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Cover of Pearl by Janis Joplin
Cover: Pearl

Song · Janis Joplin

“Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin

From the album Pearl (1971)

“Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin appears on 58 radio countdowns from 24 stations between 1982 and 2026. It was first released in 1971 on the album Pearl. Its best result is #12 on the WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #7,655 alternative song of all time.

58countdowns
24stations
#12best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1982–2026years charted

Watch

Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee (Official Music Video)

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

Janis Joplin cut "Me and Bobby McGee" for Pearl, the album that came out in 1971 after her death, and it turned a Kris Kristofferson song (Fred Foster, who gave him the idea, shares the credit) into her own. She sings it with an easy, conversational warmth over her own acoustic guitar, and the band gives it a loose roll: John Till on guitar, Richard Bell's piano, Ken Pearson's organ, Brad Campbell on bass and Clark Pierson on drums, with Bobbye Hall's congas and bongos adding a back-porch bounce.

Paul A. Rothchild produced. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, only the second posthumous single ever to get there after Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", and it entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 280 95.5 KLOS KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) 499
1991 990 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 36 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1996 116 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 434 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (1997) 499
1997 130 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
2001 149 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2002 213 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2002 141 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) 923
2004 140 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2004 36 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2007 34 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2009 717 WYEP WYEP 913 Essential Songs 913
2009 377 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 12 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 300 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 50 WYEP WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown 500
2012 302 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2012 74 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 443 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 233 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2014 973 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 260 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2016 442 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2016 487 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2017 439 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2017 295 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2017) 500
2018 82 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2018 438 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2019 468 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2020 188 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2020 464 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2020) 500
2021 295 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2021 336 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 321 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2022 148 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s 908
2022 222 97.1 The River River 500 (2022) 500
2022 264 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2022) 500
2022 380 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 333 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2023 495 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 363 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 746 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 290 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 41 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 418 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2024 657 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 382 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 153 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2024) 500
2024 400 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2024) 498
2024 21 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs 850
2025 414 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2025) 498
2025 548 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 143 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2025) 500
2026 181 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2026) 500
2026 326 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500
2026 56 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180
2026 358 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: Me And Bobby McGee; Me And Bobby Mcgee; Me & Bobby McGee; Me and Bobby Mcgee; Me And Bobby Mc Gee; Me and My Bobby McGee.

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