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Song · The Pretenders

“Back on the Chain Gang” by The Pretenders

From the album Learning to Crawl (1983)

“Back on the Chain Gang” by The Pretenders appears on 45 radio countdowns from 17 stations between 1982 and 2026. It was first released in 1983 on the album Learning to Crawl. Its best result is #43 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #64 alternative song of 1982, #480 alternative song of all time and #361 of the '80s.

45countdowns
17stations
#43best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1982–2026years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 43 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982 107

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 78 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1988 244 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1989 98 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1989 223 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1990 152 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1991 443 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1992 330 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1994 267 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 248 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1995 240 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1996 63 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 156 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1998 187 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 798 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 225 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 480 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 476 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 816 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 224 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 867 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 869 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 397 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 468 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 869 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 229 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 867 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 440 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 867 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 295 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2004 525 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 867 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 330 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 267 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2009 335 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2012 499 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2019 614 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2020 1876 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 667 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 356 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2022) 500
2023 767 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 490 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2023) 500
2025 773 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2026 433 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2026) 500
2026 325 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917

Also listed as: Back On The Chain Gang.

Charting alongside it in 1982

Best songs of 1982 →
  1. 1Rock the CasbahThe Clash
  2. 2Should I Stay or Should I Go?The Clash
  3. 3Promised You a MiracleSimple Minds
  4. 4TemptationNew Order
  5. 5I Ran (So Far Away)A Flock of Seagulls
  6. 6Sex DwarfSoft Cell