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Cover of 9 by Public Image Ltd. — Cover: 9

Song · Public Image Ltd.

“Happy” by Public Image Ltd.

From the album 9 (1989)

“Happy” by Public Image Ltd. appears on 19 radio countdowns from 5 stations between 1989 and 2014. It was first released in 1989 on the album 9. Its best result is #61 on the Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1989. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #109 alternative song of 1989 and #1,728 alternative song of all time.

19countdowns

5stations

#61best position

0#1 finishes

0top 10 finishes

1989–2014years charted

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"Happy" comes from 9, the Public Image Ltd album Virgin released in May 1989, made by a lineup of John Lydon, bassist Allan Dias, guitarist John McGeoch and drummer Bruce Smith. The songwriting credit is split five ways, and one of the five doesn't play a note: guitarist Lu Edmonds had quit with tinnitus by the time the album was cut, but he still holds a co-write on every track.

Finding a producer was its own soap opera. Bill Laswell, who had made Album with them three years earlier, was lined up first, but bad blood with Lydon, his wish to bring in his own session crew and his cool view of the new lineup scuttled the deal. Stephen Hague ended up producing "Happy" with the band and mixing it alongside Dave Meegan.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
1989	74	91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana	91X Top 91 Songs of 1989	90
1989	61	Live 105 San Francisco, CA	Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1989	105

All-time and decade countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
–	188	WLIR / WDRE	WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s	200
1999	1275	CD101	CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)	2000
2000	1276	CD101	CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)	2001
2001	1277	CD101	CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)	2002
2002	1276	CD101	CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)	2003
2002	644	Fred (XM 44)	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)	2002
2003	1261	CD101	CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)	2004
2003	79	Fred (XM 44)	Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)	2044
2004	1262	CD101	CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)	2005
2005	1263	CD101	CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)	1994
2007	1718	CD101	CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)	2008
2008	1694	CD101	CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)	2009
2009	1707	CD101	CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)	2010
2010	1657	CD101	CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)	2011
2011	1645	CD101	CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)	2011
2013	1631	CD101	CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)	2012
2014	1684	CD101	CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)	2013

Also listed as: Happy?.

Charting alongside it in 1989

Best songs of 1989 →

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