Song · Spiderbait
“Black Betty” by Spiderbait
From the album Tonight Alright (2004)
“Black Betty” by Spiderbait appears on 3 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 2004 and 2025. It was first released in 2004 on the album Tonight Alright. Its best result is #5 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2004. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #213 alternative song of 2004.
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Video from YouTube (RamJamVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
Spiderbait gave "Black Betty" a fresh coat of rust on Tonight Alright in 2004. The song goes back to an African-American work song of the 20th century, often credited to Lead Belly, though the earliest recordings belong to James "Iron Head" Baker and Moses "Clear Rock" Platt. Spiderbait follow the rock blueprint Ram Jam laid down in 1977, and it turned into a hit for them too.
Sylvia Massy produced it and mixed it with Rich Veltrop, who engineered, and the band did their own arranging. It's a blunt, hammering thing, loud and gleefully primitive, built to shake a pub floor loose.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Hard Rock & Metal
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 43 | WCCC The Rock Hartford, CT | WCCC Top 106 Songs of 2004 | 106 |
| 2004 | 5 | Triple J Australia (national) | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2004 | 100 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 90 | Triple J | Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs (2025) | 100 |
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