Song · Janis Joplin
“Mercedes Benz” by Janis Joplin
From the album Pearl (1971)
“Mercedes Benz” by Janis Joplin appears on 9 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 2001 and 2023. It was first released in 1971 on the album Pearl. Its best result is #252 on the WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,144 indie & aaa song of all time and #385 of the '70s.
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Janis Joplin wrote "Mercedes Benz" with Bob Neuwirth and the poet Michael McClure, and it landed on Pearl in 1971, with Paul A. Rothchild producing for Columbia. It's a wicked little joke: she opens by mock-solemnly announcing a song of great social and political weight, then launches into a prayer, delivered with a straight face, begging for luxury goods. Underneath the gag is a hard jab at consumerism, a theme lifted straight from the counterculture of the 1960s.
The joke got a punchline of its own when Mercedes-Benz later used the song in an actual commercial. McClure, who wrote the poem it grew from, said he refused to watch the ad and would never drive one.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1623 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2010 | 252 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) | 885 |
| 2011 | 868 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) | 1100 |
| 2012 | 908 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) | 1200 |
| 2012 | 312 | WYEP | WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown | 500 |
| 2016 | 693 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 | 1007 |
| 2018 | 687 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs | 892 |
| 2022 | 386 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
| 2023 | 621 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 | 1229 |
Also listed as: Mercedez Benz.
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