Artist · chart history

Tonic

Band Los Angeles United States Formed 1993 Los Angeles post‐grunge rock band

Tonic formed in 1993 in Los Angeles, United States. Tonic has 51 chart appearances on 42 radio countdowns from 25 stations on RockLists, spanning 1996–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “If You Could Only See”, which appears on 34 lists with a best position of #3. The station that charted Tonic most often is Q101 (Chicago, IL), with 5 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 1997.

51appearances

42countdowns

6songs charted

25stations

0#1 finishes

1996–2026years

Tonic started in Los Angeles in 1993, when Emerson Hart teamed up with Jeff Russo, and the band that grew around them, with Dan Lavery, Kevin Shepard and Dan Rothchild joining later, played warm, melodic alternative rock with its heart on its sleeve. They signed to Polydor in 1995 and put out Lemon Parade in 1996.

It didn't set the world on fire at first, but "Open Up Your Eyes" and "If You Could Only See" slowly worked their way onto a stack of Billboard airplay charts, and the album eventually went platinum. "If You Could Only See" is the one that stuck: an aching, slow-building ballad that sounds made for late-night drives. Then they hit the road and more or less stayed there for two years, earning a name as one of the hardest-gigging bands around, and found time for film soundtrack work too.

They produced Sugar themselves in 1999, and Head on Straight followed in 2002, picking up 2 Grammy nominations, one for "Take Me As I Am" and one for Best Rock Album. A break began in 2004; they were back on the road late in 2008, with a greatest-hits set and a self-titled fourth album in 2010. Since then they've kept at it, using fan funding for an all-acoustic Lemon Parade Revisited in 2016 and putting out a stand-alone single, "To Be Loved", in 2021.

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

Songs by Tonic on radio countdowns

#	Song	Strength	Lists	Best	#1s	Peak year
1	If You Could Only See	1,808	34	#3	–	1997
2	Open Up Your Eyes	294	9	#43	–	1997
3	You Wanted More	146	5	#43	–	1999
4	Casual Affair	20	1	#83	–	1997
5	Knock Down Walls	18	1	#85	–	1999
6	Take Me As I Am	5	1	#101	–	2002

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.

96 97 99 02

Every countdown appearance

Year	#	Song	Countdown
2026	471	If You Could Only See	101X 500 (2026)
2025	347	If You Could Only See	99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025)
2023	223	If You Could Only See	105.9 The X July 420 (2023)
2023	266	If You Could Only See	WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023)
2023	420	Open Up Your Eyes	105.9 The X July 420 (2023)
2023	786	If You Could Only See	The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s
2022	237	If You Could Only See	105.9 The X July 420 (2022)
2022	174	If You Could Only See	The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s
2021	237	If You Could Only See	105.9 The X July 420 (2021)
2021	353	Open Up Your Eyes	90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2021	740	If You Could Only See	90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s
2020	126	If You Could Only See	The DC101 Top 500
2020	262	If You Could Only See	105.9 The X July 420 (2020)
2020	96	If You Could Only See	Top DC101 of the 90's
2019	254	If You Could Only See	WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019)
2015	361	If You Could Only See	WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015)
2014	364	If You Could Only See	WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014)
2005	443	If You Could Only See	99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005)
2005	480	Open Up Your Eyes	99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005)
2002	101	Take Me As I Am	Channel 104.9 Top 104.9 Songs of 2002
2002	1077	If You Could Only See	Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002)
2000	49	If You Could Only See	DC101 Top 101 Rock Songs of the 90s
1999	90	You Wanted More	Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1999
1999	94	You Wanted More	Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1999
1999	78	You Wanted More	K-Rock Top 92 Songs of 1999
1999	57	You Wanted More	WEQX Top 102.7 of 1999
1999	85	Knock Down Walls	WEQX Top 102.7 of 1999
1999	43	You Wanted More	Radio & Records Top 104 Songs of 1999
1999	128	If You Could Only See	Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	874	Open Up Your Eyes	Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	402	If You Could Only See	The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)
1999	559	Open Up Your Eyes	KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999)
1999	350	If You Could Only See	WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999)
1998	675	Open Up Your Eyes	KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998)
1998	868	If You Could Only See	KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998)
1997	52	If You Could Only See	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1997
1997	85	If You Could Only See	Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997
1997	7	If You Could Only See	Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997
1997	70	Open Up Your Eyes	Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997
1997	25	If You Could Only See	WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997
1997	15	If You Could Only See	The End Top 107 Songs of 1997
1997	4	If You Could Only See	KNRK Top 94 Songs of 1997
1997	6	If You Could Only See	105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997
1997	11	If You Could Only See	KEGL The Eagle's Top 97 Songs of 1997
1997	23	If You Could Only See	X103.9 Top 103.9 Songs of 1997
1997	25	If You Could Only See	WEQX Top 102.7 of 1997
1997	43	Open Up Your Eyes	KEGL The Eagle's Top 97 Songs of 1997
1997	3	If You Could Only See	Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997
1997	44	If You Could Only See	WRCX Top 103 Songs of 1997
1997	83	Casual Affair	WRCX Top 103 Songs of 1997
1996	96	Open Up Your Eyes	Radio & Records Top 96 Songs of 1996

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