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Cover of Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy
Cover: Jailbreak

Song · Thin Lizzy

“The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy

From the album Jailbreak (1976)

“The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy appears on 95 radio countdowns from 34 stations between 1982 and 2026. It was first released in 1976 on the album Jailbreak. Its best result is #26 on the Z-Rock Top 1001 Songs of All-Time (1990). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,572 alternative song of all time.

95countdowns
34stations
#26best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1982–2026years charted

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The Boys Are Back In Town

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"The Boys Are Back in Town" was the first single off Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak in 1976, and it swaggers in like a gang reclaiming the corner booth. Phil Lynott wrote every word and note himself, sang it in that easy rogue's croon and played bass and acoustic guitar, while Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson wound their two guitars around each other and Brian Downey kept the strut rolling. John Alcock produced it for Vertigo.

Nobody has ever pinned down exactly which boys Lynott had in mind; one of the many theories points to a Manchester crew of criminals called the Quality Street Gang. Either way, it's the sound of a big night about to happen. "Emerald" rode along on the original B-side, and Rolling Stone later put it at No. 272 on its 2021 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 396 95.5 KLOS KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) 499
1990 26 Z-Rock Z-Rock Top 1001 Songs of All-Time (1990) 1000
1991 94 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1994 422 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) 1000
1996 334 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 699 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1997 109 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (1997) 499
1997 32 104.5 KZEP KZEP Memorial Weekend Top 500 (1997) 500
1998 540 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1999 615 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2001 179 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2002 745 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2002 72 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2004 55 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2004 640 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2005 77 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 154 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2010 749 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 159 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2012 184 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2012 206 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 113 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 64 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2013) 500
2013 185 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 282 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2014 194 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 69 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 227 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2015 340 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2015) 500
2015 61 I-95 I-95 Memorial Day Weekend Top 500 (2015) 500
2015 455 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2015) 499
2016 381 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2016 86 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2016) 500
2016 182 103.5 The Fox The Fox Memorial Day 500 (2016) 299
2016 89 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2016) 500
2016 209 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2017 245 97.9 The Loop 97.9 The Loop Top 540 Countdown (2017) 540
2017 219 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2017 58 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2017) 500
2018 772 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2018 207 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2018 83 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2018) 500
2019 443 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2019) 500
2019 85 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2019) 500
2019 165 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2019 651 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 207 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2020 275 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2020 70 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 94 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2020) 500
2020 184 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2020 266 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2021 189 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2021 428 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2021 157 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 111 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2021) 500
2021 180 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2021 85 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2021 187 WCSX WCSX Rock & Roll 500 (2021) 499
2022 449 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s 908
2022 635 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 235 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 238 97.1 The River River 500 (2022) 500
2022 99 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2022) 500
2022 289 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 403 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 371 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 85 94.1 KRNA KRNA Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2023 211 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2023) 500
2023 216 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 96 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 455 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 168 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 313 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 113 97.1 The Drive 97.1 The Drive Memorial Day Weekend Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 58 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 44 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 85 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2024 140 KQRS KQRS KQ 500 (2024) 499
2024 363 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2024) 500
2024 183 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 100 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2024) 498
2024 189 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 141 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 160 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 499
2024 104 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2024) 500
2025 422 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2025) 500
2025 392 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2025) 500
2025 101 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2025) 498
2025 448 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 114 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 70 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2026 156 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500
2026 229 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2026) 500
2026 124 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: The Boys Are Back In Town; The Boys Are Back; The Boys Are Back in Town.

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