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Cover of Spring Session M by Missing Persons — Cover: Spring Session M

Song · Missing Persons

“Walking in L.A.” by Missing Persons

From the album Spring Session M (1982)

“Walking in L.A.” by Missing Persons appears on 22 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 1982 and 2023. It was first released in 1982 on the album Spring Session M. Its best result is #11 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #20 alternative song of 1982 and #1,080 alternative song of all time.

22countdowns

6stations

#11best position

0#1 finishes

0top 10 finishes

1982–2023years charted

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Missing Persons - Walking In L.A.

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Terry Bozzio wrote "Walking in L.A." for Missing Persons' 1982 debut album, Spring Session M, and it has been called the pivotal song on the record. Ken Scott produced it at Chateau Recorders in Los Angeles, and it went out as a single in February 1983.

It's new wave with a smirk: twitchy, chattering synths and a jittery beat under a sly satire of Hollywood life and the absurdity of getting around a town built for cars. Bozzio said the idea came from comedians cracking jokes about Angelenos driving everywhere. It peaked at 12 on Billboard's rock tracks chart and 70 on the Hot 100, and a live version cut in 1981 later turned up as a bonus track on the CD of Rhyme & Reason.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

#422 of the '80s

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
1982	11	KROQ Los Angeles, CA	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982	107

All-time and decade countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
1988	67	KROQ	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988)	496
1989	132	KROQ	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989)	495
1992	148	KROQ	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992)	500
1994	225	KROQ	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994)	497
1995	151	KROQ	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995)	500
1996	196	KROQ	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996)	500
1996	332	Q101	Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996)	500
1998	159	KROQ	KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998)	488
1999	270	Q101	Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)	1017
2002	383	Fred (XM 44)	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)	2002
2003	240	Fred (XM 44)	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)	2044
2007	1676	CD101	CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)	2008
2008	1629	CD101	CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)	2009
2009	1646	CD101	CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)	2010
2010	1685	CD101	CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)	2011
2011	1753	CD101	CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)	2011
2013	1795	CD101	CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)	2012
2014	1743	CD101	CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)	2013
2021	473	90.9 The Bridge	90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s	909
2023	453	The Colorado Sound	The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s	850
2023	120	The Colorado Sound	The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places	800

Also listed as: Walking In L.A.; Walking In LA.

Charting alongside it in 1982

Best songs of 1982 →

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