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Cover of Schubert Dip by EMF
Cover: Schubert Dip

Song · EMF

“Unbelievable” by EMF

From the album Schubert Dip (1991)

“Unbelievable” by EMF appears on 55 radio countdowns from 20 stations between 1990 and 2023. It was first released in 1991 on the album Schubert Dip. Its best result is #2 on the Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1991. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #3 alternative song of 1991, #256 alternative song of all time and #279 of the '90s.

55countdowns
20stations
#2best position
0#1 finishes
4top 10 finishes
1990–2023years charted

Watch

EMF - Unbelievable (Official Music Video) HD

Video from YouTube (EMF The Band). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Unbelievable" is the smash from EMF's debut album, Schubert Dip, a loud, cocky slab of alternative dance that bolts guitar crunch onto a baggy, club-ready beat. Ralph Jezzard produced and mixed it. Ian Dench's guitar grinds, Zac Foley's bass bounces, Mark Decloedt keeps the rhythm rolling, and Derry Brownson fires off samples, including bits of comedian Andrew Dice Clay and performance poet Gylan Kain. James Atkin sings lead, with Claudia Fontaine on backing vocals, and all five members share the writing credit.

It's brash, bratty and relentlessly catchy, the sound of a band that had worked out how to make a rock record move like a dance record.

Parlophone put it out, and it went to number three on the UK Singles Chart and into the top 10 across much of Europe before climbing all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100 in 1991. Josh Taft directed the video, which keeps things simple: the band onstage, going for broke.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1990 94 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1990 107
1991 4 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1991 107
1991 5 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1991 91
1991 2 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1991 105
1991 7 CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON CFNY Top 91 Songs of 1991 91

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1991 452 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 49 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 158 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 39 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 144 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 68 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 184 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 254 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 186 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 138 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 304 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1999 156 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 116 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 433 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 64 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 469 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 578 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 420 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 429 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 721 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 470 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 429 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 431 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 202 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 183 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 431 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 538 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 431 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 641 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 309 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 431 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 94 Live 105 Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of the '90s (August 2005) 106
2005 432 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 856 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2006 325 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 238 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2007 259 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 552 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 539 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 272 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 552 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 568 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 596 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 621 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 648 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2021 479 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2022 811 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 389 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2023 418 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 371 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420

Charting alongside it in 1991

Best songs of 1991 →
  1. 1Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana
  2. 2Losing My ReligionR.E.M.
  3. 4Kiss Them for MeSiouxsie and the Banshees
  4. 5RushBig Audio Dynamite
  5. 6Give It AwayRed Hot Chili Peppers
  6. 7SexualityBilly Bragg

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