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Cover of Sublime by Sublime
Cover: Sublime

Song · Sublime

“Santeria” by Sublime

From the album Sublime (1996)

“Santeria” by Sublime appears on 92 radio countdowns from 38 stations between 1996 and 2026. It was first released in 1996 on the album Sublime. Its best result is #1 on the 101X 500 (2022). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #16 alternative song of 1997, #131 alternative song of all time and #14 of the '90s.

92countdowns
38stations
#1best position
1#1 finishes
14top 10 finishes
1996–2026years charted

Watch

Sublime - Santeria (Official Music Video)

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

"Santeria" comes from Sublime's third album, the self-titled 1996 record, and it's the ska punk trio easing off the throttle for a ballad, all loose, sun-warmed groove and lazy swing. Bradley Nowell sings and plays guitar, Eric Wilson rolls along on bass and Bud Gaugh holds down the drums, and the three of them share the writing credit. Paul Leary produced and mixed it, with Stuart Sullivan engineering, for MCA.

It went out as a single on January 7, 1997, after the death of Nowell, so he never saw what it became. Alongside "What I Got", it's the song most people think of when Sublime comes up, and it's easy to hear why: it sounds effortless, a shrug set to music.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1996 80 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1996 107
1996 5 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1996 91
1997 16 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1997 107
1997 35 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997 105
1997 14 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 101
1997 6 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997 100
1997 5 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1997 107
1997 60 105.7 The Point St. Louis, MO 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997 106
1997 9 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1997 103
1997 26 X103.9 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA X103.9 Top 103.9 Songs of 1997 104
1997 15 KNRK Portland, OR KNRK Top 94 Songs of 1997 94
1997 9 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997 97
2020 75 CD101 Columbus, OH CD101 Top 93 Songs of 2020 93

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 66 CRNC 90.1 CRNC Top 90.1 Songs of the '90s 91
1999 23 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 22 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 4 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 125 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 155 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 75 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 1657 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 58 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of the '90s (September 2000) 100
2000 1657 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2000 50 The Edge KEDJ Countdown 2000 (106 songs) 106
2001 1657 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 67 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 1649 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 44 The Buzz The Buzz Top Songs of All-Time (Labor Day 2002, partial) 144
2002 559 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 16 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 91
2003 1636 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 56 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 43 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 1636 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 103 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2005 7 Live 105 Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of the '90s (August 2005) 106
2005 23 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 90s 96
2005 1631 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 58 The Edge KEDJ Top 103 on Independent Radio 103
2005 15 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2006 67 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Songs of the '90s (December 2006) 107
2006 59 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2007 28 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 118 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 25 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 105 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 11 CFNY 102.1 The Edge The Top 200 Songs of the 90's According to 102.1 The Edge 200
2009 20 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 108 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 17 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009) 200
2010 79 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of the 90's (September 2010) 200
2010 111 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 118 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 118 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 129 KBPI KBPI Top 200 Songs of All Time 200
2014 119 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 8 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2015 8 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2018 631 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 29 X96 X96's Top 100 Songs of the 90's 100
2019 9 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2019 297 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2019 219 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2020 24 DC101 Top DC101 of the 90's 101
2020 52 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2020 24 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2020 302 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2020 268 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2021 364 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 8 107.7 The End The End Obligatory Top 100 Alternative Songs of All Time (2021) 100
2021 28 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2021 166 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2022 102 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 1 101X 101X 500 (2022) 498
2022 24 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2022 292 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 855 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 123 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2023 103 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 6 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2023 30 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2023 292 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 26 ALT 104.5 ALT 104.5 Top 104 of ALT Time 104
2024 86 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) 400
2024 287 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 25 107.7 The End The End Sweet Summer Vibes Countdown (2024) 100
2025 299 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 19 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) 400
2026 274 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500
2026 2 101X 101X 500 (2026) 500
2026 400 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180
2026 348 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2026) 500

Charting alongside it in 1997

Best songs of 1997 →
  1. 1Song 2Blur
  2. 2Walkin' On The SunSmash Mouth
  3. 3TubthumpingChumbawamba
  4. 4FlySugar Ray
  5. 5The Impression That I GetThe Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  6. 6Semi-Charmed LifeThird Eye Blind

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