RockLists.com
Cover of My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello
Cover: My Aim Is True

Song · Elvis Costello

“Alison” by Elvis Costello

From the album My Aim Is True (1977)

“Alison” by Elvis Costello appears on 66 radio countdowns from 21 stations between 1988 and 2026. It was first released in 1977 on the album My Aim Is True. Its best result is #3 on the WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #165 alternative song of all time.

66countdowns
21stations
#3best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1988–2026years charted

Watch

Alison

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

"Alison" was one of the songs that introduced Elvis Costello to the world in 1977, tucked onto his debut album My Aim Is True on Stiff Records, and it showed a softer, sadder side of him right from the start. Nick Lowe produced it, and the band behind him keeps a light, rueful touch: John McFee's guitar alongside Costello's own, John Ciambotti on bass, Micky Shine on drums, Sean Hopper on organ and piano, with Hopper, Ciambotti and Lowe on backing vocals.

Costello has said it started out as a tribute to a woman he spotted working in a supermarket, but he has never pinned down exactly what it means, and the song is all the better for the ambiguity. It's tender and bruised at the same time, and he sings it in a voice that aches with sympathy one minute and curdles into bitterness the next.

His single never made the charts, and it didn't matter. It has grown into one of the most acclaimed songs he has ever written.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 73 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 147 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 166 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1989 16 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) 100
1990 124 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1990 63 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) 100
1991 53 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 3 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 201 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 423 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1996 230 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 28 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1998 482 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 230 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 218 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 87 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 839 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 46 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 100 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 384 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 33 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 100 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 34 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 106 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 28 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 106 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2003 27 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 106 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 98 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 106 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 96 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 100 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 647 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2006 87 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 43 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2007 480 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 63 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 476 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 488 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 131 WYEP WYEP 913 Essential Songs 913
2010 503 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 854 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 518 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 92 WYEP WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown 500
2012 227 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 529 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 544 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 520 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 174 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2016 638 WYEP WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 913
2018 196 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 316 WYEP WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 1017
2019 316 WYEP WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 1099
2020 600 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 162 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 47 WYEP WYEP 2021 Labor Day Countdown 168
2021 588 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 468 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s 908
2022 983 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2023 430 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 955 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 336 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 873 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2024 779 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 123 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2026 250 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Comments

Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Alison" by Elvis Costello.

Be kind and stay on topic. Guidelines

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.