Song · Oingo Boingo
“When the Lights Go Out” by Oingo Boingo
From the album Dark at the End of the Tunnel (1990)
“When the Lights Go Out” by Oingo Boingo appears on 1 radio countdown from 1 station in 1990. It was first released in 1990 on the album Dark at the End of the Tunnel. Its best result is #88 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1990. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #258 alternative song of 1990.
Danny Elfman wrote the words and the music for "When the Lights Go Out", and it landed on Dark at the End of the Tunnel, the seventh Oingo Boingo album, released on MCA in 1990. By then the American new wave band's frontman had turned into a famous film composer, above all through his work with Tim Burton, and his band was changing its tune.
The album traded the hyperactive, frantic rush of the earlier Boingo records for plainer, more mainstream pop, with lyrics that leaned emotional and upbeat. Chris Lord-Alge mixed the track; Talley Sherwood engineered with Brian Soucy assisting, Bill Jackson and Jeff Lord-Alge recorded it, and Csaba Petocz and Jim Scott handled additional recording.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 88 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1990 | 91 |
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