Song · Stiff Little Fingers
“Wasted Life” by Stiff Little Fingers
From the album Inflammable Material (1979)
“Wasted Life” by Stiff Little Fingers appears on 2 radio countdowns from 1 station between 1979 and 1980. It was first released in 1979 on the album Inflammable Material. Its best result is #18 on the John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1979). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #3,935 alternative song of all time.
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"Wasted Life" is Jake Burns's song, words, music and vocal, and it comes from Inflammable Material, the 1979 debut album Stiff Little Fingers made for Rough Trade. The Northern Irish punks had only been at it since 1977, when Burns steered his old covers band, Highway Star, toward punk and a new name.
The record landed at the height of the Troubles, and most of it stares straight at life in Northern Ireland: deprivation, sectarian violence, police brutality. It also made history as the first album on an independent label to crack the UK Top 20.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 18 | John Peel (BBC Radio 1) | John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1979) | 50 |
| 1980 | 27 | John Peel (BBC Radio 1) | John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1980) | 50 |
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