Song · The Kinks
“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” by The Kinks
Released 1979
“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” by The Kinks appears on 5 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 1997 and 2025. It was first released in 1979. Its best result is #115 on the WMGK Philly 500 (2023). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,616 classic rock song of all time.
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"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" is Ray Davies holding his nose and hitting the dance floor anyway. Arista boss Clive Davis asked for a club-friendly record, and Davies, who hated disco, handed him one: a disco beat under a song about wishing he could be Superman, sparked by Superman: The Movie. It led off Low Budget in 1979 and did moderately well as a single in North America.
Davies produced it and sings lead, with Dave Davies on guitar, Jim Rodford on bass and Mick Avory on drums, and the whole thing plays like a sly joke that still works on the dance floor.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 688 | 102.3 WBAB | WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) | 1023 |
| 2012 | 847 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) | 885 |
| 2023 | 115 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2023) | 500 |
| 2024 | 228 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2024) | 500 |
| 2025 | 268 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2025) | 500 |
Also listed as: Superman.
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