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Cover of Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane
Cover: Surrealistic Pillow

Song · Jefferson Airplane

“Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane

From the album Surrealistic Pillow (1967)

“Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane appears on 49 radio countdowns from 20 stations between 1982 and 2026. It was first released in 1967 on the album Surrealistic Pillow. Its best result is #3 on the 102.9 The Whale Rocktober: Women That Rock 24. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,544 indie & aaa song of all time.

49countdowns
20stations
#3best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1982–2026years charted

Watch

Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love (Official Audio)

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

"Somebody to Love" came to Jefferson Airplane secondhand and roared out of Surrealistic Pillow in 1967. Darby Slick wrote it for the Great Society after working out that his girlfriend had walked out on him, and that band, with his sister-in-law Grace Slick singing, cut it first; their single barely made it past San Francisco.

The twist is in what it's arguing. In a city drunk on free love, Slick heard the jealousy and loneliness underneath, and the song makes the case for loyalty, for finding the one person who will carry you through the bad stretches. The Airplane, with Rick Jarrard producing for RCA and David Hassinger recording, play it like an alarm going off, all urgency and bite. Rolling Stone later put their version at No. 274 among the 500 greatest songs.

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#StationCountdownof
1982 465 95.5 KLOS KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) 499
1991 137 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1996 450 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 177 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (1997) 499
1997 917 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
2001 1281 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2002 339 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2002 472 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) 923
2004 665 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2004 494 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2007 134 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2009 215 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2011 43 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2011 1071 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 1146 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2012 477 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2012 319 WYEP WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown 500
2012 94 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 152 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 129 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2013 829 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2013 228 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2014 825 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2014 218 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 837 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2015 143 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2015) 500
2015 3 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Rocktober: Women That Rock 24 24
2016 239 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2016 415 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2016) 500
2017 252 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2018 251 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2019 350 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2019 338 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2020 349 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2021 368 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2021 202 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2021 904 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 110 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 809 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2023 316 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 545 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 229 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 759 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2024 247 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 253 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 264 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs 850
2025 782 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 400 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2025) 500
2026 466 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: Somebody To Love.

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