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Cover of Doolittle by The Pixies
Cover: Doolittle

Song · The Pixies

“Debaser” by The Pixies

From the album Doolittle (1989)

“Debaser” by The Pixies appears on 53 radio countdowns from 18 stations between 1989 and 2024. It was first released in 1989 on the album Doolittle. Its best result is #3 on the John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1989. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #53 alternative song of 1989, #443 alternative song of all time and #388 of the '80s.

53countdowns
18stations
#3best position
0#1 finishes
2top 10 finishes
1989–2024years charted

Watch

Pixies - Debaser (Official Video)

Video from YouTube (4AD). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Debaser" is the first thing you hear on Doolittle, the Pixies' April 1989 album, and it announces the record like a kick in the shins. Black Francis wrote it and yelps it with manic glee, Kim Deal's voice rides alongside, and Francis's and Joey Santiago's guitars grind against each other while Deal's bass bounces and Dave Lovering's drums snap.

Gil Norton produced it and engineered it with Matt Lane, and Steve Haigler mixed it, sharpening the band's jagged lurch into something tight enough for radio without blunting any of its weirdness. Years later, after the band had split, it got a second life as a promotional single.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1989 72 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1989 90
1989 3 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1989 50

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1990 18 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) 100
1991 28 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) 100
1997 91 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1997) 100
1998 72 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1998) 100
1999 360 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 413 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 322 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 62 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1999) 150
2000 323 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2000 30 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (2000) 50
2001 328 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 1771 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2002 471 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 328 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 516 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 432 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 328 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 270 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 426 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 328 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 206 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 327 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 68 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2005) 100
2005 943 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2005 46 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 70s & 80s 96
2006 215 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 63 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2006) 100
2006 92 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2007 1015 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 225 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2007 88 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2007) 100
2008 946 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2008 88 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2008) 100
2009 949 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 92 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2009) 100
2010 977 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 64 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2010) 100
2011 1009 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2011 88 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2011) 100
2012 91 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2012) 100
2012 751 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 995 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 73 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2013) 100
2014 1036 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 760 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2018 252 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 94 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2021 575 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2022 140 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 204 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2024 7 KEXP The Best Opening Tracks of All Time 738

Charting alongside it in 1989

Best songs of 1989 →
  1. 1Love SongThe Cure
  2. 2StandR.E.M.
  3. 3Here Comes Your ManThe Pixies
  4. 4She Drives Me CrazyFine Young Cannibals
  5. 5Love ShackThe B-52's
  6. 6Personal JesusDepeche Mode

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