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The Jesus and Mary Chain
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Artist · chart history · #137 in alternative artist polls · #450 in indie & aaa artist polls

The Jesus and Mary Chain

Band East Kilbride United Kingdom Formed 1984

The Jesus and Mary Chain formed in 1984 in East Kilbride, United Kingdom. The Jesus and Mary Chain has 225 chart appearances on 96 radio countdowns from 25 stations on RockLists, spanning 1984–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Just Like Honey”, which appears on 30 lists with a best position of #2. In total the artist has topped 1 countdown. The station that charted The Jesus and Mary Chain most often is CD101 (Columbus, OH), with 102 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 1992.

225appearances
96countdowns
29songs charted
25stations
1#1 finishes
1984–2026years

The Jesus and Mary Chain are Jim and William Reid, 2 Scottish brothers from East Kilbride, plus whoever happens to be standing next to them: the Reids write the songs and are the only members who have never left. They started with Douglas Hart on bass and Murray Dalglish on drums, signed to Creation Records and put out "Upside Down" in 1984, a first single that sounded like a sweet little melody being fed through a wood chipper. Bobby Gillespie then took over the drums from Dalglish, and the lineup was set for the record that made their name.

Psychocandy came out in 1985 on the major label WEA, and the critics swooned: girl-group-simple tunes, the Reids' bored, murmured vocals and walls of shrieking guitar noise piled on top until the pretty and the ugly could not be pulled apart. "Just Like Honey" still stops people cold. Gillespie left soon after to concentrate on his own band, Primal Scream. Darklands, in 1987, cooled the noise and turned up the gloom, and it became their biggest record at home, reaching number 5 in the UK, with "April Skies" going top 10 as a single. Noise pop and shoegaze both trace a line back to these records.

Automatic, in 1989, finally cracked America: "Head On" and "Blues from a Gun" were their first US chart singles and got hammered on alternative radio. Hart was gone by 1991, and Honey's Dead in 1992 and Stoned & Dethroned in 1994 kept the American audience growing; "Sometimes Always", from the latter, became their most successful American single, scraping into the Hot 100 at number 96.

After 10 years with WEA they moved to Sub Pop in America and back to Creation at home for Munki in 1998, and then it blew up on the road: William walked off a tour after a fight with a drunken Jim, and the band split the following year. The brothers patched it up in 2007, released Damage and Joy in 2017, their first album in 19 years, and followed it with Glasgow Eyes in 2024, their first UK top 10 album since 1988. On the countdowns, "Just Like Honey", "Head On" and "Sidewalking" still cut through the static.

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

Songs by The Jesus and Mary Chain on radio countdowns

#SongStrengthListsBest#1sPeak year
1 Just Like Honey
1,723		 30 #2 – 1985
2 Head On
1,696		 31 #21 – 1990
3 Sometimes Always
1,537		 24 #31 – 1994
4 April Skies
770		 22 #16 – 1987
5 Sidewalking
606		 17 #3 – 1988
6 Far Gone and Out
432		 8 #5 – 1992
7 Happy When It Rains
418		 14 #43 – 1987
8 Come On
354		 16 #516 – –
9 Between Us
211		 14 #1524 – –
10 Blues from a Gun
197		 6 #13 – 1989
11 I Love Rock-N-Roll
189		 14 #1500 – –
12 Sugar Ray
140		 2 #281 – –
13 Never Understand
100		 1 #1 1 1985
14 Reverence
91		 2 #13 – 1992
15 Amputation
84		 1 #17 – 2017
16 Some Candy Talking
84		 1 #9 – 1986
17 Cracking Up
80		 1 #11 – 1998
18 Almost Gold
79		 2 #1092 – –
19 You Trip Me Up
78		 1 #12 – 1985
20 Rollercoaster
51		 1 #53 – 1990
21 Nine Million Rainy Days
50		 2 #41 – 1987
22 Upside Down
28		 1 #37 – 1984
23 Kill Surf City
24		 1 #39 – 1987
24 Surfin' Bird
23		 1 #1544 – –
25 Jamcod
22		 1 #66 – 2024
26 Dirty Water
17		 1 #1705 – –
27 Automatic
9		 4 #1950 – –
28 Down on Me
4		 1 #1966 – –
29 Surfin' USA
3		 1 #1948 – –

Albums with charting songs

Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.

Year-end chart timeline

Combined year-end countdown points per year. Taller bars mean more songs placing higher across more stations.

