Song · The Grateful Dead
“Playing in the Band” by The Grateful Dead
“Playing in the Band” by The Grateful Dead appears on 5 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 1991 and 2025. Its best result is #356 on the WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #6,617 indie & aaa song of all time.
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"Playing in the Band" pairs Robert Hunter's words with music by rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, who had some help from percussionist Mickey Hart, and it took its sweet time growing up. Its instrumental break was already drifting through the jams at the Fillmore West in February 1969, and the finished song was unveiled in Port Chester, New York, at the Capitol Theatre, in February 1971.
A rough, early version landed on the Dead's self-titled live album that same year, and a tidier one showed up on Ace, Weir's first solo record, made with every member of the band except Hart and Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. Hart folded it into "The Main Ten" on his 1972 solo album Rolling Thunder, a title that nods to the song's time signature.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 356 | WNEW-FM | WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) | 500 |
| 1996 | 428 | WNEW-FM | WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) | 500 |
| 1997 | 948 | 102.3 WBAB | WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) | 1023 |
| 2004 | 643 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) | 885 |
| 2025 | 995 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) | 1043 |
Also listed as: Playing In The Band.
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