Song · The Gaslight Anthem
“The '59 Sound” by The Gaslight Anthem
From the album The ’59 Sound (2008)
“The '59 Sound” by The Gaslight Anthem appears on 15 radio countdowns from 12 stations between 2008 and 2025. It was first released in 2008 on the album The ’59 Sound. Its best result is #28 on the 102.1 The Edge The Top 102 of 2009. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #105 alternative song of 2009.
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"The '59 Sound" was the Gaslight Anthem's debut single and the title track of their second album, out in 2008, and it was the first song Brian Fallon wrote for that record. He thought it topped anything he'd done before, the band agreed, and once "Great Expectations" followed they knew where the album was headed. The title nods to a 1959 Fender Bassman amp Fallon built himself, and the band were chasing the thrill of late-'50s soul.
Underneath the rush it's an elegy for a friend killed in a car accident, and Ted Hutt's production keeps the guitars ringing and the drums pushing like the radio's cranked all the way up. Fallon, Benny Horowitz, Alex Levine and Alex Rosamilia share the writing. It reached the Alternative Airplay chart in early 2009, and that June the band played it with Bruce Springsteen at Glastonbury and Hard Rock Calling.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 59 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 2008 | 91 |
| 2008 | 87 | 88.3 The Sting Cleveland, OH | 88.3 The Sting WBWC Top 88 Songs of 2008 | 88 |
| 2008 | 40 | WVBR Ithaca, NY | WVBR Top 93 of 2008 | 93 |
| 2008 | 55 | 94.1 The Zone Rochester, NY | 94.1 The Zone Most Played Songs of 2008 | 94 |
| 2009 | 66 | Q101 Chicago, IL | Q101 Top 101 Songs of 2009 | 101 |
| 2009 | 35 | WFNX Boston, MA | WFNX Top 101 Songs of 2009 | 101 |
| 2009 | 35 | CD101 Columbus, OH | CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2009 | 101 |
| 2009 | 28 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON | 102.1 The Edge The Top 102 of 2009 | 102 |
| 2009 | 57 | The Current Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | The Current Top 89 Songs of 2009 | 89 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 558 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) | 885 |
| 2012 | 214 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) | 885 |
| 2022 | 150 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s | 907 |
| 2024 | 677 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century | 1055 |
| 2024 | 748 | WXPN | WXPN The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century (2024) | 885 |
| 2025 | 749 | The Current | 893 Essential Songs of The Current: 2005 to Now | 893 |
Also listed as: 59 Sound.
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