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Song · The Cure

“Why Can't I Be You?” by The Cure

From the album Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (1987)

“Why Can't I Be You?” by The Cure appears on 54 radio countdowns from 13 stations between 1987 and 2014. It was first released in 1987 on the album Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. Its best result is #1 on the WLIR Top 100 Songs of 1987. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #4 alternative song of 1987, #103 alternative song of all time and #23 of the '80s.

54countdowns
13stations
#1best position
1#1 finishes
5top 10 finishes
1987–2014years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1987 5 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1987 107
1987 6 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1987 91
1987 9 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1987 105
1987 1 WLIR / WDRE Long Island, NY WLIR Top 100 Songs of 1987 99
1987 9 Studio Brussel Flanders, Belgium Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 1987 29

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 202 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 51 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 20 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 191 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 45 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1989 200 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1990 144 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1991 177 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 290 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 91 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 176 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 91 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 33 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 149 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 97 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1996 190 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 99 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 148 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1998 218 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 349 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 273 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 83 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 750 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 181 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 191 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 468 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 294 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 191 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 295 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 193 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 464 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 283 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 193 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 363 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 335 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 193 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 232 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 439 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 193 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 194 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2006 488 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2007 165 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 126 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 476 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 132 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 139 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 139 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 143 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 146 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013

Also listed as: Why Can't I Be You; Why Can't 1 Be You.

Charting alongside it in 1987

Best songs of 1987 →
  1. 1Girlfriend in a ComaThe Smiths
  2. 2With or Without YouU2
  3. 3Dear GodXTC
  4. 5StrangeloveDepeche Mode
  5. 6Lips Like SugarEcho and the Bunnymen
  6. 7Need You TonightINXS