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Cover of Employment by Kaiser Chiefs
Cover: Employment

Song · Kaiser Chiefs

“I Predict a Riot” by Kaiser Chiefs

From the album Employment (2005)

“I Predict a Riot” by Kaiser Chiefs appears on 31 radio countdowns from 21 stations between 2005 and 2025. It was first released in 2005 on the album Employment. Its best result is #5 on the Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #34 alternative song of 2005, #1,260 alternative song of all time and #344 of the '00s.

31countdowns
21stations
#5best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
2005–2025years charted

Watch

Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot (Official Video)

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

"I Predict a Riot" came out first in November 2004, the Kaiser Chiefs' second single and their first release on B-Unique, and it went on to anchor their debut album, Employment, the following year. Stephen Street produced it and mixed it with Cenzo Townshend, and the writing credit is shared by five: Ricky Wilson, Andrew White, Simon Rix, Nick Baines and Nick Hodgson.

It's English indie rock at its most rowdy, a jerky, stop-start strut with a chorus built for bellowing across a pub or a field full of festivalgoers. The vocal comes on like a nervous town crier on a Friday night, half warning and half gleeful, while the band clatters behind it with nervy guitars and a beat that keeps threatening to break into a sprint. It's funny, sharp and very catchy, and it wears its Britishness loudly.

On its first release it entered the UK chart at number 22. A 2005 reissue, paired with "Sink That Ship" on a double A-side, took it up to number 9.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2005 51 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2005 107
2005 38 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 2005 91
2005 21 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 2005 106
2005 62 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 2005 101
2005 20 WFNX Boston, MA WFNX Top 100 Songs of 2005 100
2005 19 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 2005 107
2005 74 CD101 Columbus, OH CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2005 101
2005 33 Y100 Philadelphia, PA Y100 Top 150 Songs of 2005 150
2005 55 CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON CFNY Top 102 Songs of 2005 102
2005 86 Channel 104.9 San Jose, CA Channel 104.9 Top 104.9 Songs of 2005 105
2005 74 (tie) WBER Rochester, NY WBER Listener Countdown 2005 230
2005 72 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 2005 103
2005 34 Triple J Australia (national) Triple J Hottest 100 of 2005 100
2005 90 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 100 Songs of 2005 100
2005 40 CRNC 90.1 Niagara / Toronto, ON CRNC Top 90.1 Songs of 2005 91
2005 100 ModernRock.com Online ModernRock.com Top 400 Songs of 2005 400

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2005 210 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 5 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 252 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 330 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 402 WYEP WYEP 913 Songs That Matter from the Last Decade 913
2009 333 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 326 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 325 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 327 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 817 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Songs of the New Millennium (2013) 885
2014 329 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2022 167 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s 907
2023 779 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places 800
2024 678 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century 1055
2025 338 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century 909

Also listed as: I Predict A Riot.

Charting alongside it in 2005

Best songs of 2005 →
  1. 1Best of YouFoo Fighters
  2. 2Feel Good Inc.Gorillaz
  3. 3Beverly HillsWeezer
  4. 4The Hand That FeedsNine Inch Nails
  5. 5HolidayGreen Day
  6. 6Speed of SoundColdplay

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