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Song · Simple Minds

“Don't You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds

Released 1986

“Don't You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds appears on 125 radio countdowns from 39 stations between 1985 and 2026. It was first released in 1986. Its best result is #1 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1985. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #8 alternative song of 1985, #68 alternative song of all time and #30 of the '80s.

125countdowns
39stations
#1best position
1#1 finishes
5top 10 finishes
1985–2026years charted

Watch

Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)

Video from YouTube (SimpleMindsVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" is the song Simple Minds didn't want, and the one that broke them wide open. Producer Keith Forsey and guitarist Steve Schiff wrote it for the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, and the Scottish band, who preferred to stick to their own material, turned it down at first, only to take it on after several other acts passed as well.

Whatever their doubts, they played it like they meant it. It's a big, booming, wide-open production, all cavernous drums, echoing guitar and a chorus that seems to arrive from a mountaintop and practically begs a crowd to join in. Peter Walsh engineered and mixed it, and he gave it a gleaming, arena-sized sheen.

It became their biggest hit in North America, going all the way to number one in both the United States and Canada, reached 7 in the UK and went top ten around the world. It was their breakout, and not bad going for a song they almost refused.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1985 14 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1985 107
1985 1 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1985 91

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 11 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1987 96 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1987) 100
1988 45 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 382 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 58 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1988 77 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1988) 100
1989 4 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 94 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1989 49 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 36 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1990 77 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1990 95 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1990) 100
1991 135 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 150 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 71 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 17 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 65 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 86 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 35 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 64 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 64 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 142 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 20 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 57 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 75 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1997 855 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1998 78 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1998 99 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1998) 100
1999 37 Channel 104.9 Channel 104.9 Top 101 Songs of the '80s (February 1999) 104
1999 109 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 11 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 102 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 219 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 55 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 604 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 36 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 121 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1999) 150
2000 444 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 604 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 442 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 604 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 91 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 46 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 410 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 604 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 48 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 301 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 604 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 37 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 500 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 604 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 108 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 259 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 604 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 203 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2005 801 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2005 65 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 100 Brit Songs of All-Time (May 2005) 100
2006 108 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 179 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 253 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 312 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2006 35 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2007 867 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 147 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 823 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 206 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 833 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 858 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 888 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 466 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2013 897 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 149 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 59 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2014 913 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 417 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 608 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2016 64 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2017 82 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2018 843 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2018 106 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2019 325 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2019 443 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2019 549 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2019 628 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 132 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2019) 500
2020 430 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2020 438 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2020 567 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2021 12 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2021 186 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2021 361 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2021 467 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2021 799 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 439 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2022 75 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2022 145 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 380 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2022) 500
2022 418 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2022) 500
2022 67 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) 500
2022 414 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 317 97.1 The River River 500 (2022) 500
2022 190 94.1 KRNA KRNA Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 153 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2023 7 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 8 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of The Last 40 Years 91
2023 190 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 843 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 222 97.1 The Drive 97.1 The Drive Memorial Day Weekend Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 368 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 209 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 754 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 256 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2024 711 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 120 KQRS KQRS KQ 500 (2024) 499
2024 314 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 161 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2024 202 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2025 158 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) 400
2025 555 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 177 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2026 9 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s 498
2026 83 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500
2026 208 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Don't You (Forget About You); Don't You Forget About You; Don't You Forget About Me; (Don't You) Forget About Me; Don't You; Don't You Forget about Me.

Charting alongside it in 1985

Best songs of 1985 →
  1. 1Alive and KickingSimple Minds
  2. 2The Perfect KissNew Order
  3. 3In Between DaysThe Cure
  4. 4Take On Mea-ha
  5. 5Road to NowhereTalking Heads
  6. 6Shake the DiseaseDepeche Mode

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