Song · Jethro Tull
“Cross-Eyed Mary” by Jethro Tull
From the album Aqualung (1971)
“Cross-Eyed Mary” by Jethro Tull appears on 12 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 1982 and 2023. It was first released in 1971 on the album Aqualung. Its best result is #313 on the WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,296 classic rock song of all time.
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Ian Anderson wrote "Cross-Eyed Mary" as a sidekick to "Aqualung", the track that opens Jethro Tull's 1971 album of the same name. Where that song follows a homeless man, this one sketches a schoolgirl prostitute who would rather keep company with dirty old men than with kids her own age, and the Aqualung character even wanders through for a cameo.
Anderson sings, plays flute and acoustic guitar and co-produced with Terry Ellis. Martin Barre supplies the electric guitar, John Evan the piano, organ and mellotron, Jeffrey Hammond Hammond the bass and Clive Bunker the drums and percussion, with recorders from Barre and Hammond Hammond in the credits too. The book Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check later ranked it the 12th best Jethro Tull song.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Classic Rock
Hard Rock & Metal
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 339 | 95.5 KLOS | KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) | 499 |
| 1994 | 430 | KISW | KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) | 1000 |
| 1995 | 413 | KISW | KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) | 1000 |
| 1996 | 384 | KISW | KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) | 1000 |
| 1997 | 313 | 102.3 WBAB | WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) | 1023 |
| 1998 | 368 | KISW | KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) | 1000 |
| 2002 | 503 | 92.3 KGON | KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) | 923 |
| 2004 | 522 | 92.3 KGON | KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) | 923 |
| 2011 | 690 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) | 1100 |
| 2012 | 708 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) | 1200 |
| 2021 | 562 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) | 1043 |
| 2023 | 713 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) | 1043 |
Also listed as: Cross-eyed Mary; Cross Eyed Mary.
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