Song · Temptations
“Papa Was a Rolling Stone” by Temptations
Released 1983
“Papa Was a Rolling Stone” by Temptations appears on 15 radio countdowns from 7 stations between 1990 and 2026. It was first released in 1983. Its best result is #91 on the Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1990). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #7,090 alternative song of all time.
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"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" began as a Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong song for the Undisputed Truth, but Whitfield wasn't finished with it. Later in 1972 he cut a whole new version with the Temptations, stretching it into a 12-minute epic for their album All Directions, and an edited 7-inch followed that September. It's a slow-simmering, cinematic slab of soul that takes its sweet time and makes every minute count.
The Temptations' take topped the Billboard Hot 100 and collected three Grammys at the 1973 ceremony, and it turned out to be the group's last chart-topper and their final win in a competitive Grammy category. The full album version later landed at 169 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs, and Otis Williams has called it the last real classic the group made.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 91 | Studio Brussel | Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1990) | 100 |
| 2001 | 385 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2004 | 820 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) | 885 |
| 2009 | 828 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2010 | 364 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) | 885 |
| 2012 | 827 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) | 885 |
| 2014 | 861 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) | 885 |
| 2020 | 262 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2021 | 99 | WYEP | WYEP 2021 Labor Day Countdown | 168 |
| 2022 | 334 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
| 2022 | 365 | KEXP | KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) | 491 |
| 2022 | 928 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time | 1055 |
| 2023 | 213 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 | 1229 |
| 2024 | 758 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs | 850 |
| 2026 | 275 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs You Discovered on The Colorado Sound | 1055 |
Also listed as: Papa Was a Rollin' Stone; Papa Was A Rolling Stone; Papa Was A Rollin' Stone.
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