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Cover of 1984 by Van Halen
Cover: 1984

Song · Van Halen

“I'll Wait” by Van Halen

From the album 1984 (1984)

“I'll Wait” by Van Halen appears on 80 radio countdowns from 28 stations between 1990 and 2026. It was first released in 1984 on the album 1984. Its best result is #78 on the 97.9 The Loop Top 540 Countdown (2017).

80countdowns
28stations
#78best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1990–2026years charted

Watch

Van Halen - 1984 - I'll Wait

Video from YouTube (VanHalen765). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

Following "Jump" as the second single from 1984, Van Halen's sixth album, "I'll Wait" is the band at its most synthesized and moody, almost all keyboards, with a synth bass line pulsing under Edward Van Halen's playing and Alex Van Halen thumping away on his Rototom kit. David Lee Roth couldn't crack the melody and words on his own, so producer Ted Templeman called in Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers, and McDonald ended up sharing the writing credit with Roth, both Van Halens and Michael Anthony.

The song is Roth pining after a picture: the woman in a Calvin Klein print ad wearing men's underwear, which he stuck up next to his Sony Trinitron and sang to. It reached number 13 on the Hot 100, even though no video was ever made for it.

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

RockLists rankings

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1990 197 Z-Rock Z-Rock Top 1001 Songs of All-Time (1990) 1000
1991 406 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1994 504 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) 1000
1995 597 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) 1000
1996 408 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1996 361 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 399 104.5 KZEP KZEP Memorial Weekend Top 500 (1997) 500
1998 427 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1999 450 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2002 838 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2002 474 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) 923
2004 472 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2010 102 97.9 The Loop The Loop USO Rock 'N' Roll 500 (2010) 500
2011 290 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2011 509 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 326 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2012 510 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2013 444 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 435 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 192 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2014 414 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 358 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 300 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 400 (2014) 400
2015 191 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2015 182 I-95 I-95 Memorial Day Weekend Top 500 (2015) 500
2015 296 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2015) 499
2016 243 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2016) 500
2016 482 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2016 88 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2016) 500
2016 444 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2016 141 103.5 The Fox The Fox Memorial Day 500 (2016) 299
2017 388 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2017) 500
2017 78 97.9 The Loop 97.9 The Loop Top 540 Countdown (2017) 540
2017 453 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2018 378 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2018) 500
2018 447 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2019 162 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2019 331 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2019) 500
2019 281 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2019 709 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 290 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2019) 500
2019 120 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2020 187 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2020 310 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2020) 500
2020 182 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 292 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2020 574 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2021 587 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2021 481 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2021 464 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2021 308 WCSX WCSX Rock & Roll 500 (2021) 499
2021 450 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2021 375 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2021) 500
2021 436 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2021 647 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 886 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 193 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) 500
2022 251 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2022) 500
2022 328 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2022) 500
2022 362 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 367 94.1 KRNA KRNA Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 370 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2023 922 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 466 97.1 The Drive 97.1 The Drive Memorial Day Weekend Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 79 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 302 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2023) 500
2023 313 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 367 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 498 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 299 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2023) 500
2024 275 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 187 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) 400
2024 82 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2024) 498
2024 237 KQRS KQRS KQ 500 (2024) 499
2024 214 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 499
2025 371 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 83 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2025) 498
2025 470 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 141 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2025) 500
2026 421 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500

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