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Cover of Wish in One Hand... by Guided By Voices — Cover: Wish in One Hand...

Song · Guided By Voices

“Teenage FBI” by Guided By Voices

From the EP Wish in One Hand... (1997)

“Teenage FBI” by Guided By Voices appears on 18 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 1999 and 2026. It was first released in 1997 on the EP Wish in One Hand.... Its best result is #80 on the WFNX Top 99 Songs of 1999. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #360 alternative song of 1999 and #1,710 alternative song of all time.

18countdowns

6stations

#80best position

0#1 finishes

0top 10 finishes

1999–2026years charted

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"Teenage FBI" turned up on Wish in One Hand..., a 1997 EP from Guided By Voices, and Robert Pollard wrote the whole thing, words and music. It's Pollard in his most direct mode: a taut, hooky rush of guitar pop hung on a title that sounds like a lost drive-in B-movie, and gone before it can wear out its welcome. A song this compact has no business lasting, but the countdowns kept finding room for it well into the next century.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

#793 of the '90s

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
1999	80	WFNX Boston, MA	WFNX Top 99 Songs of 1999	99

All-time and decade countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
2000	159	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000)	500
2001	161	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001)	498
2002	151	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002)	500
2003	138	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003)	500
2005	169	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005)	500
2006	160	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006)	499
2007	1705	CD101	CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)	2008
2008	1710	CD101	CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)	2009
2009	1714	CD101	CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)	2010
2010	1602	CD101	CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)	2011
2011	1535	CD101	CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)	2011
2013	1545	CD101	CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)	2012
2014	1559	CD101	CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)	2013
2021	834	90.9 The Bridge	90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s	908
2022	338	The Colorado Sound	The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s	900
2024	547	KEXP	The Best Opening Tracks of All Time	738
2026	812	The Colorado Sound	The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs You Discovered on The Colorado Sound	1055

Also listed as: Teenage Fbi.

Charting alongside it in 1999

Best songs of 1999 →

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