RockLists.com
Cover of Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Cover: Violent Femmes

Song · Violent Femmes

“Kiss Off” by Violent Femmes

From the album Violent Femmes (1983)

“Kiss Off” by Violent Femmes appears on 47 radio countdowns from 20 stations between 1991 and 2025. It was first released in 1983 on the album Violent Femmes. Its best result is #3 on the KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #209 alternative song of all time.

47countdowns
20stations
#3best position
0#1 finishes
5top 10 finishes
1991–2025years charted

Watch

Violent Femmes - Kiss Off (Official Audio/40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

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

"Kiss Off" comes from Violent Femmes' self-titled 1983 debut, and it's pure adolescent fury played on instruments you could carry onto a bus. Gordon Gano wrote it, sings it and plays the guitar, Brian Ritchie thumps an acoustic bass guitar, and Victor DeLorenzo keeps time on a snare drum, with all three chiming in on vocals.

Mark Van Hecke produced it, and engineers Glenn Lorbiecki and John Tanner caught it raw and close, so every scrape of the strings and crack of the snare sits right in your face. It builds from a nervy strum to a full-throated tantrum, Gano's voice cracking and yowling as the band pushes harder and faster. The title says the rest: this is a goodbye delivered with a sneer, and the sneer is the point.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1991 556 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 21 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) 100
1994 20 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1995 43 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1996 30 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 26 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1998 3 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 497 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 108 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 192 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 739 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 932 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 249 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 983 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 250 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 940 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 248 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 940 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2003 218 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 925 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 1429 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 142 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 161 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 925 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 154 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 914 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 307 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2005 41 The Edge KEDJ Top 103 on Independent Radio 103
2005 15 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 70s & 80s 96
2006 73 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 119 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 25 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 205 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 68 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 15 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 352 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 11 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 10 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 6 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 6 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 8 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2018 473 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 178 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2022 204 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2023 122 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 909 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2025 236 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800

Comments

Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Kiss Off" by Violent Femmes.

Be kind and stay on topic. Guidelines

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.