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Cover of The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect by Todd Rundgren
Cover: The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect

Song · Todd Rundgren

“Bang The Drum All Day” by Todd Rundgren

From the album The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect (1982)

“Bang The Drum All Day” by Todd Rundgren appears on 22 radio countdowns from 12 stations between 1997 and 2025. It was first released in 1982 on the album The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect. Its best result is #404 on the WZLX Memorial 500 (2002). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,150 alternative song of all time.

22countdowns
12stations
#404best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1997–2025years charted

Watch

Todd Rundgren - Bang The Drum All Day (Official Video)

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

"Bang the Drum All Day" comes off The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect, Todd Rundgren's 1982 album on Bearsville, and it went out as a single the following April. Rundgren plays every instrument on it himself and sings as a guy who would rather pound on drums, or whatever else makes a racket, than bother with work, school or even play.

That goofy, stomping single-mindedness is exactly why it stuck: the song has become a go-to anti-work anthem and a soundtrack for celebrating. Rundgren was in on the joke too. He later recut it live for subscribers to his PatroNet service as "Bang on the Ukulele Daily", done Hawaiian-style with nothing but a ukulele, and put it on One Long Year.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1997 1004 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1999 793 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 844 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 833 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 833 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 404 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2003 833 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 833 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 834 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2011 439 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2011 430 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 800 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2014 884 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2014 419 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2021 502 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2021 1003 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 500 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) 500
2023 968 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2024 490 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 502 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2025 487 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 465 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800

Also listed as: Bang the Drum all Day; Bang On The Drum; Bang the Drum All Day; Bang the Drum All Die; Bang on the Drum All Day.

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