RockLists.com
Cover of Bows + Arrows by The Walkmen
Cover: Bows + Arrows

Song · The Walkmen

“The Rat” by The Walkmen

From the album Bows + Arrows (2004)

“The Rat” by The Walkmen appears on 26 radio countdowns from 13 stations between 2004 and 2025. It was first released in 2004 on the album Bows + Arrows. Its best result is #23 on the BBC 6 Music 100 Best Tracks Of The Last 10 Years. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #134 alternative song of 2004 and #2,092 alternative song of all time.

26countdowns
13stations
#23best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
2004–2025years charted

Watch

The Walkmen - "The Rat"

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

"The Rat" came tearing out of the Walkmen's second album, Bows + Arrows, as its first single on April 19, 2004, and it was born almost by accident. Drummer Matt Barrick kicked off a jam with a breakneck beat, the rest of the band piled chords on top, and Hamilton Leithauser has said he dashed off the words in five minutes. It had been in their live sets since early 2002, the lyrics still shifting.

The band normally produced themselves, but when they couldn't get the stacked-up organ and guitar down on tape, their label steered them to Dave Sardy. Bassist Walter Martin never made peace with the result, feeling it lacked the big, live sound of the rest of the album. Whatever its makers' doubts, it's a thrilling racket, Leithauser howling like he's been locked out and the drums in a dead sprint. It reached number 45 in the UK.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2004 78 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2004 107
2004 82 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 2004 106
2004 95 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 2004 101
2004 83 WFNX Boston, MA WFNX Top 100 Songs of 2004 100
2004 52 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 77 Songs of 2004 77
2004 38 CD101 Columbus, OH CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2004 101

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2005 337 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 2006 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2006 445 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 750 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 954 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 968 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1002 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 948 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 920 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 23 BBC Radio 6 Music BBC 6 Music 100 Best Tracks Of The Last 10 Years 100
2013 795 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Songs of the New Millennium (2013) 885
2014 900 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2016 831 WYEP WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 913
2019 201 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2022 74 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s 907
2022 61 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 763 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2024 352 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century 1055
2024 452 WXPN WXPN The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century (2024) 885
2025 206 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century 909

Also listed as: the Rat.

Charting alongside it in 2004

Best songs of 2004 →
  1. 1Somebody Told MeThe Killers
  2. 2American IdiotGreen Day
  3. 3Float OnModest Mouse
  4. 4Take Me OutFranz Ferdinand
  5. 5VertigoU2
  6. 6MegalomaniacIncubus

Comments

Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "The Rat" by The Walkmen.

Be kind and stay on topic. Guidelines

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.