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Artist · chart history · #300 in alternative artist polls · #617 in indie & aaa artist polls

The Waterboys

Band Edinburgh United Kingdom Formed 1983 folk-rock

The Waterboys formed in 1983 in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. The Waterboys has 83 chart appearances on 49 radio countdowns from 15 stations on RockLists, spanning 1985–2024. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “The Whole of the Moon”, which appears on 28 lists with a best position of #14. The station that charted The Waterboys most often is CD101 (Columbus, OH), with 20 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 1989.

83appearances
49countdowns
17songs charted
15stations
0#1 finishes
1985–2024years

Songs by The Waterboys on radio countdowns

#SongStrengthListsBest#1sPeak year
1 The Whole of the Moon
1,682		 28 #14 – 1986
2 Fisherman's Blues
453		 12 #57 – 1989
3 All The Things She Gave Me
425		 7 #750 – –
4 Whole of the Moon
415		 10 #41 – 1985
5 This Is The Sea
220		 3 #86 – –
6 Church Not Made With Hands
215		 4 #194 – –
7 Old England
175		 2 #122 – –
8 Glastonbury song
64		 2 #1193 – –
9 World Party
36		 1 #69 – 1989
10 A Girl Called Johnny
30		 4 #1847 – –
11 Where the Action Is
21		 1 #72 – 2019
12 Rags
21		 1 #1625 – –
13 The Return of Pan
17		 2 #1730 – –
14 A man is in love
13		 1 #27 – 1991
15 A Pagan Place
11		 1 #1822 – –
16 A Life of Sundays
3		 1 #89 – 1990
17 Don't Bang The Drum
1		 1 #1981 – –

Albums with charting songs

Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.

Year-end chart timeline

Combined year-end countdown points per year. Taller bars mean more songs placing higher across more stations.

85 86 89 90 91 19

Every countdown appearance

Year#SongCountdown
2024 360 Fisherman's Blues The Best Opening Tracks of All Time
2022 86 This Is The Sea KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022)
2022 141 The Whole of the Moon KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022)
2020 324 The Whole of the Moon WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time
2019 72 Where the Action Is WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2019
2019 237 This Is The Sea KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time
2018 530 The Whole of the Moon The Current's 893 Essential Songs
2018 629 Fisherman's Blues The Current's 893 Essential Songs
2007 1671 The Whole of the Moon CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2006 282 The Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006)
2006 241 The Whole of the Moon Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006)
2006 620 Artist ranking WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Artists (2006)
2005 299 The Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005)
2005 141 The Whole of the Moon CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 750 All The Things She Gave Me CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2005 345 Whole of the Moon Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)
2004 142 The Whole of the Moon CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 750 All The Things She Gave Me CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 187 Whole of the Moon Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)
2004 550 Whole of the Moon WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004)
2003 268 The Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003)
2003 142 The Whole of the Moon CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 750 All The Things She Gave Me CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)
2003 122 Old England Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 437 The Whole of the Moon Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 786 Fisherman's Blues Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1193 Glastonbury song Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1431 Church Not Made With Hands Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1625 Rags Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1822 A Pagan Place Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2003 1977 The Return of Pan Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003)
2002 221 The Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002)
2002 142 The Whole of the Moon CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 750 All The Things She Gave Me CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 1847 A Girl Called Johnny CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)
2002 386 Old England Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1260 Fisherman's Blues Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1549 Glastonbury song Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1730 The Return of Pan Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2002 1954 The Whole of the Moon Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2001 208 The Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001)
2001 384 Fisherman's Blues WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001)
2001 142 The Whole of the Moon CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 750 All The Things She Gave Me CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 1861 A Girl Called Johnny CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2001 499 The Whole of the Moon Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)
2000 205 The Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000)
2000 383 Fisherman's Blues WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000)
2000 141 The Whole of the Moon CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 750 All The Things She Gave Me CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
2000 1854 A Girl Called Johnny CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)
1999 884 Whole of the Moon The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 264 Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999)
1999 477 Fisherman's Blues WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999)
1999 141 The Whole of the Moon CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1005 All The Things She Gave Me CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1854 A Girl Called Johnny CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 1981 Don't Bang The Drum CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999 33 The Whole of the Moon CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999)
1999 173 Fisherman's Blues CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999)
1996 385 The Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996)
1994 407 Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994)
1992 237 Whole of the Moon Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992)
1991 27 A man is in love Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 1991
1991 236 The Whole of the Moon Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991)
1991 144 Whole of the Moon WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991)
1991 226 Church Not Made With Hands WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991)
1991 102 The Whole of the Moon CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition)
1991 318 Church Not Made With Hands CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition)
1991 601 Fisherman's Blues CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition)
1991 98 Artist ranking Live 105 Top 105 Artists of All-Time (1991)
1990 89 A Life of Sundays 91X Top 91 Songs of 1990
1990 171 The Whole of the Moon Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990)
1990 232 Fisherman's Blues Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990)
1989 69 World Party KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1989
1989 57 Fisherman's Blues 91X Top 91 Songs of 1989
1989 67 Fisherman's Blues Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1989
1989 125 This Is The Sea WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989)
1989 194 Church Not Made With Hands WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989)
1989 54 The Whole of the Moon WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989)
1988 252 Whole of the Moon Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988)
1986 14 The Whole of the Moon Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 1986
1985 41 Whole of the Moon 91X Top 91 Songs of 1985