Song · Elvis Costello & the Attractions
“This Year's Girl” by Elvis Costello & the Attractions
“This Year's Girl” by Elvis Costello & the Attractions appears on 13 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 1999 and 2022. Its best result is #276 on the Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,375 alternative song of all time.
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Elvis Costello aimed "This Year's Girl" squarely at the fashion game and cut it with the Attractions and producer Nick Lowe for This Year's Model, his 1978 album. He took his cue from the Rolling Stones' "Stupid Girl" and came out with a sharp-elbowed takedown of the style world, all sneer and snap.
The barbs cut deep enough that some critics heard misogyny in the song, a charge Costello has flatly rejected in interviews ever since. It went out on the album and, in America, as a single, and it has drawn warm reviews in the years since, turning up on compilations and holding its place in his live sets. It also got a second life as the theme for the second season of The Deuce, with Natalie Bergman adding vocals.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 553 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 553 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 553 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 553 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2002 | 420 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 553 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2003 | 276 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2004 | 553 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 553 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
| 2008 | 1922 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) | 2009 |
| 2009 | 1952 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) | 2010 |
| 2010 | 2008 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) | 2011 |
| 2022 | 490 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
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