Song · The Decemberists
“16 Military Wives” by The Decemberists
From the album Picaresque (2005)
“16 Military Wives” by The Decemberists appears on 18 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 2005 and 2025. It was first released in 2005 on the album Picaresque. Its best result is #15 on the CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2005. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #125 alternative song of 2005 and #1,600 alternative song of all time.
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"16 Military Wives" comes from Picaresque, the Decemberists' 2005 album, and it's Colin Meloy's song through and through: he wrote both the words and the music. Chris Walla produced it with the band and mixed it himself, and he gives it a jaunty, stomping march that sounds like a parade until you start paying attention to the storyteller's arched eyebrow. It's indie rock at its most sly and theatrical, built to be sung along to in a crowded room.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 18 | WFNX Boston, MA | WFNX Top 100 Songs of 2005 | 100 |
| 2005 | 46 | 107.7 The End Seattle, WA | The End Top 107 Songs of 2005 | 107 |
| 2005 | 15 | CD101 Columbus, OH | CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2005 | 101 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 265 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) | 2008 |
| 2008 | 342 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) | 2009 |
| 2009 | 171 | WYEP | WYEP 913 Songs That Matter from the Last Decade | 913 |
| 2009 | 337 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) | 2010 |
| 2009 | 564 | WYEP | WYEP 913 Essential Songs | 913 |
| 2010 | 330 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) | 2011 |
| 2011 | 330 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) | 2011 |
| 2013 | 332 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) | 2012 |
| 2014 | 334 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) | 2013 |
| 2019 | 622 | WYEP | WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 | 1099 |
| 2019 | 622 | WYEP | WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 | 1017 |
| 2022 | 1072 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022 | 603 |
| 2023 | 932 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 | 1229 |
| 2024 | 703 | WYEP | WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years | 1049 |
| 2025 | 534 | WYEP | WYEP Best Songs of the 21st Century (So Far) | 714 |
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