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Cover of Sound Affects by The Jam
Cover: Sound Affects

Song · The Jam

“That's Entertainment” by The Jam

From the album Sound Affects (1980)

“That's Entertainment” by The Jam appears on 46 radio countdowns from 13 stations between 1988 and 2023. It was first released in 1980 on the album Sound Affects. Its best result is #4 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #298 alternative song of all time.

46countdowns
13stations
#4best position
0#1 finishes
2top 10 finishes
1988–2023years charted

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The Jam - That's Entertainment

Video from YouTube (TheJamVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"That's Entertainment" sits on Sound Affects, the Jam's fifth album, from 1980, and it's the mod revivalists at their most unvarnished. Paul Weller wrote it alone and carries it on acoustic and electric guitar, strummed hard and plain, while Rick Buckler strips his kit back to snare drum and tambourine and Bruce Foxton's bass and voice fill in around him. Vic Coppersmith-Heaven produced it with the band, and they leave it bare as a bus shelter.

It never came out as a proper British single while the band was together, yet import copies, backed with a live "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", sold well enough to reach No. 21, and it stands with "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" as one of the two biggest-selling import singles ever in the UK. It finally got a full UK release in 1983, a 1991 reissue made the top 50, and BBC Radio 2 later ranked it the 43rd best song ever released.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 221 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1989 4 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) 100
1990 10 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) 100
1991 147 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 144 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 23 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) 100
1994 91 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 235 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 131 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 228 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1999 226 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 846 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 223 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 794 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 459 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 172 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 845 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 174 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 850 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 127 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2002 148 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 850 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 858 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 71 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 848 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 579 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 848 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 60 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 434 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 849 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 63 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 413 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 25 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 1665 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 268 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 1527 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 1396 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1320 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 1374 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1353 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1397 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2019 199 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2021 470 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2022 480 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 665 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 386 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909

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