Song · John Mayer
“Who Says” by John Mayer
From the album Battle Studies (2009)
“Who Says” by John Mayer appears on 12 radio countdowns from 9 stations between 2009 and 2023. It was first released in 2009 on the album Battle Studies. Its best result is #9 on the 103.1 The River Top 103 of 2009. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #35 indie & aaa song of 2009, #4,660 indie & aaa song of all time and #51 of the '00s.
Watch
Video from YouTube (johnmayerVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Who Says" was the first look at Battle Studies, John Mayer's fourth studio album, posted on his own website in September 2009, and it was his first new studio single since "Say" in 2007. Mayer wrote it alone and sings and plays guitar, backed by Pino Palladino on bass, Steve Jordan on drums and Ian McLagan on celesta and reed organ. Michael Brauer mixed.
It's a hushed, unhurried thing, stripped back and folk-leaning, and most critics liked how it sounded; what bothered a few was Mayer's blunt mention of drug use. The video plays up the same split personality: Mayer out on the town after dark, clubbing and eating out, then back home alone, cleaning up and noodling on his guitar.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 72 | WRNR 103.1 Annapolis, MD | WRNR Top 104 Songs of 2009 | 104 |
| 2009 | 34 | 92.3 WTTS Indianapolis-Bloomington, IN | WTTS Top 50 Songs of 2009 | 50 |
| 2009 | 9 | 103.1 The River Kalispell-Flathead Valley, MT | 103.1 The River Top 103 of 2009 | 103 |
| 2009 | 25 | 107.1 The Peak Westchester County, NY | WXPK Top 107 Songs of 2009 | 107 |
| 2009 | 57 | Lightning 100 Nashville, TN | Lightning 100 Top 100 Songs of 2009 | 100 |
| 2009 | 44 | 106.1 The Corner Charlottesville, VA | 106.1 The Corner Top 106 Songs of 2009 | 106 |
| 2010 | 30 | 92.3 WTTS Indianapolis-Bloomington, IN | WTTS Top 50 Songs of 2010 | 50 |
| 2010 | 24 | 103.1 The River Kalispell-Flathead Valley, MT | 103.1 The River Top 103 of 2010 | 102 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 469 | WYEP | WYEP 913 Songs That Matter from the Last Decade | 913 |
| 2013 | 264 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Songs of the New Millennium (2013) | 885 |
| 2018 | 535 | WTMD | WTMD Listeners' Top 897 Songs, 2003-2018 | 896 |
| 2023 | 539 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 | 1229 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Who Says" by John Mayer.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.