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Song · The Verve

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve

From the album Urban Hymns (1997)

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve appears on 71 radio countdowns from 25 stations between 1997 and 2026. It was first released in 1997 on the album Urban Hymns. Its best result is #1 on the Virgin Radio Top 10 Songs of 1997. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #47 alternative song of 1998, #130 alternative song of all time and #96 of the '90s.

71countdowns
25stations
#1best position
1#1 finishes
7top 10 finishes
1997–2026years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1997 9 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997 105
1997 40 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 101
1997 1 Virgin Radio United Kingdom Virgin Radio Top 10 Songs of 1997 10
1998 21 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1998 107
1998 5 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1998 106
1998 26 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1998 100
1998 13 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 103 Songs of 1998 102

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 87 CRNC 90.1 CRNC Top 90.1 Songs of the '90s 91
1999 71 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 233 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 320 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 189 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 113 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 132 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 488 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 254 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 92 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of the '90s (September 2000) 100
2000 70 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 483 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 72 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 466 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 141 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 101 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 466 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 17 The Buzz The Buzz Top Songs of All-Time (Labor Day 2002, partial) 144
2002 631 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 151 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 466 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 79 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 466 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 288 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 456 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2004 8 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 128 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 459 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2006 57 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Songs of the '90s (December 2006) 107
2006 466 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 148 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 126 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 53 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 164 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 61 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2008 85 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2008) 100
2009 40 CFNY 102.1 The Edge The Top 200 Songs of the 90's According to 102.1 The Edge 200
2009 106 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 51 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 59 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009) 200
2009 14 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (2009) 100
2009 224 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 76 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of the 90's (September 2010) 200
2010 45 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 95 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2010) 100
2010 295 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 47 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2011 94 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2011) 100
2012 98 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2012) 100
2012 878 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 44 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 5 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years (2013) 100
2014 35 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 192 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2018 191 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 160 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2020 290 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 33 107.7 The End The End Obligatory Top 100 Alternative Songs of All Time (2021) 100
2022 57 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 7 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2024 108 KEXP The Best Opening Tracks of All Time 738
2025 70 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2025) 100
2025 2 Absolute Radio Absolute Radio 100 Ultimate Britpop Anthems 100
2026 366 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917

Also listed as: Bittersweet Symphony; Bittersweety Symphony.

Charting alongside it in 1998

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