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Cover of Yourself or Someone Like You by Matchbox 20
Cover: Yourself or Someone Like You

Song · Matchbox 20

“3 A.M.” by Matchbox 20

From the album Yourself or Someone Like You (1996)

“3 A.M.” by Matchbox 20 appears on 23 radio countdowns from 14 stations between 1997 and 2025. It was first released in 1996 on the album Yourself or Someone Like You. Its best result is #27 on the KNRK Top 94 Songs of 1997. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #49 alternative song of 1997, #4,006 alternative song of all time and #138 of the '90s.

23countdowns
14stations
#27best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1997–2025years charted

Watch

Matchbox 20 - 3 A.M. (Piano/Acoustic)

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

"3 A.M." comes from Matchbox 20's 1996 album Yourself or Someone Like You, and it's the band's gift for the brooding, mid-tempo sing-along in miniature. Rob Thomas wrote it with John Goff, Jay Stanley and bassist Brian Yale, and his raspy, aching vocal carries the whole thing.

Kyle Cook and Adam Gaynor handle the guitars and backing vocals, Yale holds the bass and Paul Doucette keeps the drums steady and unfussy. Matt Serletic produced it and mixed it with Greg Archilla, polishing the late-night gloom until it gleams like something built for car radios.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1997 68 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1997 107
1997 31 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1997 91
1997 78 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997 105
1997 30 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 101
1997 71 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997 100
1997 65 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1997 107
1997 27 KNRK Portland, OR KNRK Top 94 Songs of 1997 94
1997 54 105.7 The Point St. Louis, MO 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997 106
1997 58 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1997 103
1997 58 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997 97
1998 65 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1998 107
1998 45 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1998 106
1998 38 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1998 100
1998 44 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1998 107
1998 31 DC101 Washington, D.C. DC101 Top 101 Songs of 1998 101
1998 35 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1998 103
1998 35 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 103 Songs of 1998 102

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1999 347 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 461 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 529 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
2005 983 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2023 512 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2025 412 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500

Also listed as: 3AM; 3am; 3 AM.

Charting alongside it in 1997

Best songs of 1997 →
  1. 1Song 2Blur
  2. 2Walkin' On The SunSmash Mouth
  3. 3TubthumpingChumbawamba
  4. 4FlySugar Ray
  5. 5The Impression That I GetThe Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  6. 6Semi-Charmed LifeThird Eye Blind

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