Song · Paul Simon
“The Obvious Child” by Paul Simon
From the album The Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
“The Obvious Child” by Paul Simon appears on 12 radio countdowns from 8 stations between 1990 and 2026. It was first released in 1990 on the album The Rhythm of the Saints. Its best result is #49 on the CFNY Top 90 Songs of 1990. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #90 alternative song of 1990.
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"The Obvious Child" led off The Rhythm of the Saints, Paul Simon's 1990 album for Warner Bros., and it's driven by the Brazilian drumming collective Olodum, recorded live and pounding like a street parade coming round the corner. Simon wrote and produced it and plays guitar, with Michael Brecker on synthesizer, Kim Wilson on harmonica and Reginald Brisbon on backing vocals.
Over all that joyous racket Simon muses on aging and mortality, and the contrast is the point. Reviews were glowing; it reached 21 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and the top 15 in the UK and the Netherlands, and Simon took Olodum onto Saturday Night Live to play it. It even lent its name to the 2014 film Obvious Child.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 58 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1990 | 91 |
| 1990 | 49 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON | CFNY Top 90 Songs of 1990 | 90 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 745 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2014 | 660 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) | 885 |
| 2018 | 708 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs | 892 |
| 2021 | 641 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s | 908 |
| 2022 | 712 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s | 900 |
| 2022 | 1272 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022 | 603 |
| 2022 | 308 | KEXP | KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) | 491 |
| 2023 | 284 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s | 893 |
| 2024 | 166 | KEXP | The Best Opening Tracks of All Time | 738 |
| 2026 | 303 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
Also listed as: Obvious Child.
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