Song · Simple Minds
“Promised You a Miracle” by Simple Minds
From the album New Gold Dream (81‐82‐83‐84) (1982)
“Promised You a Miracle” by Simple Minds appears on 16 radio countdowns from 10 stations between 1982 and 2023. It was first released in 1982 on the album New Gold Dream (81‐82‐83‐84). Its best result is #30 on the John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1982. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #4 alternative song of 1982, #1,416 alternative song of all time and #406 of the '80s.
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Video from YouTube (SimpleMindsVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Promised You a Miracle" was the song that finally broke Simple Minds in Britain: the 1982 lead single from their fifth album, New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84), and their first hit on the UK singles chart after nine singles that had never cracked the Top 40 there. It got them onto Top of the Pops at last and kicked off a run of 21 straight UK hit singles that lasted all the way to "Glitterball" in 1998.
It's new wave with its heart on its sleeve and its feet on the dance floor: Derek Forbes's bass bubbling, Michael MacNeil's keyboards shimmering, Charlie Burchill's guitar and effects throwing sparks, and Jim Kerr, who wrote the words, singing like a man who's just glimpsed something glorious. Kenny Hyslop sat in on drums, and this is the only track on the album he plays on. Steve Barron directed the video.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 39 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982 | 107 |
| 1982 | 30 | John Peel (BBC Radio 1) | John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1982 | 50 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 73 | Studio Brussel | Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1987) | 100 |
| 1988 | 65 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) | 496 |
| 1988 | 235 | Live 105 | Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) | 501 |
| 1989 | 184 | 91X | 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) | 191 |
| 1989 | 193 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) | 495 |
| 1989 | 128 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) | 500 |
| 1991 | 105 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) | 500 |
| 1991 | 832 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) | 1002 |
| 1992 | 460 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) | 500 |
| 1999 | 212 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) | 1002 |
| 2001 | 307 | Virgin Radio | Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 500 |
| 2002 | 893 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 419 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2023 | 520 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s | 850 |
Also listed as: Promised You A Miracle.
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