdowns
15stations
#42best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1982–2026years charted

"Ah! Leah!" is where Donnie Iris planted his flag: the song he wrote with Mark Avsec for his 1980 album Back on the Streets, since hailed as his signature tune and as the unofficial anthem of Pittsburgh and the whole of Western Pennsylvania.

Avsec produced it and piled on the keys, synthesizer, organ and piano, and sang backup with Iris, who took the lead. Marty Lee Hoenes played the electric and acoustic guitars, Albritton McClain the bass and Kevin Valentine the drums, and Kenny Blake blew saxophone, with Carl Maduri as executive producer and Jerry Reed recording. Early on it took an eight-piece onstage, three guitarists and at least two backing singers among them. Iris never let the title go, punning on it for a 2009 live album, Ah! Live!, and a 2010 Christmas record, Ah! Leluiah!

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 483 95.5 KLOS KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) 499
1994 712 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) 1000
1995 666 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) 1000
1996 637 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1997 370 104.5 KZEP KZEP Memorial Weekend Top 500 (1997) 500
1998 516 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1999 518 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2001 741 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2002 785 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2004 561 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2011 988 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 1041 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2019 880 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 103 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2020 999 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 1826 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2020 106 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2021 164 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2022 372 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) 500
2022 957 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 315 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2022) 500
2022 74 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2023 345 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 230 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 327 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 126 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 977 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2024 155 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 254 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2024 329 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2024) 498
2025 42 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2025) 500
2025 324 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2025) 498
2026 45 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2026) 500
2026 621 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180
2026 444 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: Ah Leah; Ah, Leah; Ah Leah!; Ah! Leah.

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