Song · Joan Osborne
“Ladder” by Joan Osborne
From the album Relish (1995)
“Ladder” by Joan Osborne appears on 9 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1999 and 2016. It was first released in 1995 on the album Relish. Its best result is #682 on the WYEP 913 Essential Songs. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #3,436 alternative song of all time.
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"Ladder" sits on Joan Osborne's Relish, released in March 1995, and it was built by a tight circle of collaborators. Osborne wrote it with producer Rick Chertoff, Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman, and the latter two play on it as well: Bazilian on guitar alongside William Wittman, Hyman on piano and organ, with Chris Palmaro adding more organ.
Mark Egan holds down the bass, and Andy Kravitz's drum kit gets company from Sammy Merendino's drum machine, a blend of flesh and circuitry under Osborne's full-throated lead vocal. Wittman recorded and mixed it too, so the whole thing hangs together like a band playing in one room.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1541 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 1542 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 1542 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 1539 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2003 | 1543 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2004 | 1543 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 1542 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
| 2009 | 682 | WYEP | WYEP 913 Essential Songs | 913 |
| 2016 | 807 | WYEP | WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 | 913 |
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