Song · Pennywise
“Bro Hymn” by Pennywise
From the album Pennywise (1991)
“Bro Hymn” by Pennywise appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 2006 and 2023. It was first released in 1991 on the album Pennywise. Its best result is #468 on the KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #7,318 alternative song of all time.
"Bro Hymn" closes Pennywise's self-titled 1991 debut on Epitaph, and it's a eulogy dressed up as a terrace chant. Jim Lindberg, Fletcher Dragge, Byron McMackin and Jason Thirsk share the writing credit, but the grief is bassist Thirsk's: the song mourns three of his friends, two killed in separate motorcycle crashes and one who drowned at Hermosa Beach Pier in 1988.
After Thirsk's own death the band cut it again in 1996 as "Bro Hymn (Tribute)" for Full Circle, their fourth album, with the dedication rewritten for him. That's the version radio still leans on, and on stage they mix the two sets of words. Its fists-up melodic hardcore rush has made it a goal song for teams from VfB Stuttgart to the Anaheim Ducks, and the band played it live at the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup victory rally.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 468 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) | 500 |
| 2023 | 825 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s | 893 |
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