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Cover of Globe of Frogs by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians
Cover: Globe of Frogs

Song · Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians

“Balloon Man” by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians

From the album Globe of Frogs (1988)

“Balloon Man” by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians appears on 29 radio countdowns from 10 stations between 1988 and 2025. It was first released in 1988 on the album Globe of Frogs. Its best result is #23 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1988. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #42 alternative song of 1988, #825 alternative song of all time and #267 of the '80s.

29countdowns
10stations
#23best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1988–2025years charted

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Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - Balloon Man

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"Balloon Man" bobs up on Globe of Frogs, the 1988 album from Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians, and it's Hitchcock at his most tuneful and sunny, a bright, bouncing pop song with a head full of whimsy. He wrote it alone and sings it over his own guitar, Andy Metcalfe covers both bass and keyboards, and Morris Windsor drums and chips in backing vocals, with guest Chris Cox adding a sprinkle of mandolin. The band produced it themselves with Pat Collier, and they keep it light on its feet: jangly, a little daft and very hard to shake.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 23 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1988 107
1988 72 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1988 91
1988 104 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1988 106
1988 41 WLIR / WDRE Long Island, NY WLIR Top 100 Songs of 1988 100

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1989 473 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 132 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1991 142 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1999 372 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 763 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 178 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 814 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 180 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 816 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 816 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 813 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 816 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 448 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 816 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 816 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2007 1377 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 1315 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 1335 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1368 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 1433 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1470 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1528 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2021 901 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2023 705 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2025 506 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800

Also listed as: Ballon Man.

Charting alongside it in 1988

Best songs of 1988 →
  1. 1SuedeheadMorrissey
  2. 2DesireU2
  3. 3Beds are BurningMidnight Oil
  4. 4Route 66Depeche Mode
  5. 5Peek-A-BooSiouxsie and the Banshees
  6. 6Chains of LoveErasure

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