RockLists.com

Song · The Cure

“Boys Don't Cry” by The Cure

Released 1986

“Boys Don't Cry” by The Cure appears on 73 radio countdowns from 18 stations between 1986 and 2024. It was first released in 1986. Its best result is #1 on the WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #17 alternative song of 1986, #27 alternative song of all time and #95 of the '80s.

73countdowns
18stations
#1best position
1#1 finishes
7top 10 finishes
1986–2024years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1986 36 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1986 107
1986 2 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1986 90

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 162 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1988 11 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 62 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 26 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 86 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 5 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 26 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1989 29 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) 100
1990 24 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1990 23 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) 100
1991 9 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 71 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 34 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 43 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) 100
1992 20 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 22 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1992 66 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1992) 100
1994 6 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 41 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 35 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 8 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 25 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 3 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 40 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 1 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1998 68 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1998 98 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) 100
1999 33 Channel 104.9 Channel 104.9 Top 101 Songs of the '80s (February 1999) 104
1999 39 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 629 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 135 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 95 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 1009 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 65 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 603 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 590 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 45 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 603 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 46 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 603 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 97 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 20 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 603 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 973 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 31 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 603 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 464 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 299 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 603 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 203 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 63 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 600 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 356 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 93 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 150 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 25 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 245 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2006 33 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2007 220 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 55 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 162 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 385 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 163 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 174 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 183 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 179 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 185 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2019 184 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2020 1131 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2023 68 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of The Last 40 Years 91
2024 613 KEXP The Best Opening Tracks of All Time 738

Also listed as: Boy's Don't Cry.

Charting alongside it in 1986

Best songs of 1986 →
  1. 1PanicThe Smiths
  2. 2AskThe Smiths
  3. 3Bigmouth Strikes AgainThe Smiths
  4. 4SledgehammerPeter Gabriel
  5. 5Wild Wild LifeTalking Heads
  6. 6Don't Get Me WrongThe Pretenders