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Cover of Dummy by Portishead
Cover: Dummy

Song · Portishead

“Glorybox” by Portishead

From the album Dummy (1994)

“Glorybox” by Portishead appears on 24 radio countdowns from 12 stations between 1995 and 2026. It was first released in 1994 on the album Dummy. Its best result is #15 on the WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #200 alternative song of 1995 and #2,220 alternative song of all time.

24countdowns
12stations
#15best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1995–2026years charted

"Glory Box" was the third and final single from Dummy, Portishead's 1994 debut, and it's the sexiest, slowest-burning thing on a record full of shadows. Built on a sample of Isaac Hayes's "Ike's Rap II", it lets Beth Gibbons purr and ache over a heavy, smoky groove until Adrian Utley's guitar cuts loose, with his Hammond organ glowing underneath.

The band produced it with Utley and never wanted it out as a single; Geoff Barrow felt it was too commercial and argued with the label over it. They lost that fight, the song went to number 13 in the UK, and Barrow later admitted the money bought them houses. Alex Hemming directed the video.

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#StationCountdownof
1995 45 Triple J Australia (national) Triple J Hottest 100 of 1995 100

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1998 75 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) 100
1999 1037 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 1253 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 787 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 1253 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 1243 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 272 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2002 1242 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 1415 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 1227 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 1227 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 1226 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2018 592 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 116 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2021 169 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2022 31 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 869 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time 1055
2022 353 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 209 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 115 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2024 225 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2025 15 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500
2026 509 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Glory Box.

Charting alongside it in 1995

Best songs of 1995 →
  1. 1You Oughta KnowAlanis Morissette
  2. 2LumpThe Presidents of the United States of America
  3. 3Lightning CrashesLive
  4. 4Bullet With Butterfly WingsThe Smashing Pumpkins
  5. 5NameGoo Goo Dolls
  6. 6My FriendsRed Hot Chili Peppers

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