Song · R.E.M.
“7 Chinese Bros.” by R.E.M.
From the album Reckoning (1984)
“7 Chinese Bros.” by R.E.M. appears on 10 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 2002 and 2021. It was first released in 1984 on the album Reckoning. Its best result is #673 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #3,760 alternative song of all time.
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"7 Chinese Bros." turned up on Reckoning, R.E.M.'s 1984 album, with Mitch Easter and Don Dixon producing and the whole band sharing the songwriting credit. Peter Buck's guitar rings out, Mike Mills and Bill Berry keep it rolling, and Michael Stipe does what Stipe did best in those days: sing something you can feel long before you can decode it.
There are clues, though. The title nods to The Five Chinese Brothers, Claire Huchet Bishop's 1938 children's book, in which one brother swallows the sea so a boy can gather fish from the seabed; the chorus hands that trick to a whole crowd of brothers. Another line has been read as a nod to Carol Levy, a friend of the band killed in a car crash. And Stipe's own explanation is messier still: as a young man he broke up a couple, then dated both of them.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1864 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 908 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2007 | 1802 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) | 2008 |
| 2008 | 1768 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) | 2009 |
| 2009 | 1787 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) | 2010 |
| 2010 | 1748 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) | 2011 |
| 2011 | 1824 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) | 2011 |
| 2013 | 1884 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) | 2012 |
| 2014 | 1955 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) | 2013 |
| 2021 | 673 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
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