Song · Oingo Boingo
“Grey Matter” by Oingo Boingo
From the album Nothing to Fear (1982)
“Grey Matter” by Oingo Boingo appears on 3 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1988 and 2003. It was first released in 1982 on the album Nothing to Fear. Its best result is #75 on the KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #3,661 alternative song of all time.
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"Grey Matter" is a Danny Elfman song, words and music, from Nothing to Fear, the second album from Oingo Boingo, the American new wave band, which A&M released in 1982.
Nothing to Fear is where the band sharpened its edges. Next to what came before, it hits harder, with louder electric guitar and percussion, synthesizers used more often and in more ways, and sequencers turning up for the first time on some tracks. The instrument lineup is unorthodox too, with some pieces designed and built by the band members themselves. The album has kept its hold on Elfman long after the band broke up in 1995: he cut a new solo "Running on a Treadmill" in self-quarantine in 2020 and remade "Insects" for his 2021 album Big Mess.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 75 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) | 496 |
| 1998 | 435 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) | 488 |
| 2003 | 1257 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
Also listed as: Grey matter.
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