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Song · The Clash

“Train in Vain” by The Clash

From the album London Calling (1979)

“Train in Vain” by The Clash appears on 68 radio countdowns from 19 stations between 1980 and 2025. It was first released in 1979 on the album London Calling. Its best result is #10 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1980. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #10 alternative song of 1980 and #63 alternative song of all time.

68countdowns
19stations
#10best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1980–2025years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1980 10 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1980 106

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 89 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 345 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 146 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 15 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 30 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1990 73 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1991 71 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 18 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 178 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 241 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 11 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 217 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 157 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 53 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 194 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 106 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 160 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 21 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 44 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1996 333 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1998 106 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 177 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 69 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 154 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 12 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 135 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 220 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 104 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 212 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 159 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 98 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 206 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 100 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 204 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 93 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 71 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 204 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 104 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 31 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 91
2003 91 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 204 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 135 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 220 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 484 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 204 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 264 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 157 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 52 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 204 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2006 184 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 334 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 23 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 31 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2008 342 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2009 332 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 621 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2012 147 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2014 135 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2018 144 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 130 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2020 270 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 801 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 399 WCSX WCSX Rock & Roll 500 (2021) 499
2022 701 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 67 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 775 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2024 968 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2025 913 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043

Also listed as: Train In Vain.

Charting alongside it in 1980

Best songs of 1980 →
  1. 1Whip ItDevo
  2. 2The WaitThe Pretenders
  3. 3RefugeeTom Petty
  4. 4She's So ColdThe Rolling Stones
  5. 5Give Me Back My ManThe B-52's
  6. 6Another Brick in the Wall Part IIPink Floyd