Artist · chart history · #233 in alternative artist polls

Missing Persons

Band Los Angeles United States Active 1980–1986 US new wave band

Missing Persons formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, United States and was active until 1986. Missing Persons has 77 chart appearances on 33 radio countdowns from 10 stations on RockLists, spanning 1981–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Words”, which appears on 24 lists with a best position of #4. In total the artist has topped 1 countdown. The station that charted Missing Persons most often is KROQ (Los Angeles, CA), with 35 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 1982.

77appearances

33countdowns

8songs charted

10stations

1#1 finishes

1981–2026years

Missing Persons were Frank Zappa alumni who figured out how to get on MTV. Singer Dale Bozzio and drummer Terry Bozzio met while working with Zappa and married, guitarist Warren Cuccurullo crossed their path during the Joe's Garage sessions, and in 1980 the three of them formed the band in Los Angeles, later adding bassist Patrick O'Hearn, another Zappa touring hand, and keyboardist Chuck Wild. That's a lot of chops for a new wave band, and you can hear it: under the synth gloss, the rhythm section plays like it's trying to trip you up.

The self-titled 1980 EP set the template with "Mental Hopscotch", "Destination Unknown" and the cheeky "I Like Boys". Spring Session M in 1982 was the full-length payoff, with the jittery "Words", the deadpan "Walking in L.A.", "Noticeable One" and "Windows". Dale sold every hiccup and squeak in that quirky, chirping voice, and with her makeup laid on thick, she turned the band into early MTV regulars.

They lasted until 1986, long enough to leave a handful of songs that still sound like the early '80s imagining the future.

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

Songs by Missing Persons on radio countdowns

#	Song	Strength	Lists	Best	#1s	Peak year
1	Words	1,192	24	#4	–	1982
2	Walking in L.A.	1,140	22	#11	–	1982
3	Destination Unknown	885	16	#40	–	1982
4	Mental Hopscotch	367	10	#1	1	1981
5	It Ain't None of Your Business	38	1	#67	–	1982
6	I Like Boys	33	1	#72	–	1981
7	Noticeable One	14	1	#93	–	1982
8	Windows	6	1	#1923	–	–

Albums with charting songs

Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.

Year-end chart timeline

Combined year-end countdown points per year. Taller bars mean more songs placing higher across more stations.

81 82

Every countdown appearance

Year	#	Song	Countdown
2026	216	Destination Unknown	WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s
2023	202	Destination Unknown	The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s
2023	453	Walking in L.A.	The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s
2023	543	Words	The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s
2023	120	Walking in L.A.	The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places
2021	320	Words	90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s
2021	473	Walking in L.A.	90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s
2021	794	Destination Unknown	90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s
2014	1743	Walking in L.A.	CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2013	1795	Walking in L.A.	CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2011	1753	Walking in L.A.	CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2010	1685	Walking in L.A.	CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010	2001	Words	CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2009	1646	Walking in L.A.	CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009	1946	Words	CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2008	1629	Walking in L.A.	CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008	1914	Words	CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2007	1676	Walking in L.A.	CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007	1942	Words	CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2003	162	Words	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003	240	Walking in L.A.	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003	334	Destination Unknown	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003	1332	Mental Hopscotch	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003	1923	Windows	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2002	74	Destination Unknown	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002	383	Walking in L.A.	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002	730	Words	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002	1509	Mental Hopscotch	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2001	334	Words	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001)
2000	334	Words	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000)
1999	270	Walking in L.A.	Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	439	Words	Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	570	Destination Unknown	Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	225	Words	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999)
1998	131	Words	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998)
1998	145	Destination Unknown	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998)
1998	159	Walking in L.A.	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998)
1998	305	Mental Hopscotch	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998)
1997	71	Artist ranking	KROQ Top 106.7 Artists of All-Time (Memorial Day 1997)
1996	67	Words	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996)
1996	75	Destination Unknown	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996)
1996	196	Walking in L.A.	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996)
1996	245	Mental Hopscotch	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996)
1996	150	Words	Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996)
1996	272	Destination Unknown	Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996)
1996	332	Walking in L.A.	Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996)
1996	220	Words	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996)
1995	151	Walking in L.A.	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995)
1995	217	Mental Hopscotch	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995)
1995	266	Words	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995)
1995	309	Destination Unknown	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995)
1994	173	Words	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994)
1994	187	Destination Unknown	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994)
1994	225	Walking in L.A.	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994)
1994	430	Mental Hopscotch	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994)
1994	443	Words	Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994)
1994	213	Words	WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994)
1992	98	Destination Unknown	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992)
1992	148	Walking in L.A.	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992)
1992	214	Words	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992)
1992	467	Mental Hopscotch	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992)
1989	61	Words	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989)
1989	132	Walking in L.A.	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989)
1989	239	Destination Unknown	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989)
1989	329	Mental Hopscotch	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989)
1988	67	Walking in L.A.	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988)
1988	338	Words	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988)
1988	477	Mental Hopscotch	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988)
1988	485	Destination Unknown	Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988)
1982	4	Words	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982
1982	11	Walking in L.A.	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982
1982	40	Destination Unknown	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982
1982	67	It Ain't None of Your Business	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982
1982	93	Noticeable One	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982
1981	1	Mental Hopscotch	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1981
1981	72	I Like Boys	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1981
–	179	Destination Unknown	WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s

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