Song · The Shins
“Kissing the Lipless” by The Shins
From the album Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
“Kissing the Lipless” by The Shins appears on 8 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 2004 and 2024. It was first released in 2003 on the album Chutes Too Narrow. Its best result is #59 (tie) on the WBER Listener Countdown 2004. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #250 alternative song of 2004.
Watch
Video from YouTube (Sub Pop). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Kissing the Lipless" comes from Chutes Too Narrow, the Shins' 2003 album, and it's James Mercer's song through and through: he wrote the words and the music and sings it. Phil Ek produced it alongside the band and mixed it, and he keeps the edges bright and the corners a little crooked.
It's indie pop with a nervous pulse, all bittersweet melody and restless energy, the sort of thing that rewards the tenth listen more than the first.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 59 (tie) | WBER Rochester, NY | WBER Listener Countdown 2004 | 227 |
| 2004 | 90 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 2004 | 103 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 528 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Songs of the New Millennium (2013) | 885 |
| 2019 | 556 | KEXP | KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time | 627 |
| 2022 | 489 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s | 907 |
| 2024 | 435 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century | 1055 |
| 2024 | 254 | KEXP | The Best Opening Tracks of All Time | 738 |
| 2024 | 325 | WXPN | WXPN The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century (2024) | 885 |
Also listed as: Kissing The Lipless.
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Kissing the Lipless" by The Shins.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.