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Song · Talking Heads

“Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads

From the album Speaking in Tongues (1983)

“Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads appears on 83 radio countdowns from 21 stations between 1983 and 2026. It was first released in 1983 on the album Speaking in Tongues. Its best result is #8 on The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #28 alternative song of 1983, #40 alternative song of all time and #41 of the '80s.

83countdowns
21stations
#8best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1983–2026years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1983 13 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1983 107
1983 59 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1983 91
1984 72 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1984 106

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 17 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1988 292 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 67 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 49 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 41 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 16 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1989 93 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 227 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1989 84 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) 100
1990 106 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1991 171 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 183 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 252 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 395 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1992 42 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 99 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 92 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 122 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 148 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 146 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 189 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 130 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 24 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 143 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1996 410 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1998 76 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 469 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 129 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 65 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 149 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 592 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 86 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 78 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 182 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 58 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 78 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 60 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 74 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 106 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 58 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 74 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 33 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 56 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 74 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 68 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 433 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 74 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 314 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 51 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 75 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2006 209 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 136 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 54 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 8 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2007 177 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 116 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 134 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 374 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 135 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 496 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 143 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 174 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 145 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 151 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 149 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 153 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 300 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2018 291 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2020 744 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 350 WCSX WCSX Rock & Roll 500 (2021) 499
2021 636 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 684 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 51 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 59 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of The Last 40 Years 91
2023 639 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2024 466 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 316 KQRS KQRS KQ 500 (2024) 499
2024 26 KEXP The Best Opening Tracks of All Time 738
2025 868 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2026 352 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917

Also listed as: Burning Downt he House; Burning Down The House.

Charting alongside it in 1983

Best songs of 1983 →
  1. 1The LovecatsThe Cure
  2. 2New Year's DayU2
  3. 3In a Big CountryBig Country
  4. 4Never StopEcho and the Bunnymen
  5. 5Union of the SnakeDuran Duran
  6. 6Mad WorldTears for Fears