Song · U2
“11 O'Clock Tick Tock” by U2
Released 1980
“11 O'Clock Tick Tock” by U2 appears on 2 radio countdowns from 1 station between 2002 and 2003. It was first released in 1980. Its best result is #1168 on the Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,538 alternative song of all time.
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U2 made their Island Records debut with "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", a single released in May 1980 on the heels of the Three EP and "Another Day". Bono built the lyric out of a night at a Cramps show in London, staring down from the balcony at a lifeless, goth-leaning crowd.
Island, which had signed the band that March, steered them to Martin Hannett, betting he could sharpen them in the studio without draining the live charge, and he came to Dublin in April to cut it at Windmill Lane. The band admired his inventive production but found him an eccentric who stamped his own style on their music, and they went with Steve Lillywhite for Boy. The song got a second wind in 1984, reaching number 30 on a US rock chart after it turned up on the live album Under a Blood Red Sky.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1289 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 1168 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
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