84 85 86 87 88 89 90 92 94 98 17 24

Every countdown appearance

Year#SongCountdown
2026 785 Sometimes Always KXT 917 Song Countdown
2026 403 Just Like Honey WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s
2026 612 Just Like Honey The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs You Discovered on The Colorado Sound
2025 363 Head On The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs
2024 66 Jamcod WBER Listener Countdown 2024
2024 167 Just Like Honey The Best Opening Tracks of All Time
2023 404 Just Like Honey 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time
2023 142 Just Like Honey The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s
2023 667 April Skies The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s
2022 452 Sometimes Always The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s
2021 48 Just Like Honey 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s
2021 349 Head On 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2021 518 April Skies 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s
2021 735 Blues from a Gun 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2020 1948 Just Like Honey WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time
2019 159 Just Like Honey KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time
2019 306 Happy When It Rains KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time
2019 611 Head On KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time
2017 17 Amputation WEQX Top 102.7 of 2017
2014 265 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 577 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 1023 April Skies CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 1300 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 1540 Come On CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 1768 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 1780 Between Us CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2013 281 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 572 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 1011 April Skies CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 1340 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 1496 Come On CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 1688 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 1712 Between Us CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2012 836 Just Like Honey WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012)
2011 303 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 567 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 1007 April Skies CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 1432 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 1552 Come On CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 1623 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 1646 Between Us CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2010 304 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 555 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 976 April Skies CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 1430 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 1484 Come On CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 1556 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2010 1579 Between Us CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2009 305 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 588 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 946 April Skies CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 1454 Come On CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 1525 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 1548 Between Us CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 1592 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 893 Just Like Honey WYEP 913 Essential Songs
2009 551 Just Like Honey WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009)
2008 454 Head On KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008)
2008 294 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008 616 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008 930 April Skies CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008 1442 Come On CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008 1500 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008 1528 Between Us CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2008 1683 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2007 331 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 701 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 985 April Skies CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 1443 Come On CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 1524 Between Us CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 1566 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 1746 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2007 484 Far Gone and Out KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007)
2006 93 Just Like Honey WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006)
2006 117 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006)
2006 453 Artist ranking WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Artists (2006)
2005 92 Just Like Honey WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005)
2005 120 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005)
2005 428 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1001 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1337 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1752 Come On CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1775 Between Us CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1838 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 1891 April Skies CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2004 428 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1006 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1336 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1752 Come On CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1774 Between Us CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1849 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 1898 April Skies CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2003 114 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003)
2003 428 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1006 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1336 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1752 Come On CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1774 Between Us CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1848 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 1898 April Skies CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 167 Far Gone and Out Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 281 Sugar Ray Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 341 Head On Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 393 Happy When It Rains Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 516 Come On Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 841 April Skies Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 961 Sometimes Always Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1092 Almost Gold Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1280 Head On Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1423 Nine Million Rainy Days Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1705 Dirty Water Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1966 Down on Me Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2002 66 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002)
2002 428 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1021 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1351 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1770 Come On CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1794 Between Us CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1880 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1950 Automatic CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1976 April Skies CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 28 Head On Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 187 Far Gone and Out Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 325 Happy When It Rains Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 472 April Skies Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 932 Sugar Ray Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1182 Sometimes Always Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1359 Almost Gold Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1544 Surfin' Bird Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1724 Come On Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1948 Surfin' USA Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2001 70 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001)
2001 428 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1021 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1352 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1781 Come On CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1807 Between Us CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1895 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1967 Automatic CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1994 April Skies CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2000 68 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000)
2000 426 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1017 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1350 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1780 Come On CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1820 Between Us CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1895 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1929 April Skies CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1958 Automatic CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
1999 297 Head On Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 237 Head On WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999)
1999 341 Sometimes Always WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999)
1999 725 Head On The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1017 Happy When It Rains The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 133 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999)
1999 425 Sometimes Always CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 966 Just Like Honey CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1350 Sidewalking CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1779 Come On CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1818 Between Us CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1894 I Love Rock-N-Roll CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1935 April Skies CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1964 Automatic CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 646 Head On CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999)
1999 945 Happy When It Rains CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999)
1999 376 Far Gone and Out WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999)
1998 11 Cracking Up John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1998
1998 380 Head On KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998)
1996 294 Head On KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996)
1996 244 Head On Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996)
1996 386 Happy When It Rains Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996)
1996 269 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996)
1995 389 Head On KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995)
1994 103 Sometimes Always Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1994
1994 71 Sometimes Always Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1994
1994 47 Sometimes Always WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1994
1994 59 Sometimes Always Triple J Hottest 100 of 1994
1994 31 Sometimes Always Radio & Records Top 94 Songs of 1994
1994 266 Head On KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994)
1994 321 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994)
1992 76 Far Gone and Out KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1992
1992 34 Far Gone and Out Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1992
1992 76 Far Gone and Out Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1992
1992 5 Far Gone and Out WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1992
1992 88 Reverence CFNY Top 102 Songs of 1992
1992 13 Reverence John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1992
1992 159 Head On KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992)
1992 279 Happy When It Rains Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992)
1991 268 Head On Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991)
1991 260 Head On WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991)
1991 290 Sidewalking WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991)
1991 435 Happy When It Rains WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991)
1991 527 Just Like Honey CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition)
1991 47 Artist ranking Live 105 Top 105 Artists of All-Time (1991)
1990 21 Head On KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1990
1990 67 Head On 91X Top 91 Songs of 1990
1990 37 Head On Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1990
1990 53 Rollercoaster Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1990
1990 73 Head On CFNY Top 90 Songs of 1990
1989 63 Blues from a Gun KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1989
1989 65 Blues from a Gun 91X Top 91 Songs of 1989
1989 82 Blues from a Gun Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1989
1989 13 Blues from a Gun John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1989
1989 29 Blues from a Gun Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 1989
1989 126 Just Like Honey WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989)
1989 201 Sidewalking WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989)
1989 277 Happy When It Rains WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989)
1989 190 April Skies 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989)
1989 43 Artist ranking Live 105 Top 105 Artists of All-Time (1989)
1988 43 Happy When It Rains Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1988
1988 3 Sidewalking John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1988
1988 483 Happy When It Rains Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988)
1987 92 Happy When It Rains KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1987
1987 60 April Skies 91X Top 91 Songs of 1987
1987 76 Happy When It Rains 91X Top 91 Songs of 1987
1987 22 April Skies Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1987
1987 96 Happy When It Rains WLIR Top 100 Songs of 1987
1987 16 April Skies John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1987
1987 39 Kill Surf City John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1987
1987 41 Nine Million Rainy Days John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1987
1986 9 Some Candy Talking John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1986
1985 1 Never Understand John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1985
1985 2 Just Like Honey John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1985
1985 12 You Trip Me Up John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1985
1984 37 Upside Down John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1984

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