Artist · chart history
The Proclaimers
Band Auchtermuchty Formed 1983
The Proclaimers formed in 1983 in Auchtermuchty. The Proclaimers has 37 chart appearances on 37 radio countdowns from 15 stations on RockLists, spanning 1989–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)”, which appears on 36 lists with a best position of #34. The station that charted The Proclaimers most often is CD101 (Columbus, OH), with 14 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 1993.
The Proclaimers are twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid, born in 1962 and out of Auchtermuchty in Scotland, and nobody else on the radio in 1988 sounded remotely like them. They started out in 1983 as an acoustic duo, two voices and acoustic backing, singing in their own thick Scottish accents without an ounce of apology, and they drew on country, folk and punk in equal measure.
"Letter from America" in 1987 got them noticed, and Sunshine on Leith in 1988 turned them into an international act. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" is the one everybody knows: a stomping, foot-on-the-monitor singalong, harmonies roaring over a galloping beat, that topped the charts in Australia, Iceland and New Zealand. "I'm on My Way" has the same cheerful bounce, and the album went multi-platinum in Australia and Canada.
Later records moved them toward a fuller, band-driven rock sound, with roots rock and alternative rock in the mix, and they have kept touring the world. Their 12th studio album, You May Offend, came out in 2026.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs by The Proclaimers on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) | 36 | #34 | – | 1993 | |
| 2 | I'm On My Way | 1 | #90 | – | 1989 |
Albums with charting songs
Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.
Year-end chart timeline
Combined year-end countdown points per year. Taller bars mean more songs placing higher across more stations.
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