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Song · Soft Cell

“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell

From the album Non‐Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981)

“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell appears on 64 radio countdowns from 17 stations between 1982 and 2020. It was first released in 1981 on the album Non‐Stop Erotic Cabaret. Its best result is #1 on the KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988), and it was voted number one on two countdowns in total. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #58 alternative song of 1982, #41 alternative song of all time and #129 of the '80s.

64countdowns
17stations
#1best position
2#1 finishes
13top 10 finishes
1982–2020years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 38 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982 107

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 6 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1988 1 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 7 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 30 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 8 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 1 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1990 8 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1990 38 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) 100
1991 5 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 2 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 54 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) 100
1992 5 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 7 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1993 91 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1993) 100
1994 9 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 40 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 31 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 14 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 13 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 10 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 47 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1998 39 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1998 25 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) 100
1999 80 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 26 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 137 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 94 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 38 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 166 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 8 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 86 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 166 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 88 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 166 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 41 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 71 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 120 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 166 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 210 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 166 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 70 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 216 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 166 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 31 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2004 745 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 167 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 70 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2005 21 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 100 Brit Songs of All-Time (May 2005) 100
2006 68 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 48 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 359 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2006 58 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2007 1433 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 191 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 1383 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 253 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 1394 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1428 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 1491 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1439 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1400 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2019 471 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2020 1074 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020

Charting alongside it in 1982

Best songs of 1982 →
  1. 1Rock the CasbahThe Clash
  2. 2Should I Stay or Should I Go?The Clash
  3. 3Promised You a MiracleSimple Minds
  4. 4TemptationNew Order
  5. 5I Ran (So Far Away)A Flock of Seagulls
  6. 6Sex DwarfSoft Cell