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Cover of Everybody’s in Show‐Biz by The Kinks
Cover: Everybody’s in Show‐Biz

Song · The Kinks

“Celluloid Heroes” by The Kinks

From the album Everybody’s in Show‐Biz (1972)

“Celluloid Heroes” by The Kinks appears on 33 radio countdowns from 10 stations between 1982 and 2026. It was first released in 1972 on the album Everybody’s in Show‐Biz. Its best result is #19 on the WMGK Philly 500 (2022). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #6,292 alternative song of all time.

33countdowns
10stations
#19best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1982–2026years charted

Watch

The Kinks - Celluloid Heroes (Official Music Video)

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

Ray Davies wrote "Celluloid Heroes" for Everybody's in Show-Biz, the Kinks' 11th studio album, in 1972, and he arranged and produced it himself. It's a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard, eyes on the stars set in the Walk of Fame, and Davies summons the ghosts of the screen one by one: Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Bela Lugosi, Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders, Mickey Rooney.

It's a slow, swaying ballad, and Davies treats these idols with a gentle, knowing ache rather than a fan's gush, which is exactly why it gets under your skin. The verse naming Monroe, Sanders and Rooney doesn't always survive, though: some later versions, including the one on One for the Road, leave it out.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 334 95.5 KLOS KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) 499
1991 277 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1996 312 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 775 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1997 449 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (1997) 499
1999 1879 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 1879 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 1884 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 1869 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2004 277 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2009 793 WYEP WYEP 913 Essential Songs 913
2011 625 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 637 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2014 590 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 642 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2015 855 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2016 806 WYEP WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 913
2019 245 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2020 81 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 511 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 226 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 143 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 206 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 19 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2022) 500
2023 380 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 894 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 31 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2023) 500
2024 183 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2024) 500
2024 299 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2025 189 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2025) 500
2025 238 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2026 270 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2026) 500
2026 187 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Celluloid Heros.

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