TV on the Radio
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Artist · chart history

TV on the Radio

Band Brooklyn United States Formed 2001

TV on the Radio formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, United States. TV on the Radio has 122 chart appearances on 86 radio countdowns from 29 stations on RockLists, spanning 2005–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Wolf Like Me”, which appears on 36 lists with a best position of #2. The station that charted TV on the Radio most often is CD101 (Columbus, OH), with 14 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 2011.

122appearances
86countdowns
20songs charted
29stations
0#1 finishes
2005–2026years

TV on the Radio came out of Brooklyn in 2001 and made art rock that felt like it was breathing: Tunde Adebimpe's hungry, soulful voice tangling with Kyp Malone's, Dave Sitek's guitars and keyboards buried in loops and static, and grooves that lurch between gospel-tinged ache and clanging noise inside a single song. The Young Liars EP in 2003 was the first sighting, and Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes followed in 2004, the year the band took the Shortlist Music Prize.

Jaleel Bunton on drums and Gerard Smith on bass and keyboards filled out the lineup in 2005, and Return to Cookie Mountain in 2006 is where it all caught fire. "Wolf Like Me" gallops like a horror-movie chase, all pounding drums and howling guitars, while "I Was a Lover" broods in the shadows beside it. Dear Science in 2008 opened the windows a little, with "Golden Age" and "Halfway Home" swinging looser and brighter.

Nine Types of Light arrived in 2011, the year Smith died, and "Will Do" showed a tender side. Seeds, in 2014, brought "Happy Idiot" and "Trouble", proof the four remaining members could still bend a hook into strange new shapes.

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

Songs by TV on the Radio on radio countdowns

#SongStrengthListsBest#1sPeak year
1 Wolf Like Me
2,283
36 #2 – 2007
2 Will Do
1,081
24 #5 – 2011
3 Happy Idiot
1,030
21 #13 – 2014
4 Staring At The Sun
304
7 #97 – –
5 Second Song
295
5 #15 – 2011
6 Trouble
209
3 #21 – 2015
7 Golden Age
197
7 #60 – 2009
8 Crying
113
2 #11 – 2008
9 Dancing Choose
102
4 #83 – 2008
10 Heroes
65
1 #301 – –
11 DLZ
65
2 #464 – –
12 Could You
57
2 #70 – 2015
13 Million Miles
52
1 #44 – 2013
14 Halfway Home
51
1 #359 – –
15 Repetition
40
1 #548 – –
16 The Wrong Way
32
1 #502 – –
17 Careful You
26
1 #150 – 2014
18 Hours
23
1 #106 – 2008
19 I Was a Lover
18
1 #608 – –
20 Family Tree
1
1 #100 – 2008

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.

