Song · Elvis Costello & the Attractions
“Goon Squad” by Elvis Costello & the Attractions
From the album Armed Forces (1979)
“Goon Squad” by Elvis Costello & the Attractions appears on 10 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 1988 and 2005. It was first released in 1979 on the album Armed Forces. Its best result is #201 on the KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,062 alternative song of all time.
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"Goon Squad" comes from Armed Forces, the Elvis Costello & the Attractions album that landed in January 1979, and it catches the Attractions at their most wound-up. Nick Lowe produced, with Roger Bechirian engineering, and neither man bothers to sand down the edges.
Costello sings and plays guitar through clenched teeth, Steve Nieve's organ and synthesizer skitter around him like nervous insects, and Bruce Thomas on bass and Pete Thomas on drums lock into something halfway between a parade and a threat. It's a deep cut that rewards anybody who plays the album straight through.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 201 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) | 496 |
| 1999 | 1158 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 1160 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 1162 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 1161 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2002 | 1744 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 1146 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2003 | 791 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2004 | 1146 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 1146 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
Also listed as: Good Squad.
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