Song · Martha and the Muffins
“Echo Beach” by Martha and the Muffins
From the album Metro Music (1980)
“Echo Beach” by Martha and the Muffins appears on 10 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 1988 and 2025. It was first released in 1980 on the album Metro Music. Its best result is #156 on the Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,913 alternative song of all time.
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"Echo Beach" is the song that carried Canada's Martha and the Muffins around the world in 1980, the single from their album Metro Music and their only big international hit. Mark Gane wrote it while stuck in a job inspecting wallpaper for printing faults, bored enough that his mind kept drifting back to a summer evening at Sunnyside Beach on the shore of Lake Ontario.
So Echo Beach isn't a real place; it's the daydream you escape to when your job is grinding you down. Mike Howlett's production keeps it nervy, crisp new wave with a chorus that feels like an open window. It won the Juno Award for Single of the Year, and Toronto later named a real Echo Beach after it.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 219 | Live 105 | Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) | 501 |
| 1991 | 248 | Live 105 | Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) | 302 |
| 1991 | 166 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) | 1002 |
| 1992 | 156 | Live 105 | Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) | 299 |
| 1999 | 219 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) | 1002 |
| 2002 | 609 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 329 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2005 | 313 | Virgin Radio | Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 500 |
| 2010 | 181 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) | 885 |
| 2025 | 702 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs | 800 |
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