Every countdown appearance

Year#SongCountdown
2026 76 Wolf Like Me KXT 917 Song Countdown
2026 598 Wolf Like Me The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs You Discovered on The Colorado Sound
2026 807 Will Do The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs You Discovered on The Colorado Sound
2025 13 Wolf Like Me 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century
2025 48 Wolf Like Me 893 Essential Songs of The Current: 2005 to Now
2025 331 Staring At The Sun 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century
2025 667 Will Do 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century
2025 751 Happy Idiot 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century
2025 99 Wolf Like Me WYEP Best Songs of the 21st Century (So Far)
2025 237 Happy Idiot The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs
2025 576 Happy Idiot WYEP Best Songs of the 21st Century (So Far)
2024 33 Wolf Like Me The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century
2024 311 Will Do The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century
2024 464 DLZ The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century
2024 510 Happy Idiot The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century
2024 739 Staring At The Sun The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century
2024 73 Wolf Like Me WXPN The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century (2024)
2024 301 Heroes The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs
2024 359 Halfway Home The Best Opening Tracks of All Time
2024 502 The Wrong Way The Best Opening Tracks of All Time
2024 608 I Was a Lover The Best Opening Tracks of All Time
2024 885 Golden Age WXPN The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century (2024)
2023 371 Wolf Like Me 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time
2023 768 Wolf Like Me WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023
2022 87 Wolf Like Me KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022)
2022 930 Could You The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time
2022 1032 Will Do The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time
2022 1108 Will Do WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022
2022 2 Wolf Like Me 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s
2022 97 Staring At The Sun 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s
2022 492 Dancing Choose 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s
2022 610 Golden Age 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s
2022 833 DLZ 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s
2020 1314 Wolf Like Me WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time
2019 21 Trouble KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time
2019 82 Wolf Like Me KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time
2019 388 Staring At The Sun KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time
2019 574 Happy Idiot WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019
2019 574 Happy Idiot WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019
2019 1072 Dancing Choose WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019
2018 324 Wolf Like Me The Current's 893 Essential Songs
2018 70 Wolf Like Me WTMD Listeners' Top 897 Songs, 2003-2018
2018 311 Golden Age WTMD Listeners' Top 897 Songs, 2003-2018
2018 466 Happy Idiot WTMD Listeners' Top 897 Songs, 2003-2018
2018 557 Second Song WTMD Listeners' Top 897 Songs, 2003-2018
2016 548 Repetition WYEP 913 Countdown 2016
2016 858 Will Do WYEP 913 Countdown 2016
2016 863 Golden Age WYEP 913 Countdown 2016
2015 65 Happy Idiot 91X Top 91 Songs of 2015
2015 34 Trouble CD101 Top 102.5 Songs of 2015
2015 58 Trouble WEQX Top 102.7 of 2015
2015 59 Happy Idiot The Current Top 89 Songs of 2015
2015 70 Could You WBER Listener Countdown 2015
2014 35 Happy Idiot 91X Top 91 Songs of 2014
2014 57 Happy Idiot CD101 Top 102.5 Songs of 2014
2014 13 Happy Idiot 88.3 The Sting WBWC Top 88 Songs of 2014
2014 26 Happy Idiot WRNR Top 103.1 Songs of 2014
2014 33 Happy Idiot The Current Top 89 Songs of 2014
2014 34 Happy Idiot WXPN Year in Review: Top 200 Songs of 2014
2014 35 Happy Idiot WEQX Top 102.7 of 2014
2014 54 Happy Idiot WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2014
2014 56 Happy Idiot WXPK Top 107 Songs of 2014
2014 74 Happy Idiot 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 Songs of 2014
2014 76 Happy Idiot WTMD Top 89 Songs of 2014
2014 150 Careful You WXPN Year in Review: Top 200 Songs of 2014
2014 49 Happy Idiot Triple J Hottest 100 of 2014
2014 403 Wolf Like Me CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2014 525 Will Do CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)
2013 44 Million Miles WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2013
2013 66 Second Song WBER Listener Countdown 2013
2013 406 Wolf Like Me CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 577 Will Do CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)
2013 114 Wolf Like Me WXPN 885 Greatest Songs of the New Millennium (2013)
2013 556 Will Do WXPN 885 Greatest Songs of the New Millennium (2013)
2013 770 Golden Age WXPN 885 Greatest Songs of the New Millennium (2013)
2013 89 Wolf Like Me Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years (2013)
2012 55 (tie) Second Song WBER Listener Countdown 2012
2012 759 Wolf Like Me WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012)
2011 5 Will Do CD101 Top 102 Songs of 2011
2011 15 Second Song WTMD Top 89 Songs of 2011
2011 20 Will Do WRNR Top 103.1 Songs of 2011
2011 20 Will Do WEXT Top 97 of 2011
2011 32 Will Do WXPK Top 107 Songs of 2011
2011 36 Will Do WEQX Top 102.7 of 2011
2011 39 Second Song WXPN Year in Review: Top 100 Songs of 2011
2011 43 (tie) Will Do WBER Listener Countdown 2011
2011 45 Will Do WXPN Year in Review: Top 100 Songs of 2011
2011 61 Will Do WTMD Top 89 Songs of 2011
2011 65 Will Do WRSI Top 93 Songs of 2011
2011 66 Will Do WLCA Top 89 of 2011
2011 77 Will Do KSLG Top 94 Slugtracks of 2011
2011 81 Will Do WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2011
2011 90 Will Do WERG Top 90 of 2011
2011 39 Will Do WBRU Top 95.5 Songs of 2011
2011 421 Wolf Like Me CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2011 969 Will Do CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)
2010 473 Wolf Like Me CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)
2009 60 Golden Age WEQX Top 102.7 of 2009
2009 555 Wolf Like Me CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)
2009 99 Wolf Like Me Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (2009)
2009 271 Wolf Like Me WYEP 913 Songs That Matter from the Last Decade
2009 414 Staring At The Sun WYEP 913 Songs That Matter from the Last Decade
2009 841 Wolf Like Me WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009)
2008 11 Crying 88Nine Radio Milwaukee Top 100 Songs of 2008
2008 64 Golden Age WXPN Year in Review: Top 100 Songs of 2008
2008 73 Crying KSLG Top 94 of 2008
2008 83 (tie) Dancing Choose WBER Listener Countdown 2008
2008 90 Dancing Choose WEQX Top 102.7 of 2008
2008 100 Family Tree WXPN Year in Review: Top 100 Songs of 2008
2008 106 (tie) Hours WBER Listener Countdown 2008
2008 725 Wolf Like Me CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)
2007 74 Wolf Like Me 91X Top 91 Songs of 2007
2007 83 Wolf Like Me The End Top 107 Songs of 2007
2007 33 Wolf Like Me CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2007
2007 6 Wolf Like Me WBER Listener Countdown 2007
2007 14 Wolf Like Me WEQX Top 102.7 of 2007
2007 93 Wolf Like Me KWOD Top 106 Songs of 2007
2007 742 Wolf Like Me CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)
2006 28 Wolf Like Me Y100 Top 88.5 Songs of 2006
2006 63 Wolf Like Me Triple J Hottest 100 of 2006
2006 423 Staring At The Sun WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006)
2005 444 Staring At The Sun WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005)

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