Artist · chart history
Nation of Language
Band Brooklyn Formed 2016
Nation of Language formed in 2016 in Brooklyn. Nation of Language has 23 chart appearances on 19 radio countdowns from 11 stations on RockLists, spanning 2022–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Inept Apollo”, which appears on 9 lists with a best position of #15. The station that charted Nation of Language most often is WYEP (Pittsburgh, PA), with 4 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 2025.
Nation of Language make synth-pop that sounds like it was found on a dusty cassette in a thrift store and then played with total, heart-on-sleeve conviction. Formed in Brooklyn in 2016, the trio runs on Ian Richard Devaney's voice, guitar and synthesizers, Aidan Noell's synth lines and backing vocals, and the bass of Alex MacKay, who took over from Michael Sue-Poi ahead of the band's 2022 tour.
Strange Disciple, from 2023, is where the melancholy grew its sharpest hooks: "Sole Obsession" pulses with a chilly, steady heartbeat while Devaney croons over the top, and "Weak in Your Light" chases the same yearning. Dance Called Memory followed in 2025 with "Inept Apollo" and "I'm Not Ready for the Change", keeping the glow and the ache intact. It's retro without being a costume party: the old-school synth textures are there to carry feeling, not to wallow in nostalgia.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs by Nation of Language on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inept Apollo | 9 | #15 | – | 2025 | |
| 2 | Sole Obsession | 4 | #18 | – | 2023 | |
| 3 | Weak in Your Light | 3 | #154 | – | – | |
| 4 | I'm Not Ready for the Change | 3 | #16 | – | 2025 | |
| 5 | Too Much, Enough | 2 | #64 | – | 2023 | |
| 6 | Across That Fine Line | 2 | #831 | – | – |
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.
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