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Cover of Zenyattà Mondatta by The Police
Cover: Zenyattà Mondatta

Song · The Police

“Canary In A Coalmine” by The Police

From the album Zenyattà Mondatta (1980)

“Canary In A Coalmine” by The Police appears on 29 radio countdowns from 7 stations between 1980 and 2026. It was first released in 1980 on the album Zenyattà Mondatta. Its best result is #61 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1980. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #61 alternative song of 1980 and #795 alternative song of all time.

29countdowns
7stations
#61best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1980–2026years charted

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Canary In A Coalmine

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"Canary in a Coalmine" is one of the lighter-footed moments on Zenyattà Mondatta, the album the Police put out in October 1980. Sting wrote it on his own, sings lead, plays the electric bass and adds synthesizer; Andy Summers handles electric guitar and piano, Stewart Copeland drives the drums, and all three pitch in on backing vocals. Nigel Gray produced it with the band and engineered the sessions.

It skips along on a jittery, almost ska-quick beat, Copeland's hi-hats fizzing while Summers chops out bright little chords, and the whole thing sounds like three players having a laugh at the tempo's expense.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1980 61 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1980 106

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1989 492 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 354 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1994 452 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1996 454 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1999 261 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 261 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 261 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 261 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 762 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 261 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 775 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 261 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 263 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2007 993 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 929 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 935 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 964 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 996 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2011 1013 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 1072 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2013 1006 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 809 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2014 1040 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 828 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 816 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2016 752 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2021 745 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2026 310 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 U-Man 500 (2026) 499

Also listed as: Canary in a Coalmine; Canary In a Coalmine; Canary in a Coal Mine; Canary In A Coal Mine.

Charting alongside it in 1980

Best songs of 1980 →
  1. 1And the Cradle Will RockVan Halen
  2. 2Another One Bites the DustQueen
  3. 3Whip ItDevo
  4. 4Don't Stand So Close to MeThe Police
  5. 5Once in a LifetimeTalking Heads
  6. 6You Shook Me All Night LongAC/DC

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