Artist · chart history · #193 in alternative artist polls

EMF

Band Cinderford United Kingdom Formed 1989

EMF formed in 1989 in Cinderford, United Kingdom. EMF has 66 chart appearances on 56 radio countdowns from 20 stations on RockLists, spanning 1990–2023. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Unbelievable”, which appears on 55 lists with a best position of #2. The station that charted EMF most often is CD101 (Columbus, OH), with 14 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 1991.

66appearances

56countdowns

4songs charted

20stations

0#1 finishes

1990–2023years

EMF came out of Cinderford, Gloucestershire, in 1989 with a plan to put indie guitars and dance beats in the same room: James Atkin singing, Ian Dench on guitar and keyboards, Zac Foley on bass, Derry Brownson on the sampler and Mark Decloedt on drums. Their very first single, "Unbelievable", was a cocky, bouncing jolt of guitars and beats that went to number 3 in Britain and all the way to number one in America.

The debut album, Schubert Dip, also reached number 3 at home, with "Lies", "I Believe" and "Children" following the big one onto the radio. They made 3 studio albums in their original run before going on hiatus. In April 2022 they came back with Go Go Sapiens, their first album of new songs in 27 years.

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

Songs by EMF on radio countdowns

#	Song	Strength	Lists	Best	#1s	Peak year
1	Unbelievable	3,151	55	#2	–	1991
2	Lies	175	4	#44	–	1991
3	I Believe	119	4	#92	–	1991
4	Children	112	2	#59	–	1991

Albums with charting songs

Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.

1991Schubert Dip4 charting songs

Year-end chart timeline

Combined year-end countdown points per year. Taller bars mean more songs placing higher across more stations.

90 91

Every countdown appearance

Year	#	Song	Countdown
2023	371	Unbelievable	105.9 The X July 420 (2023)
2023	418	Unbelievable	The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s
2022	389	Unbelievable	X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time
2022	811	Unbelievable	The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s
2021	479	Unbelievable	90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2014	648	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2013	621	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2011	596	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2010	568	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2009	272	Unbelievable	Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009)
2009	552	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2008	539	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2007	552	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007	259	Unbelievable	KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007)
2006	325	Unbelievable	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006)
2006	238	Unbelievable	Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006)
2005	432	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005	856	Unbelievable	99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005)
2005	94	Unbelievable	Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of the '90s (August 2005)
2004	309	Unbelievable	The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004)
2004	431	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2003	431	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003	641	Unbelievable	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003	1032	Lies	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003	1587	I Believe	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2002	431	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002	538	Unbelievable	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002	1054	Lies	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002	1882	I Believe	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2001	431	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001	202	Unbelievable	Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001	183	Unbelievable	WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001)
2000	470	Unbelievable	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000)
2000	429	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
1999	433	Unbelievable	Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	64	Unbelievable	WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	469	Unbelievable	WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999)
1999	578	Unbelievable	The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	420	Unbelievable	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999)
1999	429	Unbelievable	CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	721	Unbelievable	CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999)
1999	156	Unbelievable	KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999)
1999	116	Unbelievable	WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999)
1996	138	Unbelievable	Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996)
1996	304	Unbelievable	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996)
1995	254	Unbelievable	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995)
1995	186	Unbelievable	Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995)
1994	144	Unbelievable	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994)
1994	68	Unbelievable	Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994)
1994	184	Unbelievable	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994)
1992	158	Unbelievable	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992)
1992	39	Unbelievable	Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992)
1991	4	Unbelievable	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1991
1991	44	Lies	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1991
1991	59	Children	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1991
1991	92	I Believe	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1991
1991	5	Unbelievable	91X Top 91 Songs of 1991
1991	75	Lies	91X Top 91 Songs of 1991
1991	2	Unbelievable	Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1991
1991	7	Unbelievable	CFNY Top 91 Songs of 1991
1991	452	Unbelievable	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991)
1991	49	Unbelievable	CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition)
1991	246	I Believe	CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition)
1991	338	Children	CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition)
1991	45	Artist ranking	Live 105 Top 105 Artists of All-Time (1991)
1990	94	Unbelievable	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1990

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