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Song · Elvis Costello

“Watching the Detectives” by Elvis Costello

From the album This Year’s Model (1978)

“Watching the Detectives” by Elvis Costello appears on 48 radio countdowns from 17 stations between 1978 and 2026. It was first released in 1978 on the album This Year’s Model. Its best result is #25 on the John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1978). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #211 alternative song of all time.

48countdowns
17stations
#25best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1978–2026years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1978 25 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1978) 50
1988 82 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 242 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 184 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 425 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 235 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1989 73 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) 100
1991 175 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 219 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1994 323 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1995 404 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1996 232 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 161 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1998 273 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 325 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 965 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 94 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 724 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 94 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 102 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 266 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2002 102 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 189 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 342 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 102 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 52 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 445 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 102 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 320 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 269 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 102 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 431 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 216 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 248 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 188 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 466 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 187 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 676 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 189 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 196 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 743 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 200 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 204 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 467 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2018 673 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2020 487 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2022 331 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2026 317 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917

Also listed as: Watching the Detectives" (7; Watching The Detectives; Watching the detectives.