Song · Faithless
“Insomnia” by Faithless
From the album Reverence (1996)
“Insomnia” by Faithless appears on 16 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 1997 and 2025. It was first released in 1996 on the album Reverence. Its best result is #15 on the Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2005). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #164 alternative song of 1997 and #1,539 alternative song of all time.
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Video from YouTube (FaithlessVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Insomnia" was the second single from British dance outfit Faithless, and it became one of their biggest. Maxi Jazz wrote the words and delivers them in a low, weary murmur, while Rollo and Sister Bliss, who share the writing credit with him and produced it, build a tension that snaps into a relentless, circling synth riff. The first time out it stalled at 27 in the UK, though it topped the UK Dance Chart.
Re-released in October 1996 and included on that year's debut album Reverence, it jumped to number three at home and topped the charts in Finland, Greece, Norway and Switzerland, plus the American and Canadian dance charts. Lindy Heymann directed the video. In a 2013 Mixmag readers' poll it came fifth among the best dance records ever made, and the BPI certified it triple platinum in 2023.
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 | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 17 | WBER Rochester, NY | WBER Listener Countdown 1997 | 99 |
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