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Cover of Turn On the Bright Lights by Interpol
Cover: Turn On the Bright Lights

Song · Interpol

“Obstacle 1” by Interpol

From the album Turn On the Bright Lights (2002)

“Obstacle 1” by Interpol appears on 21 radio countdowns from 10 stations between 2002 and 2025. It was first released in 2002 on the album Turn On the Bright Lights. Its best result is #18 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #313 alternative song of 2003 and #1,359 alternative song of all time.

21countdowns
10stations
#18best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
2002–2025years charted

Watch

Interpol - Obstacle 1

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

"Obstacle 1" was the second single from Turn On the Bright Lights, Interpol's debut, released on November 11, 2002, and it's the album at its most wound-up. Paul Banks and Daniel Kessler's guitars saw back and forth like nerves pulled taut, Carlos Dengler's bass prowls underneath, and Samuel Fogarino drives it all at a nervy gallop while Banks sings in a flat, haunted croon. Peter Katis recorded and mixed it.

Pitchfork heard Joy Division in it and in 2009 ranked it 64th among the best songs of the decade. Floria Sigismondi directed the video and appears in it herself, dancing wildly in a side room until spilled water meets live wires and electrocutes her. Arthur Baker remixed the song for a reissue in September 2003.

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
2002 72 CD101 Columbus, OH CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2002 101
2002 42 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's Festive Fifty of 2002 50
2003 101 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2003 107
2003 82 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 2003 106
2003 61 CD101 Columbus, OH CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2003 101

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2005 211 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2006 179 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 376 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 385 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 385 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 384 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 380 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 380 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 48 BBC Radio 6 Music BBC 6 Music 100 Best Tracks Of The Last 10 Years 100
2014 381 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2019 301 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2022 18 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s 907
2022 663 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time 1055
2024 274 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century 1055
2024 771 WXPN WXPN The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century (2024) 885
2025 398 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century 909

Charting alongside it in 2003

Best songs of 2003 →
  1. 1Seven Nation ArmyThe White Stripes
  2. 2Like a StoneAudioslave
  3. 3Bring Me to LifeEvanescence
  4. 4Somewhere I BelongLinkin Park
  5. 5Times Like TheseFoo Fighters
  6. 6Weak and PowerlessA Perfect Circle

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