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Cover of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins
Cover: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Song · The Smashing Pumpkins

“1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins

From the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)

“1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins appears on 115 radio countdowns from 47 stations between 1995 and 2026. It was first released in 1995 on the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Its best result is #2 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1996. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #15 alternative song of 1996, #99 alternative song of all time and #5 of the '90s.

115countdowns
47stations
#2best position
0#1 finishes
13top 10 finishes
1995–2026years charted

Watch

The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979 (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (SmashingPumpkinsVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"1979" went out in January 1996 as the second single from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the Smashing Pumpkins' sprawling 1995 album, and it sounded like nothing they'd done before. Billy Corgan wrote it as a nostalgic coming-of-age story, looking back on the year he turned twelve and slipped into adolescence, and he built it on loops and samples rather than the band's usual guitar avalanche.

It glides: a light, shimmering pulse, hazy guitars, and Corgan's voice soft and wistful, like a car drifting with the windows down on the last warm night of summer. Corgan produced and mixed it with Flood and Alan Moulder, and in hindsight you can hear the synth-pop of Adore, "Ava Adore" and "Perfect" already creeping in.

It went to No. 12 in the US and No. 2 in Canada, earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video. Rolling Stone readers later voted it the band's second-best song.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1995 40 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1995 107
1995 11 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1995 91
1995 5 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1995 10
1995 14 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1995 100
1995 24 103.1 The Buzz West Palm Beach, FL The Buzz Top 103 Alternative Songs of '95 103
1995 18 WDRE Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA WDRE Top 103.9 Songs of 1995 104
1996 2 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1996 107
1996 10 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1996 91
1996 2 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1996 101
1996 6 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1996 107
1996 21 WBCN Boston, MA WBCN Top 104 Songs of 1996 104
1996 77 WBER Rochester, NY WBER Listener Countdown 1996 100
1996 13 Triple J Australia (national) Triple J Hottest 100 of 1996 100
1996 18 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 96 Songs of 1996 96
1997 36 97.1 The Eagle Dallas-Fort Worth, TX KEGL The Eagle's Top 97 Songs of 1997 97

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 54 CRNC 90.1 CRNC Top 90.1 Songs of the '90s 91
1996 725 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1996 365 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 860 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1998 809 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1998 71 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) 100
1999 30 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 26 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 119 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 9 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 27 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 84 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 85 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 1375 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 333 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 58 The Buzz The Buzz Top 99 Songs of All-Time (1999) 99
1999 718 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2000 36 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of the '90s (September 2000) 100
2000 4 DC101 DC101 Top 101 Rock Songs of the 90s 101
2000 397 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 1375 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2000 95 103.3 The Edge 103.3 The Edge Top 103 New Rock Songs of the Millennium 103
2001 398 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 1343 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 651 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2001 114 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 387 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 1342 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 644 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2002 654 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 58 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 91
2003 239 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 1327 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 5 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 1327 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 77 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2005 9 Live 105 Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of the '90s (August 2005) 106
2005 39 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 90s 96
2005 293 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 1327 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 31 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2006 74 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Songs of the '90s (December 2006) 107
2006 117 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 29 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 297 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 30 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 46 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 616 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 56 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 46 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 3 CFNY 102.1 The Edge The Top 200 Songs of the 90's According to 102.1 The Edge 200
2009 47 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 44 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 4 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009) 200
2009 35 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (2009) 100
2010 18 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of the 90's (September 2010) 200
2010 41 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 42 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 88 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 102 New Rock Songs of All-Time 102
2013 43 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 21 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years (2013) 100
2014 45 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 44 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2015 38 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2016 572 WYEP WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 913
2017 219 97.9 The Loop 97.9 The Loop Top 540 Countdown (2017) 540
2018 222 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 16 X96 X96's Top 100 Songs of the 90's 100
2019 283 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2019 27 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2020 330 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2020 126 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 39 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2020 562 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2020 347 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2021 14 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 31 107.7 The End The End Obligatory Top 100 Alternative Songs of All Time (2021) 100
2021 388 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2021 32 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2021 99 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2022 7 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 51 101X 101X 500 (2022) 498
2022 240 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2022 38 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2023 28 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 137 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 453 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 29 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2023 766 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 9 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2024 66 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2024 237 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 651 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 57 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) 400
2025 33 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500
2025 67 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) 400
2025 205 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 969 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2026 46 101X 101X 500 (2026) 500
2026 208 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: 1979'.

Charting alongside it in 1996

Best songs of 1996 →
  1. 1Down311
  2. 2PepperButthole Surfers
  3. 3Where It's AtBeck
  4. 4SpiderwebsNo Doubt
  5. 5What I GotSublime
  6. 6MachineheadBush

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