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Song · The Smiths

“How Soon is Now?” by The Smiths

Released 1984

“How Soon is Now?” by The Smiths appears on 85 radio countdowns from 22 stations between 1984 and 2026. It was first released in 1984. Its best result is #1 on the CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition), and it was voted number one on twelve countdowns in total. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #7 alternative song of 1984, #10 alternative song of all time and #4 of the '80s.

85countdowns
22stations
#1best position
12#1 finishes
49top 10 finishes
1984–2026years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1984 22 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1984 106
1984 1 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1984 48
1985 3 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1985 91
2005 61 CD101 Columbus, OH CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2005 101

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 34 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1988 5 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 4 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 4 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 1 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 1 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1989 9 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 1 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1989 7 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) 100
1990 1 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1990 3 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) 100
1991 2 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 4 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 1 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 6 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) 100
1992 1 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 1 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 23 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 1 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 8 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 17 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 5 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 28 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 19 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 6 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1998 42 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1998 28 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) 100
1999 1 Channel 104.9 Channel 104.9 Top 101 Songs of the '80s (February 1999) 104
1999 5 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 15 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 2 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 5 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 20 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 1 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 14 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 2 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 21 The Buzz The Buzz Top 99 Songs of All-Time (1999) 99
2000 3 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 8 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2000 7 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (2000) 50
2001 4 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 6 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 486 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 8 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 4 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 6 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 6 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 4 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 91
2003 3 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 6 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 5 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 137 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 5 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 285 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 139 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 3 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 2 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2006 18 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 2 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 1 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 5 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2007 161 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 4 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 124 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 64 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 119 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 71 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (2009) 100
2009 212 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 121 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 124 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 344 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 126 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 125 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 89 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2018 56 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 18 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2020 114 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 52 107.7 The End The End Obligatory Top 100 Alternative Songs of All Time (2021) 100
2022 31 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 4 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of The Last 40 Years 91
2026 872 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917

Also listed as: How Soon Is Now?; How Soon Is Now; How Soon is Now.

Charting alongside it in 1984

Best songs of 1984 →
  1. 1Two TribesFrankie Goes to Hollywood
  2. 2Pride (In the Name of Love)U2
  3. 3RelaxFrankie Goes to Hollywood
  4. 4The Killing MoonEcho and the Bunnymen
  5. 5TendernessGeneral Public
  6. 6Master and ServantDepeche Mode