Song · William Shatner
“Common People” by William Shatner
From the album Has Been (2004)
“Common People” by William Shatner appears on 9 radio countdowns from 8 stations between 2004 and 2025. It was first released in 2004 on the album Has Been. Its best result is #2 on the WBER Listener Countdown 2005. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #121 alternative song of 2004.
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William Shatner took on Pulp's "Common People" for his 2004 album Has Been, and Ben Folds, who produced, arranged and co-mixed it with Joe Costa, turned it into a slow-building showdown. Shatner tears into Jarvis Cocker's jab at the wealthy playing at being poor, the class-tourism satire all five members of Pulp wrote together, while Folds on bass and synthesizer, John Mark Painter on guitar and Lindsay Jamieson on drums keep tightening the screws.
Then Joe Jackson storms in as a guest singer and the Louisville Common People's Choir piles on behind, and the whole thing turns into a rowdy mob scene. This was the version that carried the song to listeners far beyond Europe.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 56 | 88.3 The Sting Cleveland, OH | 88.3 The Sting WBWC Top 88 Songs of 2004 | 88 |
| 2004 | 16 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 2004 | 103 |
| 2004 | 21 | Triple J Australia (national) | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2004 | 100 |
| 2005 | 78 | Y100 Philadelphia, PA | Y100 Top 150 Songs of 2005 | 150 |
| 2005 | 2 | WBER Rochester, NY | WBER Listener Countdown 2005 | 230 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 757 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s | 907 |
| 2024 | 481 | KEXP | The Best Opening Tracks of All Time | 738 |
| 2024 | 158 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs | 850 |
| 2025 | 908 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century | 909 |
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