Song · Kings of Leon
“The Bucket” by Kings of Leon
From the album Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
“The Bucket” by Kings of Leon appears on 20 radio countdowns from 13 stations between 2004 and 2022. It was first released in 2004 on the album Aha Shake Heartbreak. Its best result is #28 on the CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2005. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #92 alternative song of 2005 and #2,141 alternative song of all time.
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Kings of Leon sent "The Bucket" out ahead of everything else when Aha Shake Heartbreak arrived in 2004, and it sounds like a young band discovering how fast life moves once the world starts watching. All four Followills share the writing credit, and the song is about the youngest of them, bassist Jared, trying to keep his footing in the glare of fame at 17.
A wiry, jangling guitar line and a rhythm section that never sits still carry it along, loose and giddy with a nervous edge underneath. Ethan Johns and Angelo Petraglia produced, Jacquire King recorded it, and Johns and King mixed it without sanding off the garage rattle. It gave the band their biggest UK hit up to then, reaching 16 on the singles chart, and in 2011 NME put it at number 38 on its rundown of the best tracks from the previous 15 years.
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 | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 31 | Triple J Australia (national) | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2004 | 100 |
| 2005 | 84 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 2005 | 91 |
| 2005 | 77 | Q101 Chicago, IL | Q101 Top 101 Songs of 2005 | 101 |
| 2005 | 67 | WFNX Boston, MA | WFNX Top 100 Songs of 2005 | 100 |
| 2005 | 28 | CD101 Columbus, OH | CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2005 | 101 |
| 2005 | 80 | Y100 Philadelphia, PA | Y100 Top 150 Songs of 2005 | 150 |
| 2005 | 87 | The Buzz Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY / Montreal, QC | The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 2005 | 99 |
| 2005 | 80 (tie) | WBER Rochester, NY | WBER Listener Countdown 2005 | 230 |
| 2005 | 94 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 2005 | 103 |
| 2005 | 100 | Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) | Radio & Records Top 100 Songs of 2005 | 100 |
| 2005 | 109 | ModernRock.com Online | ModernRock.com Top 400 Songs of 2005 | 400 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 990 | 99X | 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) | 1000 |
| 2007 | 825 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) | 2008 |
| 2008 | 1013 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) | 2009 |
| 2009 | 948 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) | 2010 |
| 2010 | 863 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) | 2011 |
| 2011 | 756 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) | 2011 |
| 2013 | 708 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) | 2012 |
| 2014 | 674 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) | 2013 |
| 2022 | 284 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s | 907 |
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