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Cover of Stoneage Romeos by Hoodoo Gurus — Cover: Stoneage Romeos

Song · Hoodoo Gurus

“I Want You Back” by Hoodoo Gurus

From the album Stoneage Romeos (1984)

“I Want You Back” by Hoodoo Gurus appears on 17 radio countdowns from 5 stations between 1988 and 2023. It was first released in 1984 on the album Stoneage Romeos. Its best result is #223 on The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,415 alternative song of all time.

17countdowns

5stations

#223best position

0#1 finishes

0top 10 finishes

1988–2023years charted

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Hoodoo Gurus - I Want You Back

Video from YouTube (HoodooGurusVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"I Want You Back" was the fourth and last single from Stoneage Romeos, the Hoodoo Gurus' 1984 debut, released in March of that year. Dave Faulkner wrote it, and it's a sparkling, guitar-jangling rush that sounds for all the world like a lovesick plea.

It isn't. Faulkner later explained that it was aimed at Rod Radalj, who had quit the Gurus and trashed them on his way out, and that he dressed up the grudge as a relationship song: less "please come back" than "you'll be sorry you left." The single and video used a shortened edit that drops part of the opening verse, and the B-side was a live "Who Do You Love?" cut at 2JJJ.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

#1,415 of all time

Indie & Adult Alternative

#564 of the '80s

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
1988	269	Live 105	Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988)	501
1989	469	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989)	500
1991	482	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991)	500
1999	823	CD101	CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)	2000
2000	311	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000)	500
2000	874	CD101	CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)	2001
2001	312	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001)	498
2001	875	CD101	CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)	2002
2002	320	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002)	500
2002	875	CD101	CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)	2003
2003	872	CD101	CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)	2004
2003	308	Fred (XM 44)	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)	2044
2004	872	CD101	CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)	2005
2005	461	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005)	500
2005	872	CD101	CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)	1994
2006	488	WOXY 97X	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006)	499
2023	223	The Colorado Sound	The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s	850

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