Song · Public Image Ltd.
“Careering” by Public Image Ltd.
From the album Metal Box (1979)
“Careering” by Public Image Ltd. appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1980 and 2003. It was first released in 1979 on the album Metal Box. Its best result is #34 on the John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1980). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,551 alternative song of all time.
Watch
Video from YouTube (Public Image Limited - Topic). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Careering" sits on Metal Box, Public Image Ltd's second album, which Virgin sent out on 23 November 1979 in a round metal canister, the tin that gave the record its name. The band produced it themselves, and on this track the roles get shuffled: Jah Wobble handles the bass and the drum machine, Keith Levene turns to synthesizer, and John Lydon sings words he wrote himself, with all three sharing the music credit.
The album as a whole left the 1978 debut First Issue far behind for something more avant-garde, built on Lydon's cryptic lyrics, Wobble's dub-heavy rhythms and Levene's abrasive, metallic guitar. It's widely held up as a landmark of post-punk, and it later came back in ordinary LP packaging as Second Edition.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 34 | John Peel (BBC Radio 1) | John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1980) | 50 |
| 2003 | 1146 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Careering" by Public Image Ltd..
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.