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Cover of Clumsy by Our Lady Peace
Cover: Clumsy

Song · Our Lady Peace

“Superman's Dead” by Our Lady Peace

From the album Clumsy (1997)

“Superman's Dead” by Our Lady Peace appears on 49 radio countdowns from 20 stations between 1997 and 2023. It was first released in 1997 on the album Clumsy. Its best result is #8 on the 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #55 alternative song of 1997, #718 alternative song of all time and #227 of the '90s.

49countdowns
20stations
#8best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1997–2023years charted

Watch

Our Lady Peace - Superman's Dead (Official US Alternate Version)

Video from YouTube (OurLadyPeaceVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Superman's Dead" came out in January 1997 as the first taste of Clumsy, Our Lady Peace's second album, landing a week ahead of the record itself. Raine Maida wrote it with Arnold Lanni, and it's the track that nails down what this Canadian band sounds like at full stretch.

That sound starts with Maida's voice, a strange, keening falsetto that swoops where other singers would bellow, set against guitars far heavier than the album's gentler moments like "4 A.M." and "Carnival". The contrast is the whole trick: brute riffing underneath, something fragile and a little alien floating on top, and a chorus that still sounds enormous on the radio.

It spent five weeks at number 2 on Canada's RPM Alternative Chart and reached 17 on the RPM singles chart, while in the States it got to 11 on Modern Rock Tracks and 14 on Mainstream Rock. Canadian rock radio never let go: between 1995 and 2016 it ranked as the 15th most played song by a homegrown act.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1997 58 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 101
1997 38 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997 100
1997 40 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1997 107
1997 84 X103.9 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA X103.9 Top 103.9 Songs of 1997 104
1997 30 97.1 The Eagle Dallas-Fort Worth, TX KEGL The Eagle's Top 97 Songs of 1997 97
1997 23 KNRK Portland, OR KNRK Top 94 Songs of 1997 94
1997 18 105.7 The Point St. Louis, MO 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997 106
1997 38 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997 97
1997 59 WRCX Rock 103.5 Chicago, IL WRCX Top 103 Songs of 1997 103

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 27 CRNC 90.1 CRNC Top 90.1 Songs of the '90s 91
1999 352 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 973 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 642 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 1806 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 153 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 27 The Buzz The Buzz Top 99 Songs of All-Time (1999) 99
2000 1809 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2000 89 103.3 The Edge 103.3 The Edge Top 103 New Rock Songs of the Millennium 103
2001 1814 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 1801 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 35 The Buzz The Buzz Top Songs of All-Time (Labor Day 2002, partial) 144
2003 1605 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 356 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 1605 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 1605 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 298 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2007 983 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 909 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 16 CFNY 102.1 The Edge The Top 200 Songs of the 90's According to 102.1 The Edge 200
2009 870 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 8 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009) 200
2010 40 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of the 90's (September 2010) 200
2010 857 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 887 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 44 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 102 New Rock Songs of All-Time 102
2013 938 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 986 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 388 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2015 406 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2019 89 X96 X96's Top 100 Songs of the 90's 100
2019 429 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2020 183 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2021 344 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 158 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2022 205 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2022 160 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2023 768 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 455 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2023 186 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420

Also listed as: Supermans Dead.

Charting alongside it in 1997

Best songs of 1997 →
  1. 1Song 2Blur
  2. 2Walkin' On The SunSmash Mouth
  3. 3TubthumpingChumbawamba
  4. 4FlySugar Ray
  5. 5The Impression That I GetThe Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  6. 6Semi-Charmed LifeThird Eye Blind

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