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Cover of Doolittle by The Pixies
Cover: Doolittle

Song · The Pixies

“Wave of Mutilation” by The Pixies

From the album Doolittle (1989)

“Wave of Mutilation” by The Pixies appears on 28 radio countdowns from 12 stations between 1989 and 2023. It was first released in 1989 on the album Doolittle. Its best result is #36 on the John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1989. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #172 alternative song of 1989 and #1,873 alternative song of all time.

28countdowns
12stations
#36best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1989–2023years charted

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Wave of Mutilation

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"Wave of Mutilation" sits third on Doolittle, the Pixies' 1989 album, and Black Francis wrote it after reading about Japanese businessmen who drove into the ocean in murder-suicides. He turns that into something eerily serene, a daydream about going under, with Joey Santiago's bright, trebly guitar, Kim Deal's bass and harmonies and Dave Lovering's snapping drums, and Francis yelping over the top. It also tips its hat to "Cease to Exist", the Charles Manson song the Beach Boys recorded as "Never Learn Not to Love". Gil Norton produced it and Steve Haigler mixed.

A reworked alternate take with a different arrangement, the "UK Surf" version, turned up as a B-side to "Here Comes Your Man", and the band has kept both versions in its live sets. Critics came round to it and fans hold it dear.

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 36 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1989 50

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1991 206 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 94 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) 100
1999 1951 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 1928 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 1928 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 1913 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2003 1678 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 1471 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 496 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 1678 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 361 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 1677 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 77 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 70s & 80s 96
2007 1163 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 1102 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 1115 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1152 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 1110 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1102 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1083 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2018 667 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 725 WYEP WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 1017
2019 339 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2019 725 WYEP WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 1099
2019 212 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2021 187 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2022 232 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 720 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909

Also listed as: Wave Of Mutilation; Wave of Mutilation (UK SURF).

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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